Customer Reviews

Verdi: Requiem / Menotti: Death of the Bishop of Brindisi / Schoenberg ~ Leinsdorf

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Though I originally bought this specifically for the Verdi Requiem, and it has its moments (Most specifically Carlo Bergonzi in the tenor role - can I just say that his Hostias and Ingemisco are swoon-worthy?), the real treasure on this album is the only available recording of "Death of the Bishop of Brindisi" I've ever seen.

I will admit that the first few times I heard it, I didn't think much about it, or really care for it, but one day I really sat down and LISTENED to it, and it made me cry.

The story is compelling - it's the tale of the Bishop of Brindisi on his death bed, recalling the ill-fated children's crusade and his part in their death. Though fictionalized, there are some elements of true history in it, but the "what if" factor is what's most inviting. What if the Bishop HAD felt personally responsible for not being able to prevent them from taking to the sea? One can only imagine the guilt and angst the real Bishop would have felt!

The piece itself is a dramatic oratorio, similar in style to Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex. The players are the bishop, a nun who assist at his bedside while he is dying, and SATB and children's choruses. Through flashbacks, we realize that the Bishop, though he tries to stop them and talk them into staying, in the end was bedazzled by the faith and piety of the children and gave them his blessing. After leaving in boats, a great storm arises, sending the children to their graves. Now, their ghosts come to haunt the Bishop as he's dying.

The music is mostly tonal, but definately 20th century, and dissonance is used to great effect. The children's chorus singing an "Ave Maris Stella" as the sail off is devastatingly, heart-breakingly sweet. The nun's counterpoint of "Requiem aeternam" to the Bishop's pleas for enlightenment and his bitterness at feeling alienated by God, trying to lead his flock but being unguided himself, is intensely dramatic.

Though it may take some listening to get into it, it's a wonderful work that is worthy of being mainstream. I can't recommend this recording enough!

Along with the classic Toscanini and Reiner recordings, this is probably the best recording of the Verdi Requiem I have heard. While Leinsdorf has had his detractors, particularly during his Boston period, he aquits himself nobly here, with his skillful handling of orchestra, soloists, and chorus throughout. And what soloists! Bergonzi, as has been pointed out in other posts, brings a rarely-heard beauty to the tenor part, and Flagello could scare any sinner with the way he sings "mors," an octave lower each time, in the Dies Irae. But the real suprise is Nilsson. Apart from her Turandot, Aida, and Minnie, hers was not a voice much associated with the Italian repertoire. You'd never know it here, however, and I defy any Italian soprano to handle the part better.

But that's only part of the package. Also heard here, and unavailable in any form since it was initially released in 1964, is the Leinsdorf/BSO recording of Menotti's rarely performed "Death of the Bishop of Brindisi," with the part of the Bishop sung by the incomparable George London. His handling of the part of the tormented Bishop could break your heart, as it does with me everytime I listen to it. As a man dying in torment and fear because of the children he unwittingly sent to die, he is utterly believeable. This is a true singing actor at his best.

Finally, what an odd, sad, ironic coincidence it is that one of the best recordings of the Verdi Requiem should have been re-released on the darkest day in U.S. history: September 11, 2001.

People will undoubtedly be interested in this 'Requiem' if only because of Nilsson (though she did not sing the concert performances it was based on). She is in her prime, as are all the soloists. The BSO is in top form and totally responsive to Leinsdorf's direction, which seem to to me to be more in the vein of Reiner than Guilini. BUT...there'e more.

'The Death of the Archbishop of Brindisi' is a real treasure. A sort of operatic cantata, it defies description, but is powerful and moving as others have noted. George London fully justifies his legendary status, but the real revelation to me was Lili Chookasian, an extraordinary voice (in the 'Requiem too) that is grossly underappreciated. If there is any doubt, listen to the closing work:

'Song of the Wood Dove' from Gurreleider: early Schoenberg in full Wagnerian glory. Follwing the beautiful orchestral interlude, Chookasian delivers gloriously.

And finally, the RCA engineers have captured the sound of Symphony Hall putting many later attempts by others to shame.

Erich Leinsdorf's interpretations of Verdi are among the best of any conductor. This recording took place during his tenure with the Boston Symphony. He was a very strict conductor who got all there was to get out his performers. This recording is no exception to that.
The orchestra is outstanding. Listen to the accents in the Dies Irae movement at the beginning from the chorus and the orchestra. I have never heard them done that way. I love that approach. Also the string playing, especially the stringendi and the precision in terms of the bowing. The two key ingredients in this piece to make it work are fire and sensitivity. By that I mean that the beginning has to have the ultimate beauty to respect Verdi's tribute to Rossini. Also that Dies Irae has to have a great fire to it. Leinsdorf does both of those things the best on here. It is the conductor's job to get those things out of the players and the singers.

