Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
This account of the German Requiem really is one of the great recordings of the century. Even today, Otto Klemperer's monumental interpretation with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in 1961, remains unmatched among readings that emphasize the spirituality of the score. Sober and sustained, but not unduly slow, it places Brahms on the continuum of German sacred music going back through Beethoven to Handel, Bach, and Schütz. Drawing committed playing and singing from his forces, Klemperer opens the door to the beauties of the music without fuss or fanfare. Both soloists are exemplary: Schwarzkopf's expressive portamento now sounds a bit dated in style, but her singing is characterful, while Fischer-Dieskau is a paragon of restrained expressiveness. The singing of the Philharmonia Chorus is especially beautiful. EMI has done a superior job of remastering the original recording. Balances and tone quality are quite fine, and the spacious Kingsway Hall ambience conveys with lifelike immediacy. Compared with previous CD incarnations, there is new depth to the image and better resolution of detail--the weight of the organ can really be felt, as can the timpani strokes in "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras," and one finds greater presence and definition in the chorus and considerably more richness of tone in the orchestra. There is still some distortion in the climactic moments; for example, what sounds like tape saturation frizzes a couple of the big Beethovenian choral proclamations at the end of "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras." Such things are but a small blemish on what is an absolutely ravishing restoration of one of the most valuable recordings of the stereo era. --Ted Libbey

Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, Music, Johannes Brahms, Otto Klemperer, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Choral, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Orchestral & Symphonic, Requiem/Requiem Section

Average customer rating:

Real Brahms

Glorious Music

A "Regular People" Review

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem

Very good

Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [A German Requiem]

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Brahms: Double Concerto / Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Richter

ASIN: B00000GCA3
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

A German Requiem Op.45: Selig sind, die da Leid tragen
A German Requiem Op.45: Denn alles Fleisch es ist wie Gras
A German Requiem Op.45: Herr, lehre doch mich
A German Requiem Op.45: Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen
A German Requiem Op.45: Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit
A German Requiem Op.45: Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Stadt
A German Requiem Op.45: Selig sind die Toten

Amazon.com essential recording

This account of the German Requiem really is one of the great recordings of the century. Even today, Otto Klemperer's monumental interpretation with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in 1961, remains unmatched among readings that emphasize the spirituality of the score. Sober and sustained, but not unduly slow, it places Brahms on the continuum of German sacred music going back through Beethoven to Handel, Bach, and Schütz. Drawing committed playing and singing from his forces, Klemperer opens the door to the beauties of the music without fuss or fanfare. Both soloists are exemplary: Schwarzkopf's expressive portamento now sounds a bit dated in style, but her singing is characterful, while Fischer-Dieskau is a paragon of restrained expressiveness. The singing of the Philharmonia Chorus is especially beautiful. EMI has done a superior job of remastering the original recording. Balances and tone quality are quite fine, and the spacious Kingsway Hall ambience conveys with lifelike immediacy. Compared with previous CD incarnations, there is new depth to the image and better resolution of detail--the weight of the organ can really be felt, as can the timpani strokes in "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras," and one finds greater presence and definition in the chorus and considerably more richness of tone in the orchestra. There is still some distortion in the climactic moments; for example, what sounds like tape saturation frizzes a couple of the big Beethovenian choral proclamations at the end of "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras." Such things are but a small blemish on what is an absolutely ravishing restoration of one of the most valuable recordings of the stereo era. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Real Brahms.......2007-06-24

He understand Brahms and the performances are superb. Buy this recording and you will be very happy.

Glorious Music.......2007-03-29

I purchased this CD for practicing the Requiem for a concert that will be performed this weekend. I am a soprano. It is wonderful for any of you who need to choose from other CDs of this piece for this purpose. For any who do not either play or sing, you will still be transported by the beautiful sound! While most requiems point to sorrow. This one by Brahms shows us the joy of life.

A "Regular People" Review.......2007-01-31

Brahms German Requiem is a great piece of music, this isn't nearly as intense as Verdi or Mozart's Requiems and not as tame at Faure's. It fits nicely in between. I can't say anything about the recording because this is the only one I've ever heard, but there are no complaints here. If you like semi dramatic choral music, (if you want super dramatic go for Verdi's Requiem!) give it a try....and keep me updated!

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem.......2006-08-23

Brahms was a fabulous composer. I think his Requiem is a very musical piece including the beautiful voices.

I would recommend to anyone who loves good classical music.

Very good.......2006-08-03

First of all, it bothers me when people say Brahms "looks good on the page, but...". What does that mean, "looks good on the page"? Who are these people that own the scores to his music and are capable of instantaneously transposing several instruments in different clefs as well as different key signatures, know the timbres of each instrument at different volumes and marked styles of playing, and have the knowledge of harmony to know what these combinations of notes will sound like? Why aren't they conducting orchestras? Or do the notes somehow form the shape of a pretty little bird or something, and that's what they mean by the notes looking good on the page?
Anyway, the slower movements are great on this recording. 1st movement, 2nd, 4th, 7th. I would include the 5th, but something about Schwarzkopf's enunciation bothers me in this performance, although at times she hits a high note very subtly and perfectly. As for the more epic 3rd and 6th movements, they are impressive except for a few annoying problems. The fugue in the 3rd movement drag in the choral department, possibly because of the hall, and also sometimes I would like to hear the strings brought out a little more. The 6th movement is both wonderful and disappointing: the brass sounds amazing, and Klemperer really uses them to build tension with those high clustered dissonant notes. However, for some reason he builds up to these intense sections, and then cuts the tempo right as the sections begin. I can't think of any reason why he would have done this, but it sounds very strange and anti-climactic and it's a shame because otherwise it is amazing.
I would purchase this and Abbado's. I also have Karajan- ridiculously slow and lacking in emotion (strange, because I consider him to be the best interpreter of Brahms' symphonies), Walter- ludicrously fast, and Gardiner- pretty good. I would like to hear Shaw's but right now I'm torn between Abbado and this recording, neither of which are perfect. The woodwinds and brass are very much overpowered by the strings in Abbado's and, although it sounds great, you realize which sonorities are missing when you listen to this Klemperer recording.
As for the requiem itself, it really is beautiful. Brahms had an immense harmonic palette and he knew exactly how to use it, and that is very evident in this work. He was as harmonically audacious as Wagner, but he used his powers more prudently. The first movement is a perfect example of this: interesting resolutions, delayed resolutions, dissonant suspensions. Listen to the way the chorus and orchestra play off of one another, surprise each other, and then work together. This is what really makes music sound beautiful to me. And the texts Brahms chose to set to this piece are very touching.
One reviewer claims that Brahms didn't have a penchant for melodies. I don't see how he could be one of the most revered writers of lieder if this were the case. Maybe the reviewer's mother didn't sing him Brahms' lullaby when he was a baby, as the rest of ours did. His violin concerto adagio has been called the greatest melody ever written, the clarinet quintet is a favorite among chamber works, and he wrote 21 Hungarian dances that are immensely popular. Some movements in this piece are not meant to be sweepingly melodic; I would consider the first movement to be attractive mostly because of the harmony, which usually carries most of the emotion in music anyway. But the melodies of the 4th, 5th, and 7th movement are incredibly sweet and beautiful, and the 2nd movement's melodies are very memorable. For some reason people find it fashionable to call Brahms' music dry and academic, but these people must not be listening to the same music as the rest of us, or else they themselves are too academic and dry. This is lush, romantic music. Appropriately heavy and pensive at times, but those are the most powerful moments of the piece. It's about struggling with mortality, and comforting those who are left behind after a death. The full text that he chose for his 5th movement:
"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
Ye see how for a little while I labor and toil, yet have I found much rest.
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you. . ."
This isn't really a requiem, more of an existential dilemma set to music. So much more interesting and personal than "Kyrie Eleison," "Dona Eis Requiem," and "Pie Jesu Domine," I think. There are reasons why this work is so popular; that it is very beautiful and affecting, and that it touches a universal concern of all humanity are not the least of these reasons. I think people's perceptions of Brahms as being so academic and unemotional have been influenced by extreme political reviews by influential Wagnerites. George Bernard Shaw, for example, who attacked the requiem in particular, and thought that Brahms represented a musical regression. People seem to be unaware of how these reviews tainted Brahms' name, and also that Shaw later admitted that he was very wrong.

Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) / Auger, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Robert Shaw

Average customer rating:

Depth And Understanding Make It One Of The Best
A Great and memorable work!
Another Excellent Shaw Recording
A steadfast. well-prepared performance.
Very good

Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) / Auger, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Robert Shaw
Johannes Brahms , Robert Shaw , Arleen Auger , Richard Stilwell , and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Verdi: Requiem & Operatic Choruses
Fauré · Duruflé - Requiem / J. Blegen · J. Morris · Atlanta SO · Shaw
Bach: Mass in B minor / McNair, Ziegler, Simpson, Aler, Stone, Paul; Shaw
Mendelssohn: Elijah / Shaw, Bonney, Quivar, Hadley, Hampson, Atlanta Symphony (Sung in English)
Choral Masterpieces

ASIN: B000003CT6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Selig Sind, Die Da Leid Tragen
Denn Alles Fleisch
Herr, Lehre Doch Mich
Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen
Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit
Denn Wir Haben Hie
Selig Sind Die Toten

Amazon.com

Robert Shaw, despite being a fine choral conductor, was often a pretty boring interpreter--like most choral conductors, in fact. However, there were times that he really put everything together, particularly in his many fine recordings for Telarc, and this is one of the best. Of course, it helps that the music itself is largely pretty subdued, but Shaw directs a performance of exemplary clarity and genuine nobility of utterance. Gorgeous recorded sound too. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Depth And Understanding Make It One Of The Best.......2007-05-13

Do not be misled by the paucity of David Hurwitz's 4-sentence review for Amazon which is surpassed only by the wrong-headedness (Shaw, boring??) of his blatant prejudice against "choral conductors." His basis for evaluation is so off that he gets almost everything wrong, save for the words nobility and clarity. His praise of the recorded sound is also backwards; This is one of the biggest technical mistakes in Telarc's exemplary catalog - The orchestral sound is somewhat muddy and unfocused and the choir is far too distant and diffuse.

That is not to say the recording cannot be enjoyed for there are substantial positives here, principally Shaw's interpretation which is among the best in the world. His tempi are so insightful, so right-sounding its almost freaky. The only performance negative is soprano Arleen Auger; this lovely singer is just not right for the part; Brahms was very specific about the soprano sound he intended for the 5th movement - he specified she should sound "like a giant bird." Auger is a bit of a robin, albeit a very pretty one.

The expressiveness from both orchestra and choir are well-thought and refined. Shaw brings significant depth and understanding to this masterpiece. Too many orchestral conductors approach the Requiem as just another orchestra piece with voices; Shaw understands the impetus is Brahms' uniquely chosen text.

For example, Shaw's opening tempo is informed by Brahms' textual concept - a wandering, unsettled feeling of a soul having no resting place on this earth. An orchestral conductor who is guided only by the tempo marking will get it wrong.

Notice the collective orchestral breathing in the second movement. Coupled with the dead-on independent triplets from the timp, the unified lifting of the strings and the falling weight from the winds - this is ensemble perfection. It makes me weep.

Shaw keeps the third movement moving forward; he never allows it to sink into a lugubrious morass, a flaw in so many performances.

Its very difficult to render an overperformed movement perfectly, but again here in the famous fourth, Shaw's tempo and subtle emphasis are exemplary. One couldn't ask for a more lovely and perfectly controlled rendering of Brahms' chosen lovely dwelling place.

Shaw's sixth movement tempo reflects the wandering soul now with increased restlessness. This is exactly correct, unlike some conductors who render this movement as a deadly dirge. Shaw's tempo here perfectly sets up Brahms' positive ending.

From the initial sounds of the seventh movement, we know instantly that there is a new dawn - the tempo is bright, the dynamic lifted and the choir swells from a pianissimo entrance and takes stage. We have found our heaven.

Whatever flaws exist, this is a magnificent addition to the recorded repertoire, one in my collection to which I am proud to return often.

A Great and memorable work!.......2007-04-10

While a student at the New England Conservatory (a number of years ago) my husband and I were fortunate to be members of the N.E.C.Chorus that performed this very work under the direction of Robert Shaw himself. Needless to say, hearing it again, a master work done by a master, brings back many pleasant memories each and every time it's played.

Another Excellent Shaw Recording.......2006-04-10

It becomes hard after awhile for me to comment on maestro Shaw's work, because I love all of it! Obviously, he definitely does not fall short with this CD. His talent of conducting was matched only by his love of music itself.

The chorus and soloists are excellent. The sopranos seem to float over the rest of the chorus, and a sound of pure heaven is produced. I can just see both Shaw and Brahms smiling down from heaven as I write this!

As you can tell, I am very enthusiastic about classical choral music, especially when it is conducted by Mr. Shaw. And, to sum this up, check it out for yourself and see if you like it as much as I do.

A steadfast. well-prepared performance........2005-09-05

There are many recordings of the German Requiem of Brahms, and I have seven of them in my library. Robert Shaw's recording on Telarc is no longer one of them. Amazon states up front that this is the recording people "ultimately" buy. Maybe so, but I wouldn't click on "Buy Now" until I had heard samplings of some other recordings. Yes, Shaw and his musicians are amazing in their dedication to the work. It is a great performance. I have always found it necessary to boost the treble and perhaps reduce the bass to get a clear sound with this recording.

Other recordings I rank at a slightly higher level than this one and recommend with greater enthusiasm:

1. Herreweghe and the Orchestre des Champs Elysees on Harmonia Mundi. This recordng ranks among the finest and is unique in the clarity of voices, whether solo, choral, or orchestral. The woodwinds and brass are never covered by the strings, yet the string sections sound full and play with precision. The soloists are not over-miked and their voices seem to come from the midst of the greater ensemble. Especially impressive and touching is the singing of Gerald Finley (although his command of German has greatly improved since this recording).

2. James Levine and the Chicago Symphony and Chorus with Battle and Hagegard on RCA/BMG, a 1983 studio recording recently re-released on Universal at a low budget price. Levine and the Chicago deliver a big, heart-on-sleeve sound yet pay loving attention to details and the soloists sing exquisitely.

3. Rafael Kubelik with the Bavarian Radio Symphony and Chorus with Edith Mathis and Wolfgang Brendel on Audite. Recorded in concert (with no audience sounds) in 1978 and issued recently in glorious sound by Audite, this performance is generous in every way: fine musicianship, deep emotion, and rich sound.

