3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A dark horse Requiem, August 22, 2010
This review is from: Tullio Serafin conducts Verdi (Audio CD)
Given the fame of several of the participants in this 1959 recording, I am surprised to find that this Testament remastering has not yet been reviewed on Amazon, nor does it seem to have attracted much attention in general; one reason may be that it is expensive. That is a pity, because it is a very rewarding account, typical of Serafin's late work in Verdi but also perhaps evincing just a touch too much of the more relaxed and reflective approach which slightly mars Serafin's 1962 "Trovatore", three years later. Although it is by no means slow -in fact it is one of the faster accounts on record - this is a performance which places the emphasis more upon spirituality than drama, and just occasionally - especially at the one point where I positively demand a sudden surge in forward momentum, "Quam olim Abrahae" in the Offertorio - one could wish for a more urgent pulse. But the control is masterly and the choral singing an absolute joy. The stereo sound is good for the era and there is little distortion. The soloists are interesting and certainly much more than adequate. For some, the main interest will centre upon Christoff's unique and sonorous bass; I find him, as ever, riveting and yielding to no rival in artistry and vocal splendour, Siepi, Pinza and Ghiaurov notwithstanding. For others, a curiosity resides in hearing the virtually unknown and otherwise unrecorded Armenian soprano Shakeh Vartenissian. She has a strong, dark timbre, absolute security of intonation and the kind of technique that would make her a star today, even if there is something lacking of the individuality and temperament that makes singers truly memorable. She blends beautifully with the young Fiorenza Cossotto, who is also a vocal tower of strength but able to shade her big voice down upon demand. The tenor, Fernandi (Callas's Calaf in the EMI recording) is slightly hard-toned and does not really attempt a true piano or half-voice in the Hostias, but here again is a completely secure, authentically Italianate voice, musical and vibrant. So the relative weaknesses in this set stem mainly from excellent if somewhat routine solo singing of a kind we would appreciate more if they were singing today. There will probably never be a perfect recording of this masterpiece but of the more devotional interpretations I prefer this to Giulini's and appreciate it more than the wham-bam histrionics of, say, Solti, so it joins a select half-dozen favourite versions by Bernstein, Reiner, de Sabata, Karajan and Toscanini.
The provision of a selection of overtures and choruses from various Verdi operas, recorded earlier in mono, as a bonus, is probably not much of an incentive to the prospective buyer; the real business is the Requiem.
There is a small error in the documentation: track 4 (Libera me; 5:12) on CD2 is missing in the listings.
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