Speaking of the singing Carlo Bergonzi's singing is a free voice lesson. Ingemisco is one of his best pieces of singing because of the nuances and the technique. Young singers can learn a lot from this. The bass Ezio Flagello and the two women one of them being Nilsson do a fine job as well. Nilsson is not really cut out for Verdi, but she still does a good job here. Anyway, the Menotti is a wonderful piece as well. George London is great. He is one of the greatest bass-baritones of all time. His diction and sensitivity to the music is very apparent here. Leinsdorf gets him to sing with great emotion and intensity. I can't emphasize enough that it is the conductor who gets people to do these things. All and all a great set that is worth ordering because it is a good deal.

I'd like to add a couple of points to complement the reviews above. First, the recording's sonic quality isn't brilliant: a) the loud choral passages - notably 'Dies irae' where the bass drum sounds like cannon shots - are rather scratchy; b) there's an annoying background noise common to most recordings made in '50s and 60s, which sounds like water boiling (but that's audible only on headphones); c) the voices are uncomfortably distant, as if the singers were performing in an upper gallery. Second, Leinsdorf's tempi in the 'Requiem' passage in 'Libera me' and its conclusion are so fast that even Nilsson fails to uplift us. Pity, because the rest of the performance (81 minutes) is stupendous, notably that of Bergonzi, whom I nominate as 'THE Royal Verdi Tenor'.

Leinsdorf, like Solti, had a reputation for sometimes pressing too hard and being unyielding but I certainly do not find him so in this recording. True, at 81 minutes, this is one of the brisker recordings of the Requiem I have heard, especially compared with the likes of Reiner, Fricsay, Bernstein and even Toscanini, but there is no one way to interpret this towering work and I rate this recording as one of the best. It certainly does not sound rushed and the more contemplative parts of the score are given the space to breathe. On paper, the obvious attractions are Nilsson and Bergonzi but, fine though these two are, the mezzo Chookasian and bass Ezio Flagello, are equally impressive. Flagello, in particular, gives what I think is quite the finest account of the bass role that I have heard: his expressive bass rolls out like thunder and he brings real gravitas to his utterances. Chookasian, while not erasing memories of Janet Baker in either the Requiem or the Wood-dove excerpt from "Gurrelieder", emerges as a very fine and under-recorded singer. She does not have quite the lower register heft to be ideal but she is a force to be reckoned with in this demanding music. It is a real pleasure to hear Bergonzi - such a versatile tenor - caress the Ingemisco and still find the steel in his voice for the more declamatory sections, though I would have like a touch more mezza-voce and sweetness (a la Pavarotti or Domingo in the early Bernstein) in the "Inter oves" part of the "Hostias".

I have read elsewhere criticism of Nilsson's intonation; the "Gramophone" reviewer goes so far as to say that this constitutes the only serious blot on the set. This prompted me to sit and listen to Nilsson with a pitch pipe - yes; sad, I know, but I really wanted to be certain! - and check that out. First, there is absolutely no question of faulty pitch in everything she sings from G up to the two blazing top C's; as in her Wagner they cut through the ensembles like laser beams - and a thrilling sound it is. Suspicions revolve around the middle of her voice but I think is largely a question of her vocal colouring and the lack of vibrato she employs in this area, which can sometimes create an illusion of flatness. It is true that the middle of her voice can sound a little unsupported compared with that surgical top but hers is a performance I can certainly live with. The orchestra and chorus are really terrific in every sense of the word and I rate this with Leinsdorf's "Walküre" (see my review) for excitement. The sound is very immediate with just some slight fizz and hiss and a bit of congestion in the loudest passages.

I love "Gurrelieder" and enjoy Chookasian's sensitive and powerful reading even if, as I said earlier, she does not eclipse other interpreters. The other companion piece on this double CD set is, I believe, the only recording of Menotti's "Death of the Bishop of Brindisi". I love George London's voice and this certainly gives him an opportunity to demonstrate his skill as a singing actor without exactly showing off his vocal forte. (This was recorded shortly before the progressive paralysis of one side of his vocal cords necessitated his premature retirement from performing.) Most other reviewers rave about the music; I do not especially care for it although I can see why it might appeal. Personally, I find the juxtaposition of almost Sprechstimme, discordant utterances of the Bishop with the naive choral tunes rather unrewarding but the piece certainly has its moments even for a non-fan like me.

So; back to what is for me the raison d'etre of this set: this Requiem can take an honourable place among other favourite recordings of this inexhaustible masterpiece, in which Verdi uses a combination of his experience as a classically trained church organist and the composer of searingly emotional stage dramas to express the terror of damnation versus the sweet hope of salvation.