4. Rudolph Kempe with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Choir of St. Hedwig's with Elizabeth Gruemmer and the young (therefore not yet fussy and mannered) Fischer-Dieskau. This is a very fine mono recording from 1956 still found on EMI. There are days when I think this is the best of the best in every respect. The playing and singing is exemplary in very way.

5. John Eliot Gardiner's interpretation, with his Orchestre Revolutionanaire et Romantique, the Monteverdi Choir, Charlotte Margiono, and Rodney Gilfry on Philips, is fleet and somewhat light-weight. It is a studio recording from 1990. Gardiner's tempi are the quickest by far yet never seem rushed. I've always liked this performance, but in light of those mentioned below it is relatively cerebral.

As for the other available versions, many are very fine indeed; yet I think none of them quite reaches the heights of the five I've listed above.

Very good.......2005-07-30

I have owned this recording since it's release and find it a wonderful piece. Robert Shaw has sought to convey a deeper understanding of Brahms thoughts and emotions brought to life in music. There are precious few conductors who take on this work because they know this work is more than a symphony, it requires the study and emersion of the conductor into the mind of Brahms and the trajedy that spawned this work. I am very grateful that Shaw took on the challenge and delivered an excellent interpretation.

With that said, I must say that although I do love this recording, there is one that I think is even better and is in my opinion the absolute best recording of this piece - Chicago Symphony, James Levine, Kathleen Battle, Hakan Hagegard.

For comparison -

Recording clarity - Hands down the Chicago recording is much clearer and much richer in the full spectrum of sounds from the crispness of the high woodwinds to the powerful bass of the bass viola's.

Interpretation - While Shaws recording is deliberate and steady, Levines is slower, more emotional and closer to the passion that Brahms intended to convey.

Choral - Without a doubt Kathleen Battle's voice in this piece is bordering on angelic. Nothing I have ever heard can compare to the perfection she displays in this piece. Hands down, she draws you totally into the work with a mesmorizing performance.

With technology progressing at such a fast pace, I eagerly await the arrival of a newer performance of this work, but am skeptical that anything can top what Levine has done.

Emery Rudolph

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
The heavens are telling
Uncle Abe rattles the house with this thing
Sir Robert with ASO and Chorus at their Best!
Celestial melodies

Choral Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The #1 Choral Album
O Magnum Mysterium
Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony

ASIN: B000003CTR
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Hallelujah
Ave Verum Corpus K.618
Kyrie Eleison
Passion Chorale
The Shepherds' Farewell
Lift Thine Eyes To The Mountains
He Watching Over Israel
Dona Nobis Pacem
Hallelujah
Worthy Is The Lamb
Sanctus
Bogoroditse Devo
Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen
The Heavens Are Telling
Rex Tremendae

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-01-12

-gave this as a Christmas gift to my brother-in-law, a church musician. He has listened over & over & thinks it is really outstanding. Thank you!

The heavens are telling.......2005-10-21

This is a very great chorus, and one of Haydn's best as far as i am concerned. The pace, grandness and spirit of the piece all conjure in one's imagination the majesty of heaven, and God's throne. I cannot help but be moved to praise the God of the heavens and the earth.

kanmi ogundipe

Uncle Abe rattles the house with this thing.......2004-11-22

I came home from work one day when my uncle was visiting my wife and myself. He was recently retired from the ministry. He had heard a lot of choral music in his life. My aunt said he had the stereo ( power end of my stereo at the time was an Adcomm 555 amp. conservatively rated at 200 watts RMS per channel) up so loud it was rattling the whole house. I too have come to love this music. I mostly listen to rock and roll; but the way my uncle, and now I, play this thing, it is rock and roll from another era!!!

Sir Robert with ASO and Chorus at their Best!.......2003-11-16

After Mr Shaw spent many years in NYC and Cleveland with RCA Red Label,he came into Atlanta for a big change! Soon he switched to TELARC DIGITAL! I still Joyfully remember our Recording of the Christmas Nativity in Dec of 1975! Sir Robert, conducting with earphones encasing his head shouted: "Stop the taping, there is some Darn Sizzling noise in those Lights!" We may have not heard the word "Damn" lights, that he employed at times!

On both this newer release of TELARC and the older Recording of The Christmas Nativity, there are Bach's Chorale, Break Forth, Dona Nobis Pacem from the B-Minor Mass, Handel's Hallelujah! Plus the exquisite, Shepherds's Farewell to the Holy Family of Berlioz's The Infant Christ!

Those who may not be familiar with Berlioz from both recordings, will be richly rewarded by hearing them plus the Rex Tremendae from Berlioz''s Requiem and the other Kyrie from the Bach B-Minor! Absolutely, no other Christmas Music can ever approach these two splendid recordings, which are the basis of the ASO celebrating every Christmas with "Robert Shaw in the Spirit!"

Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

Celestial melodies.......2001-05-27

No matter what mood you are in, the gorgeous chorals will draft you through the paths of holiness, and you will find yourself situated in the Elysium, land of eternal joy, yet you are far from dead. The past grief, weariness, and worries will fade and torture your soul no more. You are set free.

Tracks:

