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Mozart: Requiem - van Veldhoven

Mozart: Requiem - van Veldhoven

Channel Classics  CCS SA 18102

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Vocal


Mozart: Requiem in D minor, J. Chr Bach: Introitus und Kyrie der Totenmesse

Marie-Noelle de Callatay (soprano)
Annette Markert (alto)
Robert Getchell (tenor)
Peter Harvey (bass)
Choir and Orchestra of The Netherlands Bach Society
Jos van Veldhoven (conductor)

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Recording
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DSD recording

Recording Engineer, Editor: C. Jarad Sacks

Recorded at Concerthall Tilburg, The Netherlands - October 2001
Tracks
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1-14. Mozart: Requiem in D minor K.626
15-16. J. Chr. Bach: Introitus und Kyrie der Totenmesse
Reviews (1)
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Review by John Broggio - February 13, 2007

The search for a great Requiem goes on! Here is another edition that is making it's première on SACD. Edited by Marius Flothuis (who also provides the excellent notes on the Requiem) in 1941 for Eduard van Beinum this was, for the time, far ahead of the period. It sounds incredibly close for much of the time to Robert Levin's edition (which can be found here: Mozart: Requiem - Mackerras) but there are moments where it is a little more conservative, most notably in the Dies Irae.

Here, Süßmayr's work is stripped out and replaced by Flothuis' thoughts based on works of Mozart such as the Magic Flute that also employed trombones. The most noticeable characteristic is the clearer textures due to the removal of universal voice doubling, which amplifies the effect of the small choral and period instrument forces naturally bring to the proceedings.

Compared to the Mackerras recording, this is far less emotive a reading and one misses the fiery intensity that the venerable (but in no way vulnerable) conductor inspired his forces on the Linn recording. The choral singing is of a higher standard than for Mackerras; the orchestra and soloists are comparable in their quality of singing and playing. Sadly, this is not matched by such a positive response from Jos van Veldhoven. The fault cannot be laid at the size of ensemble as it is not far removed in size from other performances that I have heard (on both modern and period instruments) but there is none of the intense white heat that inspirational performers bring to this work (even Karajan in his last outing managed more than here).

The "encore" is J.C. Bach's Introitus and Kyrie from his even-less complete Requiem. It is fascinating to compare how a near contemporary attempted the same setting in such a contrasting style (time period allowing); perhaps the most obvious differences that Bach uses are the smaller orchestra but double choir. This is easy on the ear without being as dramatic as music could be at the time and the direction of the performance doesn't help in this impression; sadly van Veldhoven was not on top form for this disc.

As usual, the Channel Classics sound is a model of its kind and one would never guess that this was taped in front of an audience. As this was one of the earliest SACD's to be issued (by anyone) this is no mean feat!

Sadly not really recommendable.

(Purchased)

Copyright © 2007 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):

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