Like Rossini’s ‘Petite
Messe Solennelle’ this ‘pocket’ version of Brahms’ grand masterpiece
would appear to be a godsend to classical music producers on a
tight budget, yet this seems one of only two two-piano versions
currently available on CD. Such arrangements were a staple for
composers in the 19th century. With a piano in every
cultivated drawing-room this was the way in which most people
encountered most of their music, or had the opportunity for listening
to it in their own home. With the origins of the piece dating
back to 1854, the gestation period up to the completion of the
arrangement on this recording was a long one. Brahms had completed
a two-hand piano arrangement for publisher Johann Rieter-Biedermann
in 1868 and wrestled with the four-hand arrangement thereafter,
only throwing in the towel in 1870 when he requested that his
name should be removed from the title page. No doubt to a certain
extent mindful of the financial rewards to be gained from such
an enterprise, Brahms’ high standards meant that he was also reluctant
to pass the work onto others. Nonetheless, after 16 years of tinkering
I can imagine that he had had enough of the thing, and who can
blame him.
With the acoustic
of Jesus College chapel helping the somewhat ecclesiastical, unmistakeably
English sound of the Choir of King’s College this was always going
to be less of a high-romantic performance than many of the orchestral
versions around. Brahms’ setting is of course not of the liturgical
missa pro defunctis but a more humanist selection of German-language
Bible passages, avoiding any mention of Christ. In his booklet
note Nicholas Marston points out that the reduction in forces
might go some way toward giving the piece more of a human scale,
and there is a defence of this choice in the historical reference
to the British premiere performance using this instrumentation
in the Wimpole Street home of Lady Thompson in 1871. We can be
grateful not to have been given this level of authenticity - Ein
Deutsches Requiem on the living room carpet, but raising the
profile of this version might encourage more choirs to take up
the work.
In fact, missing an
entire orchestra has less effect that one might imagine. Kings
College Choir has a gorgeous sound at its best, and with the two
pianos given a suitably recessed balance there are no nasty jangling
edges to contend with. There are one or two moments when I found
myself stabbing at the rewind button: what is going on
at 09:49 into Denn alles Fleisch ...? It’s like one of
the little boys has wandered off at the back to find a toffee,
still singing. I’m probably being overly picky, but one or two
voices do pop out of the choral texture here and there, sometimes
with a little lack of control in higher moments, or just not quite
blending with the choral colour. I would have preferred more accuracy
in those tricky little motifs in Herr, lehre doch mich
as well. I do love the King’s College sound however, and these
are very small points: my humanist sense of tolerance was never
pushed very far.
Hanno Müller-Brachmann
has a slightly doloroso vocal colour which suits the music
well, and his sensitivity to the text is very good – tragic and
vulnerable or defiant where required, without being overly dramatic
or operatic. He is well matched with the pure sounding soprano
of Susan Gritton, whose tone is also a little darker than your
average flighty coloratura. Evgenia Rubinova and José Gallardo
deserve a mention as a superb piano duo, playing up a storm in
Denn wir haben… and with a responsive touch throughout
what must be a lengthy and demanding task for any musician.
There only seems to
be one other recording in the current catalogue with this instrumentation,
on the Naïve label conducted by Laurence Equilby and boasting
Boris Berezowsky as one of the pianists. I don’t know this version,
but suspect King’s College might win over the amateur choir on
the Naïve recording. I must say I have enjoyed this version of
Ein Deutsches Requiem. If you know the work but have been
put off by its Teutonic heaviness in the past this may very well
hold the answer to your unspoken prayers. Two pianos will never
have the absolute power, variety and colour of a full orchestra,
but neither do they hold all of those Beethovenian associations.
This is, in general, a well produced performance and an excellent
recording which can safely be recommended to aficionados and curious
newcomers alike.
Dominy Clements
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Susan Gritton (soprano),
Hanno Müller-Brachmann (baritone),