Brandenbutg Concerto No.3 In G First Movement
Overture No.3 In D Second Movement
Violin Concerto In E First Movement
Prelude In C minor
Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude (Chorus From Cantata No.147)
Overture No.2 In B minor Minuet And Badinerie
Oboe Concerto In D minor Second Movement
Brandenburg Concerto No.4 In G Third Movement
Musical Offering - Fuga canonica
Easter Oratorio - Overture
Minuet In D minor
Kommst Du Nun, Jesu, Vom Himmel herunter(From Choral Prelude BWV 650
Brandenburg Concerto No.1 In F Second Movement
Art Of The Fugue - Contrapunctus 9
Concerto For Flute, Violin, Harpsichord And Strings. Triple Concerto - Third Movement
Overture No.4 In D - Réjouissance
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 1 in E: Spring
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 2 in G minor: Summer
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 3 in F: Autumn
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto No. 4 in F minor: Winter
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto for Flute, Strings & Basso Continuo in G minor, Op. 10, no.2
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Concerto Grosso in A minor, Op. 3, no. 8
Water Music - Alla Hornpipe
Xerxes - Ombra Mai Fu (Largo)
Messiah - And The Glory Of The Lord
Concerto Grosso In A Minor, Op. 6, No. 4 - Larghetto Affettuoso
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 4 Allegro
Water Music - Air
Messiah - For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Concerto Grosso In B flat, Op. 3, No. 2 - Largo
Salomon - Sinfonia, Act 3
The Choice Of Hercules - While For Thy Arms
Water Music - Allegro (Suite No. 1)
Suite No. 5 In E - Air With Variations
Jephtha - How Dark, O Lord
Organ Concerto In F, Op. 4, No. 5 Alla Siciliana - Presto
Mi Palpita Il Cor (Solo Cantata) S'un Di M'adora
Water Music - Andante Allegro Da Capo
Concerto for Trumpet & Orchestra in E-flat: First Movement
Symphony No. 94 in G: Surprise Symphony-second movement
Concerto for Violin No. 2 in D: Third Movement
Flute Trio No. 31 in G: Second Movement
Symphony No. 31 in D: Hornsignal-First Movement
String Quartet No. 17 in F, Op. 3, no. 5: Serenade Quartet-Second Movement
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat for Violin, Cello, Oboe, Bassoon and Orchestra-Third Movement
Concerto for 2 Horns & Orchestra in E-flat: Second Movement
Symphony No. 88 in G: Fourth Movement
String Quartet No. 77 in C: Kaiser Quartet-Poco adagio cantabile
Notturno No. 1 in C: Second Movement
Symphony No. 98 in B: Londoner No. 4-Fourth Movement
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - first movement
Piano Concerto in A - second movement
Flute Concerto in D - Rondeau
Serenade - Minuet
Violin Concerto - first movement
Symphony No. 40 in G minor - first movement
Clarinet Concerto - second movement
Turkish March
Divertimento - Minuet
Horn Concerto No. 3 in E-flat - first movement
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67-First Movement
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27, no. 2: Moonlight Sonata-First Movement
Overture
O welche Lust (Prisoners' Chorus)
Ha, welch ein Augenblick (Pizarros's Aria)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37: Second Movement
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 61: Third Movement
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13: Pathétique-Second Movement
Sympony No. 6 in F, Op. 68: Pastorale-First Movement
Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra in C minor, Op. 80: Choral Fantasy - Finale
German Dance No. 1 In C
Impromptu Op. 90, No. 3 In G-Flat
Heidenroslein
Ave Maria
Der Lindenbaum
Quintet In A 'Trout Quintet' - Andante
Mass No. 6 In E-Flat - Kyrie
Die Schone Mullerin Des Mullers Blumen
German Dance No. 2 In G
Piano Sonata In B-Flat
Nachtgesang Im Walde
Winterreise - No. 15: Die Krahe
German Mass - Zum Sanctus (Heilit, Heilig Ist Der Herr)
Symphony No. 8 In B Minor 'Unfinished' - Second Movement
Waltz No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 18 Grande Valse brillante
Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, no. 2
Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, no. 5
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21-Second Movement
Mazurka in D minor, Op. 33, no. 2
Prelude in D-flat, Op. 28, no. 15 Raindrop
Etude in C, Op. 10, no. 1
Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, no. 2
Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 Fantasy Impromptu
Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35-Third Movement
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor - first movement 113.String Seranade - Waltz
Violin Concerto - second movement
The Sleeping Beauty - Waltz
Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Swan Lake - Waltz
Eugene Onegin - Polonaise
The Nutcracker - Waltz of the Flowers
Orchestral Suite No. 4 - Mozartiana - Third Movement
Swan Lake - Dance of the Swans
Symphony No. 6 in B minor - Pathétique - Third Movement
Hungarian Dance No.5
Lullaby
Symphony No.1 in C minor, Op. 68 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in E-flat, Op.117, no. 1
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D, Op. 77 - Third Movement
Waltz, Op. 39, no. 15
Concert for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83 - Second Movement
String Quintet in G, Op. 111 - Second Movement
Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Third Movement
Intermezzo in A minor, Op. 76, no. 7
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
German Requiem Selig sind die Toten (Final Chorus)
Die Fledermaus - Overture
Kaiser Waltz, Op.437
Thunder And Lightning Polka, Op. 324
Roses From The South Waltz, Op. 388
AnnenPolka, Op. 117
Vienna Blood Waltz, Op. 354
Eljen A Magyar Polka, Op. 332
Wine, Women and Song Waltz, Op. 333
On The Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 134
Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg - Overture
Tannhauser - Die Pilger sind's (Pilgims' Chorus)
Tannhauser - O du mein holder Abendstern (Wolfram's Aria)
Lohengrin - Act 3 Prelude and Bridal Chorus
The Flying Dutchman - Jo-ho-he Traft ihr das Schiff (Senta's Ballad)
The Flying Dutchman - Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)
Die Walkure - Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond (Siegmund's Aria)
Die Walkure - Ride of the Valkyries
Siegfried Hoho! Hoho! Hohei! Schmiede mein Hammer (Siegfried's Forging Song)
Tristan und Isolde - Liebestod
Thus sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 (excerpt)
Don Juan, Op. 20
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, I.Nacht
Don Quixote, Op.35, first movement: Introduction
Salome, Op. 54, Dance Of The Seven Veils
Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59, Finale: Hab' mir's gelobt ihn lieb zu haben
Piano Concerto 2 In C minor, Op. 18 - First Movement
Vocalise, Op.34, No. 14
Prelude In G Sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12
Piano Concerto No. 4 In G minor, Op. 40 - Third Movement
Symphony No. 2 In E minor, Op. 27 - Third Movement
Piano Concerto No. 1 In F sharp minor, Op. 1 - Second Movement
Rhapsody, Op. 43 On A Theme By Paganini
Hungarian Rhapsody No.2
Liebestraum No.3 in A-flat
Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat - third movement
Angelus
Mephisto Waltz No.1 (Dance in a Village Tavern)
Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
Dante Symphony - Finale. - Purgatorio - Magnificat
Les Préludes
Boléro
Daphnis et Chloé first movement: Nocturne
Rhapsodie Espagnole
Shéhérazade - first movement: Asie
Ma Mère l'Oye - fourth movement: La Belle et la Bête
Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and String Quartet
La Valse
Slavic Dance No. 1 in C, Op. 46, no.1
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 'From the New World' - second movement
Humoresque, Op. 101
Slavic Dance No. 8 in G minor, Op. 46, no. 8
Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 22 - second movement
Romance for Violin and Orchestra In F minor, Op. 11
Symphony No. 7 in D minor - third movement
Melodie (Songs My Mother Taught Me)
Carneval Overture, Op. 92
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104 - third movement
Symphony No.4 In A, Op. 90. Italian - First Movement
Frühlingslied In A, Op. 62, No. 6
Wedding March (From A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.61)
Duetto In F, Op.30, No.6 (From Songs Without Words)
String Symphony No.9 In C. Schweitzer Symphony - Third Movement
Concerto For Violin, Piano And String Orchestra No. 1 In D minor - Second Movement
Symphony No.3 In A minor, Op.56 Scottish - Third Movement"
Notturno (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14
String Symphony No. 12 In G minor - First Movement
Venetian Gondola Song In F Sharp minor, Op.30, No.6
Scherzo (From A Midsumment Night's Dream, Op. 61)
Violin Concerto In E minor, Op.64 - Third Movement
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op. 46 - Morgenstimmung
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - I. Prelude. Allegro vivace
Holberg Suite, Op. 40 - IV. Air. Andante religioso
Arietta, Op. 12, no. 1
Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Solveig's Song
Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6
The Last Spring, Op. 34, no. 2
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 1, Op 46 - Anitra's Dance
Nordic Melody Op. 63
Notturno, Op. 54, no. 4
Elegie, Op. 47, no. 5
Peer Gynt - Suite No. 2, Op. 55 - Arabic Dance
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Allegro
Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97 - Rhenish - first movement
Traumerai (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)
Mondnacht (from Eichendorff-Liederkreis, Op. 39)
Aufschwung (from Fantasietucke, Op. 12)
Triolett, Op. 114, no. 2
Tanzlied (No. 1 from Duets, Op. 78)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 - second movement
Frühlingsgruss
Abschied (from Waldszenen Op. 82)
Dichterliebe, Op. 48 - Im wunderschonen Monat Mai
Manfred Overture, Op. 115
Romance in F sharp, Op. 28, no. 2
Die Rose stand im Tau
Liebesgarten (from Four Duets, Op. 34)
Warum? (from Fantasiestucke, Op. 12)
Kennst du das Land, Op.79, no. 29 (from Lieder der Mignon, Op. 98a)
Von fremden Landern und Menschen (from Kinderszenen, Op. 15)

Album Description

An extraordinary 20-CD collection of great works by Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, J. Strauss, R. Strauss, Schumann, Wagner, Dvorak, Grieg and Liszt. It also features worldrenowned artists such as Sir Neville Marriner, Martha Argerich, Ivo Pogorelich, Hermann Prey, Reiner Goldberg, Sylvia Sass, Jochen Kowalski, Peter Schreler and many more. This exquisite, copper metallic, deluxe boxed set is the perfect gift for the classical music neophyte.

