Britten: War Requiem [Hybrid SACD]

Celebrating its half century on May 30, Britten s great antiwar oratorio is arguably the only modern classic of its kind to have found the widest audience and increasing critical acclaim. This live recording, from the Barbican Hall last October, was to have been conducted by the LSO s president , Colin Davis, but the demands of the work proved a deterrent to the now 84-year-old conductor. (At the first performance, in Coventry Cathedral, Britten baulked at tackling the whole work himself, opting for the lesser challenge of conducting the chamber ensemble that accompanies the tenor and baritone settings of Wilfred Owen s searing war poems.) Noseda proves a more than worthy substitute, easily encompassing the dramatic scale of the work with its operatic Latin choruses the liturgical text led by a hieratic high priestess soprano. Although LSO forces did not perform at the world premiere, Britten chose them for his iconic recording with the three soloists, Galina Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, for whom he tailor-made their parts. The Slovenian soprano Sabina Cvilak has a bright, silvery penetrating timbre. Ian Bostridge s tenor is as individual and idiosyncractic as Pears s in its own way. Simon Keenlyside, too, is magnificent, while the two choirs relish their grateful, inspiring music. --Hugh Canning, CLASSICAL CD OF THE WEEK, Sunday Times, 15 April 2012

CD of the Week Noseda proves to be more than a worthy substitute [for Sir Colin Davis], easily encompassing the dramatic scale of the work ... Ian Bostridge s tenor is as individual and idiosyncratic as Pears s --Sunday Times (UK)

Noseda offers an account rich in drama and is excellent at knitting together the Latin sections to commentary on war, forging a sense of momentum and cohesion ... Noseda paces the music perfectly, drawing playing and singing of great beauty from his forces ... this performance is incredibly moving and as fine a modern account as one could wish for ... no other orchestra can boast such a pedigree in this work on disc --International Record Review (UK)

LSO 0719; LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - Inghilterra; Classica vocale Sacra Messe