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The warmth and clarity of John Eliot Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir makes it a compelling exponent of the two Schütz works presented here, in live 2007 performances from London and Paris. A year later in Edinburgh, the Brahms begins beautifully with an even richer choral sound, effectively contrasted with the relatively abrasive, vibrato-less gut strings of the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique – providing a piquancy absent from many urbanely smooth modern instrument versions. The second movement, Denn alles Fleisch, can often get bogged down with overbearing morbidity. Not so here, thanks to Gardiner's agile, slow-waltz tempo and choral dexterity. The initial, well-enunciated, chorus entry has an arresting intensity, although the curiously tame climax of Gardiner's crescendo does not match the earth-shattering force of many performances. The brisk, forthright march of the concluding fugue makes up for a lack of gravitas with sheer exhilaration, but the third-movement fugue is more successful – free-flowing and well-grounded, it builds powerfully.
Gardiner adopts a relatively steady tempo for the sublime Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, creating an ethereal ebb and flow with romantic rubato and portamento. The choir is a shade too English-sounding here, at odds with the relaxed radiance the movement requires, but it is an improvement on his 1991 Philips studio recording. The tempestuous episodes in the sixth movement are thrillingly dramatic, and the work's luminous close brings a genuine sense of repose.
The Achilles heel of many Gardiner recordings is his choice of young ‘up-and-coming’ vocal soloists. In this case, sadly neither the soprano nor baritone are up to the job, letting down what is otherwise a highly rewarding account of the German Requiem realised in a carefully considered, mature and generally persuasive attempt at late 19th century performance practice.
--Graham Rogers
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death of his Mother and completed it three years later. Clearly a deeply
personal work, it is one of Bramhs' most beautiful and moving compositions.
John Eliot Gardiner's recording of the work succeeds through his masterful
integration of both its intimacy and grandeur. The hushed opening of the
first movement, especially the choir's entry on 'Selig Sind, Die Da Lied Tragen'
is simply wonderful. As ever the Monteverdi Choir excel in their exquisite
handling of every vocal nuance. In Gardiner's hands they remain one of the
most exquisite instruments on the planet. The Orchestre Revolutionnaire Et
Romantique, too, are playing on top form. The power generated in the second
movement's B-flat major 'Aber Des Herm Wort Bliebet In Ewigkeit' is awesome.
The work's culmination in the trancendent final bars of 'Selig Sind Die Toten'
unites band and chorus in a resolution which is nothing less than sublime.
The soloists, Katherine Fuge (soprano) and Matthew Brook (bass) deliver their
parts with elegance and sensitivity. All-in-all a wonderful interpretation.
I still have a soft spot for Otto Klemperer's 1961 recording with Elizabeth
Schwartzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the Philharmonia Orchestra and
Chorus but Gardiner's rendition can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best.
(The inclusion of the Monteverdi's accounts of Schutz's 'Wie Leiblich Sind
Deine Wohnungen' from the Op. 2 'Psalmen Davids Samt Etlichen Moteten Und
Concerto' and 'Selig Sind Die Toten, Die In Dem Herren' from the Op. 11' Geistliche
Chormusik' (especially the latter) are the icing on the cake. Glorious stuff!)
Essential.
It is within this context that I approached Gardiner's second account of the Requiem. From the very opening movement it is clear that there is engagement with the text. Words are projected clearly allowing us to savour their meanings. But for all its beauty and refinement, I couldn't help feeling that it sometimes comes at the expense of sheer gutsiness. Take, for instance, the climaxes of the 2nd movement which, as performed here, seem somewhat underpowered, or the way in which the ending of the 3rd movement lacks exhilaration and momentum.
The soloists are new names to me and I was apprehensive about what to expect. Both are successful in lending `presence' but without `spotlighting' themselves.... Read more ›
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