I bought this CD because I was a member of the children's chorus at the premier of The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi and over the years pieces of the music still echoed in my head. It was a very nice walk down memory lane.

There is so much going for this set that I'm willing to give a pass on a few distracting blemishes and go for five stars.

First, the Verdi Requiem. At 81", this is one of the "faster" renditions of this work. But you won't notice any "rushing" anywhere. The Recordare, Offertorio, Agnus Dei, and other gentle spots retain their relaxed, contemplative atmospheres.

While this set was recorded in October 1964 (as was the rest of the album), the recorded sound is quite impressive. I had my stereo turned up quite a bit the entire time.

In the Dies Irae, the chorus actually drowns out the orchestra (I'm sure this involved a little engineering hocus pocus, but the effect is electrifying). The cello opening of the Offertorio is lush and rich - you will really enjoy that.

The Boston Chorus pro Musica was founded in 1949 by Alfred Nash Patterson, and has twice received Grammy nominations for recordings made with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the RCA label. Here they demonstrate their high professional sound with a powerful reading of the Requiem. From the hushed opening of the Kyrie, to the shattering terror of the Dies Irae, to the gentle Agnus Dei, and the choral intricacies of the Libera Me, the pro Musica amply proves that they have mastered every tool needed for this difficult score.

The soloists were high on name recognition, but a bit of a mixed bag in quality. Birgit Nilsson is one of my favorite opera stars, but she seemed noticeably flat in several parts of the Requiem, especially the Agnus Dei. Was this an engineering glitch maybe? Oddly enough, her high notes, like the high C in the Salva Me section, and the high B flat in Libera Me sounded right on target.

Carlo Bergonzi gets a little too syrupy for my taste in the Ingemisco, but I loved his full-voiced piano at the beginning of Hostias. Ezio Flagello simply blows me away. His cavernous sound grabs you the first moment you hear him in Kyrie. His Confutatis is a standard that I will be measuring others by from now on.

The Gian Carlo Menotti opera "The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi" was written in 1963, and recorded Oct 1964 with George London and Lili Chookasian. The 31-minute, one-act drama focuses on a dying Medieval bishop who is wracked by guilt over his role in the Children's Crusade (1212 AD).

George London is a fine actor, but somehow his sneering tone doesn't suit me for the character of a noble minister who is suffering intense heartache. Chookasian, however, is great as the Nun who tries to comfort the guilt-ridden bishop. The children's choruses are from local Catholic schools and sound quite good in their many appearances. The Boston Symphony plays the virtuosic score superbly. However, the constant bashing on the drums really got old (my stereo was turned up, remember).

The two excerpts from Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder are performed so beautifully, it should be enough to convince anyone to purchase the full CD of Schoenberg's rich pre-twelve-tone masterpiece. The Interlude is Richard Strauss as you've always dreamed of him: lush, overwhelming emotion that will bring tears to your eyes.

The Song of the Wood-Dove is, for me, the piece on this entire CD that showcases Lili Chookasian the best. She possesses a superhuman range that can belt out high notes like a soprano and a middle range that can pierce the thickest orchestral texture. She has a lovely sound, the kind you can listen to over and over without getting tired.

The 36-page booklet includes texts, translations, a full libretto of the Menotti (although a few words are a little different from what the soloists actually sing), a bio on Erich Leinsdorf, extensive program notes, and a two-page "History of Living Stereo."

This reissue attracted Living Stereo buffs, but otherwise RCA has never shown much confidence in Leinsdorf's Verdi Requiem from Boston in the Sixties. His rather wooden condcuting, which sets a tempo and keeps to it like a metronome, was actually on purpose: it fit Leinsdorf's theory of "objective" conducting. Unfortunately, it also drains the Requiem of its operatic passion nad religious fervor most of the time.

Bergonzi is a standout in the Ingemisco, which he performs with security and style. Lili Chookasian and Ezio Flagello are both a bit thick-voiced and dull, but certainly quite good singers.
Strangely, the Gramophone reviewer thought that the big drawback was Birgit Nilsson and her out-of-tune singing. She is otherwise glemaing and poewrful here. Though known to go sharp in her high register at the Met when her role was most taxing (Brunnhilde, Turandot) I don't quite get the complaint on this recording. But no one should expect Nilsson to sound like a Verdi soprano; she tries to soften the steel in her voice and is generally successful. The Boston Pro Musica is an enormous improvement over the student choruses that sang on practically every BSO recording under Munch.

As to the fillers, you will find Menotti's cantata on the Children's Crusade, "The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi," an exercise in saccharine religiosity or genuinely moving in its simplicity. I fall smewhere in between but was happy t hear it once. For Menotti collectors, this is hte only recording available. Lili Chookasian sings powerfully, as she does on the Wood Dove's aria from Gurrelieder, effectively conducted by Leinsdorf.