Britten: War Requiem [Original recording remastered]

Stefania Woytowicz (Artist), Hans Wilbrink (Artist), Peter Pears (Artist), Benjamin Britten (Composer, Conductor), Carlo Maria Giulini (Conductor), New Philharmonia Orchestra (Orchestra), Melos Ensemble (Performer), Wandsworth School Boy's Choir (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Melos Ensemble, Wandsworth School Boy's Choir
• Orchestra: New Philharmonia Orchestra
• Conductor: Benjamin Britten, Carlo Maria Giulini
• Composer: Benjamin Britten
• Audio CD (November 28, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: BBC Legends
• ASIN: B00004YYR3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,936 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guilini and Britten - anoutstanding combination!, October 31, 2006

By 

John N. Taylor (Palm Desert, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Britten: War Requiem (Audio CD)

I grew up with the Britten version of this magnificent work - which has to be one of the greatest of the 20th Century.

I was not aware of Guilini's interest until I read the insert of the recording. With him in control of the main orchestra, soprano and chorus snd Britten,himself, in control of the chamber orchestra snd tenor/baritone soloists - it is a overwhelming combination!

Better than the Composer's original?? I actually think so - especially as it is a live recording, and all the tension that that generates. It is difficult to escape the excitement generated by the excellent soloists. May be the Soprano and Baritone are not quite as good - but the ensemble and the overall feel is inescapable. As for Peter Pears - - I think he surpasses his performance in the original recording.

If I only had to have one recording of this 20th Century Masterpiece - it would be this one.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great performance but listen before buying, November 15, 2003

By 

Jason Holtzapple (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Britten: War Requiem (Audio CD)

This is a wonderful performance, but the audience noise does get distracting several times. If this might bother you, sample the recording before buying it. It's annoying enough for me to knock off one star.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Giulini conducts a very moving version of a great choral work, June 14, 2009

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Britten: War Requiem (Audio CD)

Giulini made a minor impression on records with his Britten, but this live War Requiem from Albert Hall in 1969 stands as his most heartfelt tribute to the great English composer. Britten was overwhelmed by the enormous international acclaim his work received in 1962. Illustrious conductors quickly took over various European premieres -- Colin Davis in Berlin, Haitink in Amsterdam, Kertessz in Vienna. (How odd in retrospect that Bernstein, who premiered Peter Grimes at Tanglewood, ignored the music.) Giulini came late, but this is a warm, glowing reading of great impact.

The War Requiem has a spatial component, with a second instrumental ensemble, boys' choir, and soloist off at a distance from the main forces. Here Britten serves as second conductor for the smaller body, as he did at the work's premiere in Coventry to mark the rebuilding of the cathedral that had bee destroyed by German bombing in the war (he's the main conductor on the famous Decca recording, which occurred somewhat later in 1962).

A host of distinguished soloists appears on all the various War Requiem recordings. Here we have the incomparable Peter Pears repeating the role written for him and singing even more intensely. He also happens to be in good voice. His baritone partner, Hans Wilbirnk, is unknown to me, as is the off=stage soprano, Stefania Voytowiecz. He is quite good, she is rather shrill and unsteady. But clearly Giulini wanted to have an international cast, as Britten did when he wrote for a British, German, and Russian singer to exemplify the bringing together of former enemies.

One can confidently add this live account to the outstanding ones from Britten (Decca) and Hickox (Chandos). In deed, I don't know a bad recording of this great work. Giulini's is perhaps the most moving, however. The chorus is fine; the BBC engineers did a good job capturing the space in Albert Hall without getting lost in acoustic soup; and only the somewhat distant miking of the vocal soloists poses a slight problem in making out Wilfred Owen's poetry. T offset the less than perfect sound, BBC Legends put the work on a single CD, which isn't true of the Decca and Chandos versions.