Customer Reviews

Mozart: Requiem / Auger, Ziegler, Hadley, Krause, Shaw

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This powerful and beautiful recording of the Mozart Requiem is the best CD I have bought in a very long time. I sang the piece and absolutely had to get a recording and I could honestly listen to this every single day and not get sick of it. This piece is so emotional, especially the way Robert Shaw directs. The "salve me" brings to mind images of a person kneeling in supplication and the Dies Irae is as driven and tense as it should be. The finale is grand. If you buy one CD in the next 6 months, this is the one to get.

This performance of the Requiem is meticulous and rhythmically brilliant, which is one of Shaw's legacies. I have noticed, over the last thirty years, that conductors often miss the juxtaposition of rhythm in the Rex Tremendae. The strings have double dotted rhythm; the voices have single dotted rhythm. The way Shaw performs it, it's as close to what is written that I've heard. Not exact, but very very close. Stunning performance.

Although Robert Shaw may be a big draw to some, unfortunately this Requiem is severely lacking. As a choral singer who has performed the Requiem, I found many of the movements either too fast or slow, and absolutely did not like his Kyrie--WAY too slow!! For the best version I have found, I would direct the discriminating listener to Academy and Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields, with Sir Neville Marriner conducting. But, if you're a Shaw fan, then this is a good CD. But if you're a Requiem fan, go with Marriner absolutely!

Shaw and his performers don't do anything overtly wrong in this recording. There's actually a lot to like here: the tempi all sound "right" (avoiding the overly rushed or slow interpretations that plague some recordings), the orchestra and choir are both rhythmically together as a group and between individual sections, and the intonation is great. This is a good basic recording of Mozart's Requiem. The problem is that the Requiem is the final work of Mozart's short life, the one most clouded in mystery and despair, and "basic" isn't good enough to make a lasting impression. In other words, not doing anything wrong doesn't necessarily mean Shaw does everything right. I hate to join the "Robert Shaw's a dyed-in-the-wool choral conductor who doesn't know how to get the most out of his orchestra" school of critics, but that does indeed seem to be the case here: while the choir is resplendent and the soloists are fantastic, the orchestra seems to be there mainly to go through the motions and provide accompaniment, when it should be an integral part of the musical whole. There's no "punch" to the sound, too little despair, too little triumph; there isn't anything about this recording that makes it really come to life. This might not be evident until you listen to either of Marriner's recordings of this work, or--particularly--Colin Davis's account with the BBC Symphony. Those recordings go beyond being merely competent; they're passionately moving and technically beyond reproach, and the orchestra and choir blend together seamlessly to deliver a profoundly compelling experience. It doesn't help Shaw's case that the Telarc-recorded sound on this CD is even more muffled and bass-heavy than usual. Bottom line: This is a very solid, technically proficient recording, and I can see where Shaw fans would be happy to have it in their collection. When you're talking about an earth-shattering masterpiece like Mozart's Requiem, however, just plain good isn't good enough.

As terrific a choral conductor as Robert Shaw can be, something is utterly missing from his rendition of Mozart's Requiem. It is hard to put your finger on, but I believe what is missing is the spirit of Mozart himself. Mozart's music has energy, backbone and verve, all of which are in short supply on this recording. Beautiful as it sometimes is, Shaw's recording lulls the listener into a stupor rather than invoking awe at Mozart's sublime accomplishment. Saddest of all, the Mozart of this recording sounds uninspired and sometimes altogether lifeless. Although Mozart was nearing the end of his life when he wrote the Requiem, he was by no means in danger of losing his musical talent. In defense of Shaw, there is some fine choral singing to be found on this album. As always, his choir is powerful and precise. The 'Dies irae' hangs ominously in the air like a dark storm cloud. The 'Rex tremendae' is full and voluptuous and the 'Lacrimosa' is breathy and light. The tempi are romantically on the slow side and the modern instruments simply lack the period lustre. I would recommend this recording only to fans of Robert Shaw and his techniques. The recording remains for me an unsatisfying experience as it is a poor representative of Mozart's genius.

