Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Requiem in D minor, KV626 (1791) [50:04]
Ave verum Corpus, KV618 (1791) [2:59]
Olga Pasiecznik (soprano); Anna Lubanska (mezzo); Krzysztof Szmyt (tenor); Krzysztof Borysiewicz (bass); Lukasz Hodor (trombone)
"Sinfonia Amabile" Choir and Orchestra/Piotr Wajrak
rec. April 2014, Norbertine Sisters Church on Salvator, Cracow, Poland.
DUX 1210 [53:03]
In the notes to this new recording, Jacek Hawryluk says "the
Requiem is indeed an unfinished work, a fractured composition that
was created in the composer's race against time and against death.
And that is what makes it such an inspiring piece." Indeed. It would
be on anybody's short-list of the most iconic and inspiring works of
Western art music, and likely will always be so.
Much musicological ink, and at least a few recent recordings, have been devoted
to examining the question of how to complete this unfinished work. The traditional
Süssmayr, or one of the modern alternatives? Through familiarity and repetition,
Süssmayr's version has come to be the one we know, and the one to beat.
Though not explicitly stated, this is the version Wajrak uses.
The notes also mention the popular culture connection to the play and film
Amadeus. As is likely true for many of my generation, the dramatic
use of the Requiem in the film led me to explore this work, and classical
music more generally. The soundtrack's performance by Marriner and
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields shaped how this and other music of
the era "should" sound to me: a chamber orchestra performing modern
instruments and aware of period performance practice but wearing that scholarship
lightly. That's the style of this performance, with a bit more "period"
sound to the strings, yet with significant heft overall. However, as with
the question of the completion, one will not find in the notes any consideration
of alternative possibilities, which will disappoint (amateur or professional)
music scholars.
The names of the "Sinfonia Amabile" Choir and Orchestra and of director
Piotr Wajrak are both new to me. The combination of the sound of the Sinfonia
and the engineering of the recording in the Norbertine Sisters Church realizes
the ideal of the tricky balance of conveying reverential, sacred space without
getting muffled in reverberation. This is particularly true for the choir
and soloists, who come through the acoustic with pleasing clarity and sharpness.
The disc finishes with the short Ave verum Corpus, which is good
to have, but may be best listened to after taking a contemplative break at
the end of the Requiem.
In a very crowded field, this recording does not pull ahead of such standard
bearers as, in interpretively similar vein, Marriner's, the historically-informed
landmark of Gardiner, or large orchestra versions by Karajan or Böhm. However,
if you're curious to hear a Polish take on this classic, you'll
find this one entirely satisfying.
Brian Burtt
Previous review:
Dominy Clements
|
Support us financially by purchasing
this from
|
|
 |
|