Customer Reviews:

Mill. Classical review.......2007-05-13

This is a great set of recordings for the money, the only problem was I've had to clean some of the CD's before they played correctly.

classical music for the unitiated.......2007-04-01

This set is a good way to start listening to classical music. It's very well produced and easy to listen to. I purchased it to use as part of my world history high school class. It would have been nice to have some bio information on the composers. However, the product is exactly as advertised and good value for the money. The students were intrigued by how many of the excerpts they had heard before.

Some little gems there that I had forgotten!.......2007-03-30

Although I studied classical music at school, I had all but forgotten it until I bought this set. I heard several tracks I haven't heard for over 30 years, and I had been humming Brahms's 'Hungarian Dance no. 5' for years without ever knowing what it was and it was on the disc, so that was nice.

I found it to be a very good selection overall, but I felt too much had already been heard on TV, which of course is what lots of newcomers to classical music might appreciate. I managed to find about 2 hours of tracks that I wanted to keep, which works out quite expensive per disc, but I did find some wonderful music I had completely forgotten about, so it was worth it. All in all, it represents good value, and I have only knocked one star off as so much of it had been used in adverts.

It is definitely a good introduction to classical music, and it has made me want to listen to more of it, so I don't regret this 'expensive' purchase one bit!

Classical Masterpieces of the Millennium [20 CD Set]

A very helpful collection.......2007-03-24

I define this set as an excellent way to find out who you like, and who you don't, among 20 of the important composers. It opens the door to purchasing more complete pieces by composers you do like, and can save a lot of time and money in the process.
To criticize the set for not containing more composers, or more than just snippets of those who are in the set, is missing the point: it is a helpful introduction to finding your way in the huge maze of classical music. It succeeds admirably in this.
Sound quality is uniformly very good on an audiophile system.
Highly recommended.

Excellent!.......2007-03-08

A great way to start a classical music collection. It's nice to have a full CD of each composer. It makes it easy to keep track of selections/composers I already have and what composers I still need to puchase to complete my collection.

Average customer rating:

As good as can be
A requiem that does not drag
OK but ultimately underwhelming
Rattle is fine, Quasthoff is great
VERY BRAHMSIAN ACCOUNT OF THE REQUIEM

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Carl Nielsen, Orchestral Music

ASIN: B000MTEDIE
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

I. Selig Sind, Die Da Leid Tragen
II. Denn Alles Fleisch, Es Ist Wie Gras
III. Herr, Lehre Doch Mich
IV. Wie Lieblich Sind SDeine Wohnungen
V. Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit
VI. Denn Wir Haben Hier Keine Bleibende Stadt
VII. Selig Sind Die Toten

Amazon.com

This is a big, monolithic performance of this somewhat monolithic work, but it doesn't sound impenetrable as it occasionally can. The second movement is as gigantic as any might want, but there's great spring in its last few minutes; elsewhere, Sir Simon Rattle leads with a clarity and energy that are decidedly not lament-like. The 4th movement, "Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen," seems to sway under Rattle's baton; it appears as a light interlude. There is great warmth in the "Ich habt nun Traurigkeit" movement and all pomp seems to die away. The fugal moments are crystal clear, even with the large orchestra and chorus (this is clearly not a "period" instrument performance), and both soloists--baritone Thomas Quasthoff and Dorothea Röschmann--sing their music with close attention to the text. The Berlin Philharmonic and Rundfunkchor are superb. This is a beautiful reading of a work that can be forbidding - highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

As good as can be.......2007-07-07

Almost perfect performance. Ranks with the very best ever recorded. But the most perfect is still being awaited

A requiem that does not drag.......2007-07-03

The Berlin Philharmonic as usual sounds amazing. The choir sounds excellent and the internal balance is very good. Simon Rattle does not take slow tempos in this work. He is swift in some movements and the fuges move with great movement and energy. There are a few spots where I felt the tempo was to swift but he phrases and shapes the performance lovingly. In the big sections he allows the Berlin Philharmonic to play with the muscle and wieght that they so often bring to great works such as this.

A minor problem is in the balance of the solo voices. EMI has the solo voices to close in the final mix. This at times can bring a degree of harsness in their singing that might not be there had the voices been mixed more "naturally" as you would hear in a concert hall. The way companies mix soloist such as singers or instrumentalists is a problem as they tend to over mix the soloist rather then balance the sound somewhat more distance in the final mix as you would hear in the concert hall.

Other than how the solos are to closely mixed in the sound picture this is a very fine performance.

OK but ultimately underwhelming.......2007-04-16

I'm a huge fan of Rattle, this is the world's best orchestra, and both soloists are at the top of their game nowadays. So what went wrong?

The chorus, for one. The Berlin Rundfunkchor sounds bloodless and harsh: both because of its size (much smaller than what Brahms would have expected) as well as its overall sound, which is a good deal more "British" than the warm resonance of a group like the RIAS Kammerchor--which is more often the chorus the Berlin Philharmonic calls on. Now we know why.

But the problem also lies with Rattle, who essentially abdicates any sense of direction once he gets to the contrapuntal sections. He simply sets a fast but inert tempo and phones it in.

This combination of the bloodless choir and the bloodless conducting is all the more disappointing because it's juxtaposed with some wonderfully rich orchestral playing. Whoever says this ensemble has lost its deep, "Germanic" sound should listen to this recording as proof to the contrary.

Both Quasthoff and Roeschmann spread a bit in their top range, and both have a few difficulties shaping longer phrases--but I've never heard this from them before, which makes me suspect it's more a one-time thing. Otherwise, though, they're wonderful, and together with the orchestra they provide some needed warmth to a performance that--so uncharacteristically of Rattle--could use all the vitality it can muster.

Rattle is fine, Quasthoff is great.......2007-04-15

The reviewer below seems lost in his own personal reactions and hasn't given an accurate description of Simon Rattle's persuasive new German Requiem from Berlin. Far from being slow, traditional, and rich-sounding, this performance is 5 min. faster than Karajan from Vienna and 10 minn. faster than the classic Klemperer from London (both on EMI). What overall timings can't reveal is that Rattle takes slow sections slower than usual and fast ones faster. The chorus is smallish rather than employing large church choirs or a body like the Vienna Singverein. They sound no fuller than Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir on Philips. Textures are similarly streamlined. So much for the objective facts.

And the performance itself? Rattle avoided Brahms for twenty years on records and has turned to it late, no doubt out of a sense that his position in Berlin calls for it. One detects a certain lack of religious intensity in the opening movements, which is strongly at odds with Brahms's fervent Protestant intent. There's no lift, no soaring lyricism when harmonies shift upward. The timpani underlying the second movement should sound like the approach of fate--this is a work about death--but here it sounds merely like a drumbeat.