Let me say at the outset that on face value there is nothing wrong with this performance of the Mozart Requiem conducted by the ever - dependable Robert Shaw and his Atlanta forces. This is indeed one of the most beautiful sounding accounts of this immortal work. The chorus sounds luscious and full-bodied with the hallmark precision and intonation associated with them, the orchestra is equally committed and supports the chorus and soloists in able fashion, the solo quartet is one of the finest on CD and the recorded sound is flattering and realistic to all involved. So why did I give this recording four stars instead of five?

Well, the answer lies in Shaw's predominantly introspective and lyrical(read ultra-Romantic) interpretation. Not that this

approach couldn't work with moderation, but as my title suggests, Shaw treats every movement in an overly-reverential fashion with slower than usual tempi to boot. The result is an account which for its almost one hour's length sounds the same in mood no matter which section you are hearing. The slow movements sound fine, but the fast movements never catch fire as they should(and there are many). The Dies Irae and the Kyrie and Cum Sanctis Tuis fugues in particular sounds too polite, reserved and bogged down to instill the overwhelming drama and fear that the texts portray.

To sum up, I would have wished for a more dramatic, more expressively varied Mozart Requiem especially with all the compe-

tion that is readily available. I will keep the Shaw above all for the beautiful choral and solo singing, but for read-

ings that combine lyricsm and drama in the total picture, my choices would be Gardiner, Schreier and Sir Colin Davis (his early Philips recording).

If you're looking for a great performance of the Requiem, Shaw's recording is a must have. Although the sound quality isn't the best, the performance is very moving.

Arleen Auger is incredible (as always) and the other soloists and the chorus are great.

You can't go wrong with a Shaw choral recording.

I already know that Mozart's Requiem has been recorded to death (both live and in the studio). Hundreds of conductors (including Karajan, Herreweghe, Gardiner, Harnoncourt, and Bohm) have joined in the fierce competition. Some have succeeded, while others have failed. Herreweghe and Gardiner go for the original classical chamber approach, with quick tempi and fairly light sound. Bohm and Karajan favor a more romantic sound with slower tempi and louder acoustics. Other conductors (including Harnoncourt and Marriner) give their own touches as well.

The late Robert Shaw recorded Mozart's Requiem back in 1986. With four soloists and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Choir, it seems to have been overlooked as years went on (maybe with some good reasons, though). I think one of the reasons why is because of the sound quality from Telarc. The label is usually admirable in terms of sound quality, but not this time. The entire recording sounds as if it was recorded in a tight space, as if in a hallway rather than a concert hall. Plus, the orchestra is a bit of a downer. The players are at times eclipsed by the choir (must be because of microphone placement). Worst of all, the trumpet is barely heard in some sequences in which it is required: Kyrie, Confutatis, etc.

Fortunately, Shaw's recording has also some good merits. The choir and the soloists are some of the most beautiful ever recorded. The soloists do give amazing performances, especially in Benedictus and Recordare. The choir sound clean and lyrical all the way through. Shaw's conducting is a bit of a mixed bag, however. He favors slower tempi like Karajan and Harnoncourt, though it's not as super-slow as Bohm. It's relatively appropriate during the lyrical sections, but it falters during the more powerful moments. Many of the sections sound almost bland and uninspiring.

Overall, this recording of Mozart's Requiem is fair at best. The sound quality is weak, the choir is louder than the orchestra. But the choir and the soloists sound magnificent. Shaw's conducting may sound uninspiring to some, but if you favor slow tempi and lyrical touches, then this might work for you (that is, if you don't mind the other flaws).

Grade: 6.7 out of 10

This is an excellent recording of Mozart's final melodies. As he lay dying, he shared his musical suggestions with his pupil, Sussamayer, who was the final composer to finish what Mozart had agreed to produce for a patron. I am singing this in Masterworks Chorale, and our director suggested we purchase this particular disq. And I am glad he did, as I can sing along, as best I can, with the marvelously recorded voices.

This product was like new and arrived in 2 days!! I was shocked it came so quickly I was able to use it right away. Good product.