Customer Reviews

Verdi - Requiem / Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Daniela Barcellona, Julian Konstantinov, Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic give a powerful and exciting performance. The only other DVD of Verdi's Requiem that is competitive with this one is the 1967 Karajan performance on Deutsche Grammophon. Karajan has the better quartet of soloists (Leontyne Price, Fiorenza Cossotto, Luciano Pavarotti, and Nicolai Ghiaurov), but Abbado's singers are more than adequate, and his more recent performance has the advantage of superior recorded sound. Karajan obtains the more beautiful pianissimos, but Abbado generates bigger thrills, especially in the Tuba Mirum where he projects the rolling momentum that Karajan misses. NOTE: Other (inferior) DVDs of this work, conducted by Abbado and Karajan respectively, are currently available. Don't get mixed up.

Although I have a maximum of 1000 words, only one is needed here: magnificent.
I bought this DVD, got home, and thought I would listen to the beginning to see how it would be. Wrong thought -- there is no way to stop in the middle.
The soloists are unknown to me and they are not the big name performers as in other performances, but this doesn't matter. They set the tone that Abaddo wants.
Abaddo brings out things in the orchestra that I never heard in this requiem. The multiple choirs singing are heavenly.
As I was listening to this recording I could not help but say to myself that this is going to be the recording that everyone will be talking about -- this is an historical legend. This is one of those rare moments in life that you need to cherish. There is no way to put in words the feelings that you get listening and watching this performance. Abbado here is more than a conductor, he is an actor, and a director. He creates an atmosphere.
Give yourself a real treat and listen to/watch this DVD.

The hushed solemn opening of the Requiem with the frail, almost unrecognisable Abbado at the podium must be one of the most moving moments in the history of music making. He, who had just recovered from a near fatal illness recently (I haven't found out exactly what illness yet) looked as if he was conducting a requiem for himself, and that all the musicians are singing and playing for him. It is therefore difficult not to imaging that this electrifying and gripping performance is a direct result of Abbado's near-death experience (and I felt the same with his recent DG Mahler No.9 even before I knew about his illness). And what a red-blooded tour-de force performance, especially in the closing pages when Gherorghui sang with such dramatic intensity and with the final, wrenching orchestral climax that Abaddo had to pause for > 10 seconds to allow himself to calm down before he let the audience clap. No need to repeat the praises by other reviewers, except to add that DTS is a superb contribution though it sounds great enough even without it and Alagna is in his greatest form, without any stage fright (as he sometimes get tensed in live performances) All in all, a disc to die for and definitely a short-list for DVD of the year.

I had the pleasure of attending Mr. Abbado's concerts number of times and I can tell you that his concerts are glorious. Unfortunately, seldom the spirit of his concerts have been successfully captured in his recordings; this DVD nevertheless, is one of those rare occasions. For those of you who inquired about his condition: Mr. Abbado was suffering from stomach cancer but as far as I know he has fully recovered. I met him in person after the opening concert in Carnegie Hall in October of 2001, and I must tell you, his frail face brought tears to my eyes.

An intensly passionate performance of this work by one the world's leading experts on it, played by one of the finest orchestras in world, in one of the finest halls in the world, with 4 of the finest soloists assembled. And all captured on dvd in DTS sound.
If you have ever loved the Verdi requiem and have thought about purchasing a recording of it on dvd then look no further. Not only is this performance comparable to the finest recordings available, it must rank right up there with them.

Abbado (who looks disturbingly frail and gaunt- is there any reason for that? Please someone tell me) brings out the fire and brimstone of the climaxes and yet pulls it all back for the more introspective moments. The end of the work sends a chill down the spine.
The soloists are magnificent. Georghiu and Alagna are at their best (for anyone that wants to know how to produce a wonderful tone just look at the mouth formations on one of the many closeups of Alagna). The Bartoli lookalike, Barcellona, is superb, especially in the Agnus Dei. Bass Konstantinov needs to remember to bring a towel when he performs, the sweat just comes pouring off him before the first movement ends- and he doesn't do anything about it for some reason. All that aside though he brings a strong presence to the work and a formidible "Mors Stupebit" especially.
The chorus is wonderful and clear with superb diction and exceptional balance.
This is a memorable performance- one to buy and cherish for years to come.

Reply to Rodney's question - the reason, according to Gramophone's review, behind Abbado's sickly appearance is because only a few weeks(?) earlier the maestro had been on his sick-bed. This lended a tremendous ethereal and fiery element to the perfomance itself. What musician wouldn't give 200% for their dying director?

It's evident from beginning to end the level of meticulous care that went into preparing this performance. Every section of the orchestra plays with typical Germanic gusto, but with a sensitivity only a native Italian can wring out of a score by a very Italian composer. As is the norm with Abbado's conducting, the melody is always at the forefront. Though there be blazing dynamics galore (especially in the Dies Irae), it merely teeters on the brink of theatrical. Some call this work 'operatic', but many will appreciate Abbado's careful approach toward the spiritual qualities in the score, allowing the religious characteristics (from an otherwise unreligious Verdi) to shine through where others might turn it into fanfare.

Here, the opportunity to showcase two excellent choirs is siezed beautifully. Ever mindful of the somber nature of this work, the singers do not merely bark the notes, but 'pray' each phrase as though their lives depended on it. The soloists are, for the most part, solid throughout. Roberto Alagna doesn't have the great lyrical tenor voice of Pavarotti, but his flexibility and confident diction more than make up for it. Enough can't be said of Angela Gheorghiu's dramatic impetus, so moving in the 'libera me' that it prompted my roommate, a non-opera fan, to say that she "couldn't breathe for the last three minutes, and I couldn't even understand why".

This is a powerful rendition of Verdi's magnum opus. While others may prefer more familiar and better controlled soloists (Karajan's set), this is easier to listen to and often very exciting.

Almost everything has already been said before. The orchestra and the conducting are excelent, the soloist are very good and the bright and cristal clear sound is incredible!

For those who insist on comparing it with the Karajan record, I have to say that deciding on one of them is a matter of taste, but for those who want the experience the next best thing to being there, this is the one to buy. The great sound of this recording can really bring the best out of a home theater or hifi system.

Thanks Emi for bringing us such a well produced recording of such a great occasion!

This DVD is sensational. Everyone involved from the performers to the camera and sound engineers have done a superlative job. I bought it because I love the voices of Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna. I have several other DVDs featuring these singers. I was unfamiliar with the other soloists but was very impressed with their excellent voices. The music is so moving it gives you goosebumps! One tiny criticism is that the dynamic range is so great that if you set the volume high enough to hear the opening pianissimo notes (and in one or two other places) the forte sections turn out to be a bit too loud for comfort. This is, however, a very minor complaint in what is otherwise a near-perfect DVD.

The conducting is the best and the soloists and choir are wonderful. I have enjoyed the concert over and over and discover something new every time I listen. If you like Verdi ,you will love this DVD,
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With amusement I read comments that complain about the dramatics of the soloists. Look. This is Verdi. This is not the Mozart Requiem. Critics complained after the first performace that the work is an opera in choral disguise, and of course they were right. Gheorghiu is an opera singer, and she oftens performs with her husband, Alagna. They are both excellent, though not outstanding. Barcellona is wonderful, and Konstantinov gets by. Abbado is his usual expressive and dominant self. The performace itself is certainly dramatic -- but then again, it's Verdi. All in all, the best DVD performance of the Requiem, with effect and impact.