Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), op. 45 [Original recording remastered]

Johannes Brahms (Composer), Fritz Lehmann (Conductor), Berliner Philharmoniker (Orchestra), Berlin Philharmonic (Orchestra), Otto Wiener (Performer), Maria Stader (Performer), Chor der St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Otto Wiener, Maria Stader, Chor der St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale
• Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker, Berlin Philharmonic
• Conductor: Fritz Lehmann
• Composer: Johannes Brahms
• Audio CD (February 10, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001H02
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,468 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last..., March 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), op. 45 (Audio CD)

I've owned the LP's of this performance ever since they first came out on Decca Gold Label (Seiji Ozawa "borrowed" my copy in 1975 and I never got it back - I had to find a used copy). This is my absolute favorite of all of the recordings of this wonderful work. The slowing of the tempo in the "tranquillo" section of the second movement will be a surprise to many, but, to me, it is perfect. Unmatched and at a bargain price. Go for it.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A noble, profoundly moving performance. Why is it neglected?, September 9, 2005

By 

RENS (Dover, NH USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), op. 45 (Audio CD)

How can this be? One of the greatest recordings ever made of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem appears not only to be out of print but to being subjected to a dump on the market: brand new copies being sold by Amazon marketplace associates for $.65! I"ve alread had several copies sent to friends and colleagues as gift.

So, don't let the ridiculously low price put you off: if you have any affection for this choral masterpiece or if you don't know it and would like to get to know it, buy this CD, and buy it while it is available at all and at such low prices.

The 1955 mono recording is as clear and rich and full sounding as many a stereo CD made in recent years. The listener can understand every word sung by the Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral and the various vocal parts are always distinct, even in the great fugues. The Berlin Philharmonic plays with both delicacy and power. Otto Wiener sings his solo passages in the 3rd and 6th movements with a heartfelt simplicity that only a heart of stone could resist. Maria Stader also brings unaffected musicianship to her solo. Fritz Lehmann has brought the very best out of each and every musician involved in this recording. Whenver I hear it, I don't just hear Brahms' Requiem, I live it.

Only Rudolf Kempe's recording from EMI, also made in 1955 with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Choir of St. Hedwig's, matches Lehmann's achievement. On that recording, the exquisite singing of Eliabeth Gruemmer rises to the same heights as that of Maria Stader, but even the young Fischer-Dieskau does not reach as deeply into the heart of the text and the music as does Otto Wiener.

There are many more recent performances of Ein Deutsches Requiem, all in stereo and most recorded DDD. To find a depth of feeling and a sensitivity of playing equal to the two 1955 recordings, I would turn to those conducted by Philip Herreweghe, James Levine, and Rafael Kubelik, all of which are currently available.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest Brahms Requiem performance of them all ...., May 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), op. 45 (Audio CD)

This recording is the performance of the Brahms Requiem on LP that I grew up with. I am a choral singer (with a symphony chorus) and this piece has always been my favorite to perform. I have heard many recordings over the last 40+ years and have sung it many times, and over the years, only a performance I was privileged to sing with En Shao and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra some years ago even approaches this particular recording in its sublime, measured, flowing, and German-to-the-core performance. The orchestra, chorus, soloists, and conducting and pace are without compare if you want to hear authentic Brahms by some of the greatest German/Austrian performers (Maria Stader has the perfect light, lyrical German soprano for the music ~ and of course the young Fischer-Dieskau in his prime). But then I confess that I love the slower tempi and richer sounds that go with the German school of conducting and playing, and that might not be everyone's cup of tea. If that school is to your liking, though, you may never find a better recording.

I have waited literally most of my life to find a better rendering, and have yet to find it, so I am thrilled to be able to replace my old treasured, well-worn LP with a CD of this performance. And at such a price! My day is made!