One could say that Rattle is giving us a lighter, less haunted approach than usual, not as perky perhaps as period performances from Gardiner and Herreweghe, but lacking the world-shaking grandeur of Klemperer. For many listeners the chief attraction will be the great Thomas Quasthoff, a totally convincing singer of Brhams lieder. The Gramohone reviewer grumbled that Quasthoff was having a bad night, but that would be an outstanding night for any other baritone. In fact his voice lacks a certain stability of tone at loud volume here, but he is never less than a passionate, riveting soloist, for me the best to be heard in the wonderful third and sixth movements since Hans HOtter for Karajan in the early postwar years. Rattle follows Quasthoff's lead, giving us freer expression and hushed spiritual intimacy from the chorus--this is the cry of souls coming face to face with mortality on Judgment Day.

I am not a particular fan of Dorothea Roschmann, who nevertheless gets a lot of plum jobs in opera and choral works nowadays. Here she is up against the likes of Schwarzkopf and Battle, whose singing of the Traurigkeit movement is exquisite. Roschmann can't match them for vocal purity, but she is emotionally gripping, which counts for a lot, and Rattle speeds up the movement, making it vocally less teacherous for her. Throughout the German Radio Choir, which I assume is professional or nearly so, sings quite accurately and with pure tone.

In all, this reading is a mixed bag. I don't think I really buy that Rattle is sympathetic to Brahms's religious feelings, but he is certainly skillful at extracting a convincing performance musically, and Quasthoff is a joy.

VERY BRAHMSIAN ACCOUNT OF THE REQUIEM.......2007-04-03

I'm not sure I've ever heard the Deutsches Requiem sound more Brahmsian. That may seem an odd remark, but many recordings make of it a sui generis piece, living in a funerary world of its own. But I hear in this performance from Rattle and the Berliners direct lines into the symphonies and the concertos that I'm seldom so conscious of with other performers. It's there in the melodic and rhythmic phrasing, in the orchestral textures, especially of the woodwind, and in the integration of choir and orchestra.

Like his recent Schubert Great C Major, this is in many ways an old fashioned performance. Tempi are broader than we get from more `authentic' modernists like John Eliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington and the like, textures are richer and warmer, it comes through as an altogether grander work. Brahms determined to write a very untraditional Requiem, not just in his choice of texts but in his focus on the bereaved who are left behind rather than the traditional prayers for the dead themselves. It was, after all, written soon after his mother's death and the central movement, `Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit', is a tender and moving memorial to her. Rattle reflects this humanity in his performance: it is perhaps the most humanist German Requiem since Kempe's wonderful performance with the same orchestra.

I don't want to leave the impression that this is an over-sombre, stodgy performance, though. Far from it. Those moments when the clouds clear and the sun comes out and the music starts to stir with life, movement and liveliness suit Rattle's ability to lift and energise a rhythm well. The fourth movement becomes almost a lilting waltz at times, a heavenly dance if you like. The big fugal passages with their strong undertow of typical Brahmsian pedal points have great energy and thrust. Even the imposing, deliberate tread of the `Alles Fleisch' funeral march always retains focus and purpose.

The performers are an impressive lot. The orchestra again shows itself to be in the very front rank, investing textures with colour and shape, phrasing solos with individuality while remaining consistent with the whole. The choir are exceptional: this is glorious, wonderfully disciplined choral singing. Roschmann is an ideally tender soprano soloist in that central, consolatory movement. Quastoff is eloquent as always, but do I detect just the first signs of wear and tear in the voice creeping in? Is there just a tad more spread to the tone when it's put under pressure than there used to be? It is nevertheless a fine performance. Perhaps neither soloist quite lives up to the perfect ethereal beauty of Grummer or the drama of Fischer-Dieskau on the Kempe recording, but they are certainly good enough to see off most of their modern rivals.

As a performance, the Kempe remains something very special. Among modern recordings, this new one is up there with the very best. Gardiner is worth exploring for a refreshingly brisker cleaner view: but for a more traditional take on the work this new Berlin performance is well worth hearing.

Average customer rating:

Almost falls short of the best
Blessed are they that mourn
For 'Marge' Too!
Just for Sam

Brahms: A German Requiem

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [A German Requiem]
Missa Solemnis in D major, op.123

ASIN: B00005OBR3
Release Date: 2006-05-31

Tracks:

A German Requiem, Op.45: Selig Sind, Die Da Leid Tragen
A German Requiem, Op.45: Denn Alles Fleisch, Es Ist Wie Gras
A German Requiem, Op.45: Herr, Lehre Doch Mich
A German Requiem, Op.45: Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen, Herr Zebaoth!
A German Requiem, Op.45: Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit
A German Requiem, Op.45: Denn Wir Haben Hie Keine Bleibende Statt
A German Requiem, Op.45: Selig Sind Die Toten, Die In Dem Herren Sterben

Customer Reviews:

Almost falls short of the best.......2006-04-21

Andre Previn's rendition of Brahm's Deutschen Requiem isn't the finest, but it is also not the worst. It has some good touches here and there, like the entire segment of "Denn Alles Fleisch, Es Ist Wie Gras," and there is good orchestral/choral emotion all around. The soloists Ramey and Price are fine. However, the textures and ambiance of the piece do not do well, and the version by conductor Philippe Herreweghe does what this one doesn't: balance the music and the sounds of a concert hall perfectly. Still, it's a good bargain, and it's almost as good as Otto Klemperer's version.

Blessed are they that mourn.......2005-01-24

Many years ago, I sang this work in college and the emotions it evoked are still with me today when I listen to this CD. This is a Protestant requiem, and the text is quite different from what we are used to hearing in the Catholic requiem mass, so the music will be much more meaningful if the listener learns the words (this version is sung in German). This is a work of mourning and consolation for the living--Brahms dedicated his requiem not only to his mentor Robert Schumann, and his mother, but to all of us who are still among the living.

'The' classical version of this work is probably the 1962 EMI recording, conducted by Otto Klemperer and sung by Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. However, André Previn has produced a worthy rival, recorded in 1986 at All Saints Tooting (what a perfect studio for a work that relies so somberly on its horns!). Samuel Ramey's radiant basso cantante (here, at the top of his fach) and Dame Margaret Price's beautiful lyric soprano highlight the solos. The Ambrosian Singers glide in a solemn and steadfast arc above the depths of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Overall, André Previn has achieved a lush, well-balanced sound in a work where the orchestra could easily overpower the singers. He gives this performance an inexorable momentum, guiding the Requiem through its seven slow movements like the passage of a dark funeral cortege through a silent crowd of mourners.

This insistent, dark passage can be heard most especially in the second movement, "Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras" ("For all flesh is as grass"), where the solemn chant of the choir rises above the surging bass lines of timpani and brass as Death inexorably harvests the living. I think many in my choral group would have wept during this movement if we hadn't been singing.

The transience of earthly existence gives way to the joyous certainty of eternal life in the final movements of this great Requiem. The listener is brought gently from darkness into light: "Oh death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" To paraphrase the seventh and final movement, Brahms may be resting from his labours, but his majestic Requiem lives after him.

For 'Marge' Too!.......2004-10-14

At a good price and with excellent soloists and a good choral performance, I recommend this as a clear first choice. For those drawn to the sombre side and `tuneful,' imaginative music, Brahms' German Requiem deserves to be heard and will not disappoint.

`Selig sind, die da Leid tragen, denn' (`Blessed are they that mourn') is soothingly and reverently sung.

`Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras') (`For a all flesh is as grass') has a `Russian' flavour with its ominous drums. The entire piece seems focused on an end result: mortality; death is inevitable.

`Herr, lehre mich doch, dass esein End emit mir haben muss'(`Lord make me to know my end, to consider my frailty that I must perish') is woven through with Ramey's authoritative bass/baritone. This is where the `fire and brimstone' is.

