DVD
REVIEW
VERDI
Requiem
Margaret Price (soprano)
Jessye Norman (mezzo-soprano)
Jose Carreras (tenor)
Ruggero Raimondi (bass)
Edinburgh Festival Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
(Live recording from Edinburgh Festival, 1982)
ARTHAUS DVD 100 146
(regions
2,5,6), 87 minutes
Crotchet
£18.99
AmazonUK
£18.99
AmazonUS
$21.49
With Gergiev's new Phillips recording of Verdi's Requiem proving something
of a disappointment in the composer's centenary year hopes of something special
hinge on Arthaus's DVD release of this justly famous Edinburgh Festival
performance. It is sensational, one of the most compelling performances I
have heard of this work - and a performance Abbado will find hard to match
in his forthcoming EMI release of the work.
The Requiem is notoriously difficult to cast but here Abbado gets
it absolutely perfect. On paper this seemed a quartet of soloists to die
for and the performance soon confirms that this is the case - together they
make for the most satisfying quartet, possibly without rival, on any recording
of the work. The contrast in tone and colour between the four voices is
resplendent, the phrasing and care for dynamics extraordinarily refined (listen
to any one of Margaret Price's hushed pianissimos to hear how moving this
music can sound). Carreras, infinitely more musical than Bocelli on the Gergiev
recording, brings gravitas and lyricism to his role in equal measure (the
Ingemisco being a particular triumph). Jessye Norman is simply
mesmerising, her tone both polished and velvety, the nobility of her phrasing
irresistible. Some will indeed resist this, perhaps preferring the lighter
hue which Borodina brings to the Philips recording, but it is an example
of this singer's supreme artistry. Raimondi is the subtlest of basses, bronze
in tone but like a powerhouse throughout. Margaret Price, one of the finest
of Mozartians, brings eminent delicacy to her singing but has the strength
of voice to ride over the orchestra in both the Dies Irae and
Libera me as she punches out her thrilling high Cs. This is great
singing without question.
If there is a reason why this quartet is more successful than almost any
other it is because the voices have the dexterity to meet the demands of
Verdi's writing. Price has the lightness of tone which Schwarzkopf brought
to her recordings with de Sabata and Giulini, but, unlike Schwarzkopf, Price
also has that reserve and power which she later brought to Wagner in a celebrated
Tristan with Carlos Kleiber. If there is a problem with the casting
of this particular part in recent years it is because conductors favour lyric
sopranos rather than dramatic ones - Renée Fleming being a case in
point. Beautiful though her singing is for Gergiev, one is constantly aware
that the reach of the role is often too uncomfortable for her voice. Norman,
however, comfortably spans both the mezzo and soprano registers so effortlessly
that there is never the slightest suggestion that the voice is under any
strain. It is imperious singing that really makes this disc essential viewing.
Holding all this together is an inspired Claudio Abbado. His mastery of the
score is never in doubt, his handling of the chorus superb, and he encourages
from the LSO hugely dynamic playing (the brass are truly thrilling). His
perception of the work owes more to Riccardo Muti than Giulini - this is,
after all, an electrifying reading which rests on spontaneity rather than
over-preparedness. It is a classic 'Italianate' performance played with warmth
of expression, but is highly dramatic where it matters.
Humphrey Burton, the director of this film, brings some nice touches to the
performance. Where we hear the brass chorales in the Dies Irae the
camera pans to cherubim blowing trumpets, and there are some exceptional
wide-panned views of the stage which emphasise the enormity and grandeur
of the work's structure. Here we have an orchestra and chorus marshalled
on stage like a waiting army. Close-ups of both singers and conductor are
judicious (and much less intrusive than in some DVD releases of concert
performances). As ever with Arthaus the booklet is a disappointment: the
translation into English is stilted and it tells us nothing at all about
the performance (even the biographies of the principals are breathtakingly
short). The disc is perfectly fine, with picture and sound quality matching
the performance. Although the box tells us that there is a trailer for this
performance I have yet to find it.
This is a DVD that listeners will return to again and again for a performance
that ranks amongst the very greatest ever committed to disc. It will not
disappoint.
Marc Bridle
