Verdi: Messa da Requiem

... but unfortunately the choir sounds muddy and the soloists are trite (Fleming and D'Archangelo) or downright disastrous (Bocelli).

Gergiev certainly has a sense of drama that becomes a magnificent piece like the Verdi Requiem. The tempi and dynamics provides the right setting for the words. For instance the bass drum in Dies Irae and Tuba Mirum sounds like an artillery cannon and it makes my hear skip a beat no matter how many times I hear this part of the recording... Marvellous... Other conductors take note. Trumpets are clear and distinct makin the triplets stand out intense and insisting. And I could go on about the opening cello melody and so on and so on.
Unfortunately the choir doesn't deliver clear diction, so the text is inaudible all the way through. Their intonation is unclear as well, making it impossible as to guess which note the basses are singing on "Te decet hymnus". The only good thing about the choir is the size and ability to sing an unrestrained fortissimo in the places where needed.

The soloists, however, should have been left out of this production with the exception of the russian mezzo. Worst of all is Bocelli. Whenever the tenor part reaches the high g (which happens a lot in Verdi, not just the Requiem), Bocelli starts to sound weak and gets sort of a whimpering quality in his voice. His intonation goes all out of sync, and his rendition of the greatest sacred tenor aria of all time, Ingemisco, quite frankly made me laugh. Fleming is uninspired and D'Arcangelo sound woobly and unclear.

I will mention Fritz Reiners recording of 1959, in which Leontyne Price deliver true Verdian drama along with sacred adoration, Giorgio Tozzi sounds like an Avenging Angel in person in Confutatis and last but certainly not least (and this reason I bought the Reiner recording), Jussi Björling, which nearly drowns out the orchestra in sheer power and glory on the high B in Ingemisco. The Wiener Singverein also makes a much better choir than the Kirov, but Reiners orchestra (Wiener Philharmoniker) and reading in general is a bit dull in comparison, so if one could take the orchestra, conductor and mezzo-soprano of the Kirov recording, and the other soloists and choir of the 1959 recording, it would be the greatest recording ever of Verdis Requiem. Until technology makes it possible, buy both or, if you must, get this one and skip over the solo passages until you can afford to buy Fritz Reiner et al.

Take one virtually indestructible masterpiece of vocal and choral music. Add one of the most talented of contemporary conductors, at the helm of his own outstanding orchestra and chorus. Select two of the finest female soloists alive. You wouldn't think Philips could have failed to produce a superlative recording of Verdi's Requiem, given the points in favour of the enterprise, but they could and they did. The reason is very simply summed up: Andrea Bocelli. The line-up of soloists betrays the thinking behind the cast. As a stalwart of the Kirov Opera, Olga Borodina was an obvious choice for the mezzo-soprano role. She is by some way the most successful of the soloists. Renee Fleming, on the other hand, is very much the soprano of the moment. Her singing is certainly beautiful, but, not for the first time, she sounds less than fully involved. One does have to wonder why one of the current crop of Russian sopranos was not considered. Galina Gorchakova, for example, has an impressive record in Verdi's middle period operas and in Aida: the perfect background, one might suppose, for a role in his Requiem. Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is rather an identikit bass soloist, entirely competent in the role, but not truly memorable. The real problem with this performance and the reason for emphatically not recommending it is the choice of Andrea Bocelli as the tenor soloist. This production ruthlessly exposes the limitations of his voice and the inadequacy of his technique. Listen, if you must, to the strain in his voice when he sings the passage "Ingemisco tamquam reus". This should be one of the most sublime passages in Verdi's entire output, as, indeed, it is in the famous recording by Jussi Bjoerling. Standing comparison with Bjoerling is a tall order for any tenor, of course, but Bocelli falls well short in comparison with many other tenors who have taken this role over the years. The Kirov certainly has far better tenors on its books than Bocelli, so it is impossible to avoid the impression that the choice of soloist owed more to commercial prominence than to musical aptitude. Enrico Caruso claimed Verdi's "Il Trovatore" required the four best soloists in the world. Despite the formidable demands of its music, the Requiem does not, but it does require a certain level of ability and whole-hearted commitment. Only Borodina provides both here. If you must have digital stereo, go for John Eliot Gardiner's production on the same label. If you can live with less modern recording techniques, try Giulini, on his BBC recording, Serafin, on EMI, with Gigli and the inimitable Ezio Pinza, or, best of all, Fricsay's second recording on Deutsche Grammophon. Fricsay's soloists are less than stellar, but as an ensemble they create a more moving performance by far than any of their rivals.

Not that there has been a dearth of Verdi Requiems on the market, but this one is welcome indeed, although some of the casting seems peculiar. Valery Gergiev gives a ceremonial, at times esoteric, reading: often his slow tempi (try Ingemisco) take his singers to their limits, but ... it works. Once again, Renee Fleming is by far the star of this production, her voice being in perfect condition: radiant top, strong chest notes, soft and creamy center. And, as usual, she knows what the whole piece is about. Olga Borodina offers her sensous, rich voice but not much more. Ildebrando d'Arcangelo gives an interestingly "muscular" reading of his music. Bocelli manages better than one would have thought: his shallow voice gives away only in "Hostias" were -unfortunately- he spoils the atmosphere. That's my only reservation, that is why I cant't give 5 stars!