The chorus then floats into `Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen' (`How lovely are thy dwelling places') on a cloud of warm air. Not too slow as to be sluggish but at a stately progression.

Then, the highlight of the CD for me: pure-toned and golden hued, if Margaret Price doesn't convince you of hope at the end of `Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit;' (`Ye now have sorrow') then no-one else will. Exquisite.

`Den wir haben hie keine bliebende Statt' (`For here we have no continuing city') reminds me of some of the more exciting parts of Wagner's Ring, mixed with Beethoven's Fifth. There is a sense of an imminent and epic event and the chorus, intermittently dispersed with Samuel Ramey's potent baritone, sings well.

This beautiful work then closes with a sombre `Selig sind die Toten' (`Blessed are the dead').

Just for Sam.......2004-05-25

I have a number of recordings of this work but generally end up listening to this one simply to hear Samuel Ramey's wicked and vast creamy bass baritone. Ramey lacks Van Dam's subltey but is otherwise magnificent.His 'Herr,lehre doch mich' is titanic and powerful; He is a Lear, still strong and powerful, defiant at the remorseless gods, rather than pleading for their compassion. The size of his voice here is truly daunting, soaring up as it seems to from some deep, dark, promethean cavern. His voice seems to roar, melt and swallow sound. Great stuff.

I only care for the baritone, but Margaret Price is divine as anyone you could wish.

Customer Reviews:

The "Clinker" of the bunch.......2006-12-19

Having collected the entire "The Masterworks" series (including the Bach and Mozart Complete Works) this set is the 'clinker' of the bunch. First off... 6 CD's of Lieder 'historic' (pre-historic) recordings. No Overtures, No Orchestral Seranades, No Haydn Variations?? The performances of the Symphonies and the Concertos are shakey and not very well recorded. Brilliant Classics, who has done such a wonderful job with the Hadyn Complete Symphonies (licensed from Nimbus), the Mozart and Bach Complete sets, has stumbled a bit with this release.

Johannes Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45/Alt-Rhapsodie, Op. 53

Average customer rating:

A German Requiem of terror and tenderness
A Last Memento of a Brilliant Conductor
Overall a very satisfying recording
One of Walter's Finest
Great singing!!!!!!

Johannes Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45/Alt-Rhapsodie, Op. 53

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002A7X
Release Date: 1995-05-16

Tracks:

Ein deutsche Requiem op.45: I. 'Selig sind, die da Leid tragen'
Ein deutsche Requiem op.45: II. 'Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras'
Ein deutsche Requiem op.45: III. 'Herr, lehre doch mich'
Ein deutsche Requiem op.45: IV. 'Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen'
Ein deutsche Requiem op.45: V. 'Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit'
Ein deutsche Requiem op.45: VI. 'Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt'
Ein deutsche Requiem op.45: VII. 'Selig sind die Toten'
Alt-Rhapsodie op.53: Alto Rhapsody

Customer Reviews:

A German Requiem of terror and tenderness.......2006-03-16

Bruno Walter went for drama rather than reverence in this 1954 recording of the German Requiem with the NY Phil. As others have noted, he takes vigorous tempos--the overall timing of 62 min. compares with 69 min. for Klemperer and Shaw, 75 min. for Karajan's EMI account from the Seventies. George London is fervent and at times terrifying in his solo singing, rendering the suffering and hope of a sinner in the face of death. At the other extreme, Walter's characteristic tenderness also comes through in the hushed choral singing of the first two movements. One can't expect a dated mono recording to capture the full sound of orchestra and chorus realistically, but this is such a hair-raising experience that it hardly matters.

The filler is an Alto Rhapsody in stereo from 1961, which Walter saves from its usual lugubrious fate. In fact, this is some of his most impassioned conducting in old age, and although neither Mildred Miller nor the Occidental College choir behind her are first-rate, Miller sings with intensity, in keeping iwth Walter's conception. Five stars to both performances.

A Last Memento of a Brilliant Conductor.......2004-12-11

Bruno Walter was not only one of the very finest conductors of both symphony and opera in the 20th Century, he was an unassuming poet whose every thought and gesture was about the composers' intentions. On the podium he was revered by orchestras and singers and choruses and always demanded (and got) as close to perfection as the moment allowed.

This recording of the Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem is holy and the contributions by the chorus and the soloists are understated in the way that Walter achieved his most profound effect.

It is in the accompanying "Alto Rhapsody" for Mezzo Soprano, men's chorus, and orchestra that the essence of this great man can be most securely felt. In the early 1960s, knowing that Bruno Walter would not live much longer, John McClure of Columbia Records assembled the 'Columbia Symphony Orchestra' - musicians drawn form the finest of the studio musicians in Los Angeles - and set up a recording site in the American Legion Hall next to the Hollywood Bowl where he facilitated such recordings as this Alto Rhapsody, Brahms 'Schicksalslied', Wagner, Mahler, and others. Bruno Walter himself auditioned choruses for these recordings and elected to engage the Occidental College Concert Choir as trained by Howard Swan to sing the choral elements. For the Mezzo he chose the underrated Mildred Miller. The result is as perfect a concept of the Alto Rhapsody ever recorded. Originally this work was released with Brahms' "Schicksalslied" and Mahler's "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen". Would that that old CD be available still.

The experience of making music with the mighty but gentle Bruno Walter is an unforgettable experience for performers and audiences. Warm memories of being in the chorus for the Alto Rhapsody will always be among the most treasured in my musical experiences. This is a recording for the ages. Grady Harp, December 2004

Overall a very satisfying recording.......2003-02-19

Singing in a performance of the Requiem left me irritated with the slow tempos of the Klemperer recording, which was the one I owned until I bought this one. Walter's tempos lend themselves better to Brahms' rhythmic genius. The recording is not without drawbacks, however: the tone quality of the singers is a little too dark for my taste, particularly the basses. Another gripe is that Denn Alles Fleisch is articulated almost stacatto, which detracts from the passion of the movement. Finally, the soprano solo is a little too fast, the only movement where the quicker tempo doesn't quite work.
Other than these negatives, the recording is musically satisfying, with a generally good balance between orchestra and choir. I recommend it over the Klemperer and Shaw recordings for those who are sensitive to dragging tempos.

One of Walter's Finest.......2002-03-15

I bought this disc out of a sense of frustration with modern performances that left me wondering as I listened, "Is it almost over yet?". Even John Eliot Gardiner's celebrated 'excavation' of the piece didn't remove that feeling. At least this version was short! (about 60 min.) I'm really happy I made the switch. The sound is mono, so it may be disappointing to some listeners, but the quality of the performance is so warm, passionate and well thought out and felt, so utterly cohesive, that I don't think anyone could be disappointed with the performance. The "Alto Rhapsody" was recorded later in stereo, (with a higher volume level) and is wonderful all around.

Great singing!!!!!!.......2002-01-06

No one sings like the Westminster Choir under John Finely Willamson any more. The dark, rich sound they produce is not heard any more. George London is one of the best bass-baritones ever. This recording is the best!!!!!!!!

