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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 27, 2012
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 24, 2012
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 4, 2019
Rafael De Burgos is largely unknown to me as a conductor other than a respected outing of Orff’s Carmina Burana [[ASIN:B00005NPJO on EMI]], a disc of Debussy [[ASIN:B00O23EODK on Alto]], a disc of Stravinsky [[ASIN:B004JWWTE0 also on Alto]] who’s Rite of Spring times close to ’58 Bernstein, a swipe at the Bruckner 3rd [[ASIN:B000P1KT6Y here]], and a whole lotta’ Andalusian-tinged compositions. So it is good that we have a rarely recorded conductor in, what I consider, a really strong reference performance of the stalwart Mozart Requiem, a work which has scads of recordings to choose from. Unfortunately, listeners will probably not wend their way to this budget label, Classics for Pleasure, and a little known conductor, De Burgos, to experience what is, by and far, a stellar recording.
This is a big-band, modern instrument performance with a fully Romantic symphonic chorus, so you won’t hear any drawing room delicacy in this Mozart Requiem; every aspect is full to the hilt with engines running. The New Philharmonia Chorus, in particular, seem to have two modes, excitably quiet and excitably loud, with little consideration toward pious devotionality, and the end result is pure electricity in this terror-filled Requiem setting. One may yearn for more nuance or thoughtfulness aside from this declamatory presentation, but the singers leave the audience breathless by the end, the Dies Irae particularly thrilling, but there is plenty of musicality in between. That said, the chorus’ ending consonants can be a little long-lived as was the case in their Carmina Burana, and they have opted for the Germanic Latin pronunciation which is perfectly acceptable in Mozart; tuning and balance among the singers is quite good and they heartily traverse the many polyphonic settings handily without slipping into undue lightness across the quickly-moving melismatic lines. Furthermore, the recording brings the chorus forward enough to hear all of the parts clearly in one of the better large-scale chorus presentations I have heard in a while.
The soloists are fully on board with De Burgos’ forthright presentation as if they were stepping onstage for a performance of Verdi. Edith Mathis’ soprano is a little sweeter than the rest of the crew with George Shirley and Marius Rintzler heroically putting the screws to the music. There was only one moment where I caught Grace Bumbry sliding into a Leontyne Price growl, I think in the Domine Jesu Christe, but the ensemble works well together in full-throated vigour. As with the chorus, the recording brings the vocalists forward in the soundscape for an immediacy that gives the whole affair a certain spontaneous excitement.
The New Philharmonia Orchestra of 1967 is no period ensemble, with a full string section and modern brass, winds, and timpani. Generally all is well on the instrumental front, with a pleasantly full brass sound in the Benedictus, weighty strings in the opening Requiem, although the Tuba Mirum trombone could exhibit a warmer sound. Leslie Pearson’s pipe organ adds a little to the bass line, but its basso continuo is not really heard until the final page of music when it makes its presence fully known. In general, tempos seem purposeful and De Burgos leads the ensembles confidently forward with more urgency than Bohm, Bernstein, or Barenboim, but certainly does not clip forward or seem as pared down as in Gardiner or Abbado.
There are three iterations of this particular recording, two with more Mozart choral music attached [[ASIN:B000NCYCUY on HMV]] [[ASIN:B00128Z4PK and on EMI]], one with Mozart’s Masonic funeral music [[ASIN:B000JJ4G5W also on CFP]], and this one with just the Mozart Requiem. I highly recommend this performance of Mozart’s Requiem, it is a stunning, fearful interpretation with all pistons firing. This 1967 recording has great sound with the focus put squarely on the chorus and soloists, much of which is presented clearly and forward. There are more ecclesiastically smaller-scaled recordings, more authentically, historically-informed performances, but for a solid, large-scale presentation, I cannot recommend this recording enough. Highly Recommended!
**Update** I originally listened to Burgos' Mozart Requiem on my sound system. After getting an upgrade on my headphones and listening to this recording again, the sound is a slightly grittier than I remember, but nothing that detracts from the excellently strong-willed performances I described above. Still Highly Recommended!
This is a big-band, modern instrument performance with a fully Romantic symphonic chorus, so you won’t hear any drawing room delicacy in this Mozart Requiem; every aspect is full to the hilt with engines running. The New Philharmonia Chorus, in particular, seem to have two modes, excitably quiet and excitably loud, with little consideration toward pious devotionality, and the end result is pure electricity in this terror-filled Requiem setting. One may yearn for more nuance or thoughtfulness aside from this declamatory presentation, but the singers leave the audience breathless by the end, the Dies Irae particularly thrilling, but there is plenty of musicality in between. That said, the chorus’ ending consonants can be a little long-lived as was the case in their Carmina Burana, and they have opted for the Germanic Latin pronunciation which is perfectly acceptable in Mozart; tuning and balance among the singers is quite good and they heartily traverse the many polyphonic settings handily without slipping into undue lightness across the quickly-moving melismatic lines. Furthermore, the recording brings the chorus forward enough to hear all of the parts clearly in one of the better large-scale chorus presentations I have heard in a while.
The soloists are fully on board with De Burgos’ forthright presentation as if they were stepping onstage for a performance of Verdi. Edith Mathis’ soprano is a little sweeter than the rest of the crew with George Shirley and Marius Rintzler heroically putting the screws to the music. There was only one moment where I caught Grace Bumbry sliding into a Leontyne Price growl, I think in the Domine Jesu Christe, but the ensemble works well together in full-throated vigour. As with the chorus, the recording brings the vocalists forward in the soundscape for an immediacy that gives the whole affair a certain spontaneous excitement.
The New Philharmonia Orchestra of 1967 is no period ensemble, with a full string section and modern brass, winds, and timpani. Generally all is well on the instrumental front, with a pleasantly full brass sound in the Benedictus, weighty strings in the opening Requiem, although the Tuba Mirum trombone could exhibit a warmer sound. Leslie Pearson’s pipe organ adds a little to the bass line, but its basso continuo is not really heard until the final page of music when it makes its presence fully known. In general, tempos seem purposeful and De Burgos leads the ensembles confidently forward with more urgency than Bohm, Bernstein, or Barenboim, but certainly does not clip forward or seem as pared down as in Gardiner or Abbado.
There are three iterations of this particular recording, two with more Mozart choral music attached [[ASIN:B000NCYCUY on HMV]] [[ASIN:B00128Z4PK and on EMI]], one with Mozart’s Masonic funeral music [[ASIN:B000JJ4G5W also on CFP]], and this one with just the Mozart Requiem. I highly recommend this performance of Mozart’s Requiem, it is a stunning, fearful interpretation with all pistons firing. This 1967 recording has great sound with the focus put squarely on the chorus and soloists, much of which is presented clearly and forward. There are more ecclesiastically smaller-scaled recordings, more authentically, historically-informed performances, but for a solid, large-scale presentation, I cannot recommend this recording enough. Highly Recommended!
**Update** I originally listened to Burgos' Mozart Requiem on my sound system. After getting an upgrade on my headphones and listening to this recording again, the sound is a slightly grittier than I remember, but nothing that detracts from the excellently strong-willed performances I described above. Still Highly Recommended!
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Very good piece of music which I have already on tape
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 25, 2016
