Customer Reviews

Britten: War Requiem; Sinfonia da Requiem; Ballad of Heroes

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Several reviewers on SACD-oriented websites, and in magazines, expressed their disappointment in this SACD transfer, and I have to agree. There seems to be an unnatural focus to the center speaker (admittedly delineating the words of Owen's memorable poetry), but the surround speakers that should spotlight the chorus are dim at best. I had the original stereo incarnation of magnificent performance (perhaps Hickox's finest); I wish I had saved some money nd kept it.

PostScript: I just purchased Helmuth Rilling's hybrid- SACD recording of the 'War Requiem". My Lord, what a performance, and what an engineering marvel. The Hanssler engineers truly exploited the potential of the SACD format. The huge performance swallows the room and the amazingly disciplined work of the choir is crystal clear along with the fine performance of the Ensemble Stuttgart (orchestra). I'm going to cheat and include a review from another listener who provides a detailed analysis of this wonderful recording. Enjoy!

..."5.0 out of 5 stars A new version for the shelves, and creative engineering at its best, 23 May 2009
By P. D. Allen (Eltham, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) This review is from: Britten - War Requiem (Audio CD)

Without doubt the most flowing and musical version of this landmark twentieth century masterpiece that I know (I also have Britten (1963) on LP, Guilini (1969 live) and Rattle (1983) on CD, and Hickox (1991) on SACD). This may not be the most intense or dramatic version; but it makes its emotional and intellectual points effectively and movingly. The singers are all good, and the choral and orchestral forces under Helmuth Rilling are disciplined and expressive. The 1963 Britten recording is essential of course, but this would now be my favourite second version, and the one I expect to return to most often in the future.

It is also a recording of great clarity and beauty of sound. Surprisingly, this is what I call a "discrete" surround mix. The full choir and orchestra are placed in front of the listener. The soprano is on the front right; the tenor and the baritone with the chamber orchestra on the left. The children's choir and organ occupy the rear sound-stage.

Discrete surround mixes are not usually associated with classical music, except with electronic music (try "Gestures" on Mode 97 - Morton Subotnick Vol.1), or explicitly spatial music for "conventional" forces, such as Kalevi Aho's excellent Symphony No.12 (BIS SACD1676). How then to judge the present recording? Most classical music is recorded in ambient surround because the entirely valid intent is to reproduce as closely as possible the experience of listening to that music in a public place. But this limitation is a product of history and circumstance. What does the music sound like in the head of the composer, or the conductor studying the score? What can engineering contribute to the home music experience?

In this case I like the result very much, except that, as described above, the direct sound field occupies three sides of the listening space, leaving the right side rather oddly empty. The best thing I can do is describe some of the musical effects, and let readers judge for themselves. The stereo SACD track is always available for those who prefer it!

Thus, here we have in II Dies Irae, the second "Dies irae, dies illa" chorus with soprano at the front, followed by the poem "Move him into the sun..", sung by the tenor on the left side towards the rear. After the tenor's first verse, the soprano and choir achingly interrupt the tenor with their third and fourth verses, a line at a time. The layout means that the tenor and soprano sing across the room to each other diagonally, antiphonally rather than alternately forwards towards the audience as in an auditorium.

Where just the full orchestra and choir are employed, the recording shows its excellence in conventional terms. The full orchestra is strong and clear, forward of the front speakers. The choir is clearly behind and above the orchestra. The choral sound is warm and coherent but very clear, and even when all sections are singing together each group can be easily distinguished in its space. Turn to the inside back page of the booklet, and there is the orchestra at floor level; behind them is a ten foot high platform where the choristers sit in rising tiers.

In III Offertorium, the tenor and baritone sing "So Abram rose, and clave the wood.." on the left. Towards the end of the poem, the children's choir, gorgeously pellucid, rise gently in accompaniment behind the listener. Magic.

The climax is riveting. The tenor ("It seemed that out of battle I escaped/Down some profound dull tunnel..) and baritone ("..I am the enemy you killed, my friend./I knew you in this dark..") sing their poems, and then together, repeatedly, they sing the reconciliatory "Let us sleep now..." on the left. The children's choir joins them, swelling from behind the listener, their sound now biased a little to the right; the full chorus enters across the front stage, and finally the soprano front right. This musical flower blossoms up around you, then gradually recedes into a reverent silence.

DISCLAIMER: This is a Hybrid SACD. Unless otherwise indicated, any comments relating to sound are based on the SACD surround track as heard on a 4.0 speaker system. All speakers are full range. The CD stereo layer can be played on any CD, DVD or Blu-ray player."