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. 2014, Norbertine Sisters Church on Salvator, Cracow, Poland.
DUX 1210 [53:03]
No one need have any shame in bringing out another good recording
of Mozart’s Requiem, but these days it will have to be pretty
special or at the very least have some kind of USP that makes it stand out
from the many alternatives available. Reading the booklet notes teaches us
about the mysterious commission of the work, and the composer’s demise
before it could be completed. The notes also point out the appearance and
uses of this Requiem in recent pop culture, posing something of a
non-conundrum; “such practices cannot be forbidden but one can ask:
what are they for?”
This is a recording of which I started out sceptical, but which won me over
by the end. This is not a particularly ‘historically informed’
performance nor does it make any claims in this direction, but the chorus
sings with a clean non-vibrato sound and the general feel is of lightness
rather than operatic weight. That is not to say that there is no drama or
dynamic impact, but returning to it after some of the comparisons I look into
below reminded me of the direction some classic performances have taken us
in recent years. The soloists are all good, though soprano Olga Pasiecznik
is a very nice topping to this particular cake.
Yes, there are some critical points to be made. Notes are occasionally slid
into or between by both chorus and some solo voices, but this is the kind
of minor issue that will be of little or no concern to most listeners. In
some movements there is a slight drop in energy, and the timpani are by no
means the most characterful on record. Towards the end of the Introit
it sounds more as if the player is tuning up than really contributing, though
this may be a feature of the recorded balance. Harder sticks may also have
helped in this regard. The drama and urgency in the Dies irae is
potent enough, though the trombone solo in the Tuba mirum is not
the most subtle I’ve ever heard. Occasional moments where you might
raise half an eyebrow are more aspects of provincial charm than clashes of
artistic expectation, and I don’t mean these comments unkindly. There
is a moment at the end of the Rex tremendae where the music slows
down perceptibly. This is already taken at a measured tempo, and while this
delivers extra sensitivity for the words ‘sale me’ it does give
an odd initial impression, especially as Mozart has already written in an
augmentation to the melody for this very purpose.
These are all relatively minor quibbles in a performance with many beautiful
things. The wonderful Lacrimosa is very effective for instance, and
I have no complaints that would have me skimming this recording into the long
grass. It would be an impossible task to cover every comparison, and by the
same token if someone were to ask me for an absolute top choice Mozart Requiem
then I would be unable to provide any kind of definitive answer. We’re
talking about performances on modern instruments, and so a good start would
be the 1971 EMI recording conducted by Daniel Barenboim (see review).
This is a more overtly dramatic, big-boned performance, but one which packs
a more stirring emotional message. This may not be what you are after, but
it is still a realistic alternative even given the vintage nature of the recording.
Closer in scale to this DUX recording is another EMI performance, this time
with Franz Welser-Möst, and one I certainly don’t prefer over Piotr
Wajrak for reasons outlined in my review.
Sir Colin Davis on RCA is in general more satisfying (see review),
but as with Barenboim more operatic in approach than Wajrak. One of the nice
features of this DUX recording is that the soloists are well balanced with
the rest of the chorus and musicians, and ensemble pieces such as the Benedictus
work very well as a result. I would say this is a performance from which you
needn’t expect any lightning-bolt revelations, but in its lovely acoustic
it does make for a very nice listen indeed.
No vocal texts are given in the booklet and the filler isn’t very substantial.
You may find 53 minutes a bit on the skimpy side. Mozart composed the motet
Ave verum corpus while writing his opera Die Zauberflöte,
and this is a mere 46 bars of music that has become one of Mozart’s
most beloved choral pieces. Also from 1791, this compact motet foreshadows
certain aspects of the Requiem and is a good choice for a companion
work performed with admirable restraint,
though for some reason the string playing puts me more in mind of Elgar than
Mozart.
Dominy Clements
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