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No. 1 Wedding Album

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ASIN: B000095J85
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Tracks:

Wedding Bells - The #1 Wedding Album
Bridal Chorus - Wagner
Allegro - Peter Hurford
Trumpet Tune And Air - Philip Jones
Prelude - Pierre Cochereau
Air - J.S. Bach
Largo In F - Randall Wolfgang
Sheep May Safely Graze - J.S. Bach
Largo Ma Non Tanto - Regis Pasquier
My Heart Will Go On - Patricia Spero
Panis Angelicus - Luciano Pavarotti
Ave Maria - Lisa Otto
One Hand, One Heart - Jose Carreras
Alleluja (Allegro) - Arleen Auger
See The Conquering Hero Comes - Simon Preston
Let The Bright Seraphim - Joan Sutherland
Alla Hornpipe - Handel
Wedding March - Stephen Cleobury

Tracks:

Bridal Chorus - Stephen Cleobury
Trumpet Voluntary - John Wilbraham
Trumpet Tune In C - Purcell
Allegro - Maurice Andre
Sonata - The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
Canon In D - Pachelbel
The Heart Asks Pleasure First - Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Sleepers Awake - Peter Hurford
Greensleeves - Goran Sollscher
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
O Mio Babbino Caro - Ranata Tebaldi
How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place - John Scott
Be My Love - Jose Carreras
Because - Placido Domingo
Rondeau - Simon Preston
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Brahms: A German Requiem (New English Adaptation)

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Peaceful
typical
Can't not enjoy it
The best recording available today
Powerful Chorale Performance Brings Brahms' Masterwork to Life...in English!

Brahms: A German Requiem (New English Adaptation)

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Brahms: A German Requiem

ASIN: B000028TW5
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

I. Blest Are They That Mourn
II. Behold, All Flesh Is As The Grass
III. Lord, Make Me To Know
IV. How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place
V. Ye Now Are Sorrowful
VI. Here On Earth Have We No Continuing Place
VII. Blessed Are The Dead

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The death of choral legend Robert Shaw in early 1999 came just before he was to have embarked on a much-anticipated recording: an adaptation into English of Brahms's deathless masterpiece Ein Deutsches Requiem. The present disc is based on Shaw's adaptation of the King James text to Brahms's score, which the conductor was in the process of fine-tuning before he died. Certainly it must have been a daunting task for conductor Craig Jessop to step into the shoes of his mentor (indeed, Shaw's own previous account of the original German-language version stands out as one of the high points in his vast recorded output), but he acquits himself admirably. This is a full-blooded performance, laying out a spacious canvas that is compelling in its grasp of structural sweep--this is after all Brahms's largest-scale work--and also lovingly attentive to local textural details: the rising harp chords in the final bars of "Blest are they that mourn" or the swelling chorus on "Death, O where is thy sting?" to cite just a couple. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is in glorious form, its special resonance captured with warm, present atmosphere here by Telarc's engineers. Janice Chandler sings seraphically--but not with distance--in the soprano's one movement, while Nathan Gunn's baritone solos emphasize vulnerability over darkness. Hearing the text in English only reinforces the universality and deep humanity of Brahms's message, his dual focus of resigned acceptance and comfort. The result is also a moving tribute to Shaw's legacy--and a testament to its abiding power. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Peaceful.......2007-01-12

I sang this while I was in college, in English, of course, so I wanted an English recording. It brought back many memories. The music fills me. It is haunting, but peaceful.

typical.......2006-07-20

This recording typifies recordings of masterworks by the mormon tabernacle choir and friends. It is, as usual, technically ok, and rather on the bland side. The diction, while sometimes clear, frequently features overprominent stress of consonants; a typical feature of amateur choirs. The soloists perform amicably with a strained sounding translation. The soprano sounds too adolescent at times for my taste. Mr. Gunn seems try too hard just to sound like a baritone to the sacrifice of a clearer upper register, although the tone in general is fairly pleasing.

Honestly, why base a translation on the KJ edition of the bible when Brahms went to all the trouble to avoid it in the first place? I do think an honest, but poetic, literal translation would much better serve the purpose. Anway, there are so many superior recordings of this work, and several in english as well, that I think it a waste to bother with this recording unless you have some personal connection to it, perhaps.

Can't not enjoy it.......2006-06-16

Yes, the chorus is loud, and the orchestra can be uneven (in the second movement, the trombones stick out incongruously in two measures during the great build-up to the repeat of the funeral march tune), but this is a such a great work one can't not enjoy it.

I am a little concerned about the English translation. It seems strange to say this, but Robert Shaw was not particularly qualified to work on it. As he admits in his notes, and this is quite remarkable, he never heard "A German Requiem" sung in English until 1996, just before he began work on this version. How could he not have heard the several fine English recordings of this work (including the good one done by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir itself in the 1960's)?

Brahms titled his work "A German Requiem" only because German was the language it happned to be sung in. He toyed with calling it, simply, "A Human Requiem", because he wanted it to be universally meaningful to all of mankind. (Notice how the verses he chose are not particularly Christian -- Jesus is never mentioned.) He picked Luther's translation into German (language not very different from what his listeners were using in 1865) because he wanted it to be immediately recognizable and meaningful.

Brahms's purpose is defeated by Shaw's dedication to the King James version, 400 years old, practically medieval English. I have sung this work in English several times, each time with a more modern translation. Fortunately I know the words of that translation so well that I substitute it in my mind whenever the chorus lapses into medieval-speak. At such times any fuzziness of diction is actually welcome.

The best recording available today.......2006-04-15

I sang in a performance of this work and as a result, became pleasantly obsessed with it, which led to listening to many recordings. This one is the best. Don't be put off by its not being in German; Brahms' motive in writing it in German in the first place was to make it accessible, and if you're an English speaker the English version will be more accessible to you. I know of no other work in which the music so perfectly and beautifully expresses the Biblical passages that are lyricized -- and I'm not even a Christian!
A shortcoming of many recordings of this work is for the soprano solo in the fifth movement to wax too dramatic and operatic. Listen to a few samples on line; you'll see what I mean. The movement expresses the purest, simplest feelings of grief and sympathy imaginable; it does not need dramatization. This recording gets it just right.

Powerful Chorale Performance Brings Brahms' Masterwork to Life...in English!.......2005-08-03

The world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir is 325 members strong, and the wall of sound from such a vocal force of nature is bound to be overwhelming. On this recording, they often overpower the Utah Symphony, but the combined effect is still quite moving with the sincere sense of emotional commitment from all concerned, and the singing is impressive. The piece performed here, Brahms' longest single work, is a deeply religious, offering solace to the bereaved with texts from the Bible and concurrently a painting a series of dramatic pictures with particular emphasis on messages such as man's insignificance before God and subsequent redemption by faith. Yet it transcends its spiritual elements to become a more universally humanist, secular work.

Musical director Robert Shaw translated the Brahms Requiem from the original German but sadly died less than three weeks before this 1999 CD was to be recorded. The associate director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the time, Craig Jessop, took Shaw's place for the recording and remained true to his predecessor's vision. The singing is strong, clear and well balanced among sections and between chorus and soloists considering the acoustic challenges of the Mormon Tabernacle's huge, unusual size and shape. Baritone Nathan Gunn does his usual stellar work on "Lord, make me to know" and "Here on Earth have we no continuing place", while soprano Janice Chandler shines on "Ye now are sorrowful". As the titles of the movements signify, the only compromise in the recording is the sometimes too literal translation of the text making for some awkward phrasing probably because Jessop was intent to stay true to Shaw's adaptation. At the same time, because the choir is so disciplined and synchronized, Brahms' writing does not ensure clear understanding of the words no matter what language is sung. Nonetheless, this is a fine German Requiem and well worth a serious listen.

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