Customer Reviews

Dvorak: Requiem; Symphonic Variations; Kodály: Psalmus hungarious

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kertesz's Requiem doesn't have the magic and magisterial qualities as the Ancerl version on DG does but nevertheless it is a very good performace. Kertesz plays it balanced, but not as vigorously and energetically as Ancerl does. The Decca sound is demonstration quality as the DG is.

It's true though that Kertesz was totally in tune with the world of Dvorak, as his excellent Symphony cycle shows...but still, Ancerl reins when it comes to the Requiem!

This is a great recording of the work and so is Ancerl's on DG. Ancerl's is out of print. This one probably will be in minutes. The Requiem is so rarely recorded it's not worth fussing or nit-picking about one or another of two untoppable, excellent--but old--recordings. I just encountered the same problem with recordings of Franck's The Beatitudes, bought the only two recordings I could find, and lamented the fact that one was already out of print and the other wouldn't last forever. Both are great in their own ways.

I prefer the Ancerl recording to this one. Some noted that it is not available on DG, however the 1959 recording was made in cooperation of DG and Supraphon. Supraphon re-issued the same recording under Karel Ancerl Gold Edition, which is available from Amazon.