COMPOSERS: Brahms
LABELS: RCA Gold Seal
WORKS: A German Requiem
PERFORMER: Kathleen Battle, Håkan Hagegård; Chicago SO & Chorus/James Levine
CATALOGUE NO: 09026 61349 2 DDD (1984 )
Performances of the Brahms Requiem are ofent either boring or inspiring, but Levine’s falls into an in-between category. The Chicago Symphony offers fine playing and the soloists are committed. Sadly the choir goes in for ‘Fifties’ portamento and the sopranos often wobble alarmingly. There are memorable moments, but the slow music can tend towards cloying sameness, and the faster passages have a jack-booted quality. Bearable and occasionally enjoyable, but not wholly recommendable. Jan Smaczny
Brahms: A German Requiem
Performances of the Brahms Requiem are ofent either boring or inspiring, but Levine’s falls into an in-between category. The Chicago Symphony offers fine playing and the soloists are committed. Sadly the choir goes in for ‘Fifties’ portamento and the sopranos often wobble alarmingly. There are memorable moments, but the slow music can tend towards cloying sameness, and the faster passages have a jack-booted quality. Bearable and occasionally enjoyable, but not wholly recommendable. Jan Smaczny
Our rating
3
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:34 pm