My Pursuit Of The Berlioz "Requiem"

[Satzaroo]

I love the impassioned Berlioz "Requiem" performed by Charles Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1959. I had that particular recording on tape from a classical music station, but the quality had deteriorated. So I decided to purchase a pristine copy on an audiophile CD from Amazon.com. Even better, I could obtain that same CD (new) for half price at a discount clearing house listed by Amazon. Right after I ordered the requiem through my wife's Amazon account, I got an e-mail confirming the transaction. However, I just happened to notice that the shipping address was not my current one. I quickly revised it. Unfortunately, in my haste, I changed only the street number, as I found out after getting another confirmation that said the CD order had been sent to the discount vendor--with the newly incorrect shipping address. I couldn't believe that I had fouled up twice in a row. I now made sure that I accurately typed in the proper shipping address. But replying to the second e-mail was a dead end--I kept getting a message saying that Amazon won't accept any more feedback. Now I was frustrated with Amazon as well as with myself. But I didn't relent. After a bunch of scrolling, I finally located Amazon's customer service telephone number. John, the agent I spoke to, was very sympathetic. In a few seconds, he relayed the proper shipping address to the vendor, who had not yet processed the CD. I was finally for the first time on track. Five days later, however, John, in an e-mail, informed me that the vendor had sent my CD to the first wrong address. What a mess! That precious CD was still eluding me. My only response was HELP!!!!!! I was too disgusted with the situation to reorder the CD, even though it would have cost me only ten more dollars. I wallowed in my bad luck until I picked up the mail a few days later. There was the recording. John must have been able to get it rerouted. I immediately played the CD. Within minutes, I was so wound up in its splendor that I started to wave my imaginary baton along with Munch--I had seen him many times conduct the BSO when I lived in Boston. But the full force of the requiem didn't hit me until the "Offertory" section so overpowered me that I literally cried with delight. My mother wanted parts of the Toscanini recording of the Verdi "Requiem" played at her funeral. I opt for selections from the Munch BSO recording of the Berlioz "Requiem."

[knight66]

This is a recording I have never heard. For the Requiem I feel I need modern sound. I enjoy the Previn version, itself about 30 years old. What are the sonics of the Munch like?

Mike

[Bulldog]

I immediately played the CD. Within minutes, I was so wound up in its splendor that I started to wave my imaginary baton along with Munch--I had seen him many times conduct the BSO when I lived in Boston. But the full force of the requiem didn't hit me until the "Offertory" section so overpowered me that I literally cried with delight. My mother wanted parts of the Toscanini recording of the Verdi "Requiem" played at her funeral. I opt for selections from the Munch BSO recording of the Berlioz "Requiem."

I've got the Munch recording.  Just let me know the selections you prefer and when the funeral will take place; I'll take care of the rest.

[Bulldog]

This is a recording I have never heard. For the Requiem I feel I need modern sound. I enjoy the Previn version, itself about 30 years old. What are the sonics of the Munch like?

Mike

I think the SACD sound is quite clear, detailed and glorious.  Not to worry.

[knight66]

Interesting, just how old is it?

As an aside, I have a new recording of the Symphonie, I thought I would write it up onto the Berlioz thread; but the search engine refuses to disgorge any hits for Berlioz! I have asked Rob to have a think.

Mike

[karlhenning]

I've found the Search function buggy, too, Mike.

[Bulldog]

Interesting, just how old is it?

Recorded in 1959 - a very fine year.

[eyeresist]

I have the recordings by Muti and Colin Davis. Both good, but I find the soprano less than satisfactory in both instances. Less vibrato, more accuracy, please.

[knight66]

Have you got the right requiem here? There is no soprano soloist, only a tenor. I also don't know a Muti version.  He and Davis have both recorded Romeo and Juliet, but there is no soprano there either.

Mike

[eyeresist]

S%!t! I was thinking of Verdi! Sorry everyone, I'm running on very little sleep today.

[karlhenning]

Have you got the right requiem here? There is no soprano soloist, only a tenor.

Does anyone ever do it with the tenor section singing that number, Mike? The score allows for either option . . . .

[knight66]

I have never heard of it happening. Each time I have been in it, we only rehearsed the choral parts. There was always a tenor picking up the fee.

Our chorus master was a belt and braces guy, so for instance when we prepared the Rossini Stabat Mater in prep for Muti's arrival, we rehearsed like mad an unaccompanied movement where the option was usually to use the soloists. We knew it would be theirs on the night unless there was a disaster in the orchestral rehearsal....we never got to sing it in concert.

Ditto a Handel piece, but I forget which one and we had to learn Serenade to Music, despite the soloists being booked.

Rob is puzzled by the absence of Berlioz in the search facility. It seems B is alone in being ignored by the site. I take offense on his behalf.

Mike

[knight66]

S%!t! I was thinking of Verdi! Sorry everyone, I'm running on very little sleep today.

No sweat, I pronounced authoritatively on a specific DVD of Salome saying it was mimed. This sent someone back to view it in puzzlement. I was talking about another version altogether and had to be hit on the head by way of enlightenment.

[knight66]

I have ordered Munch. So if I don't like it I will make arrangements to 'disappear' this thread just as the other Berlioz thread has been somehow removed.

Mike

[karlhenning]

Tee-hee!

The 10-disc Berlioz-by-Munch-&-the-BSO was probably the first box of CDs I ever bought, and not even one or two minor quibbles prevent almost entire enjoyment.  I think Davey still has that very box . . . .

[DavidW]

Tee-hee!

The 10-disc Berlioz-by-Munch-&-the-BSO was probably the first box of CDs I ever bought, and not even one or two minor quibbles prevent almost entire enjoyment.  I think Davey still has that very box . . . .

lol I just told him that   All extraordinary performances of extraordinary music and absurdly cheap.  You might get improved sound quality on the remasterings for the sacd (I guess you might have to buy individually if all of them were even remastered), but you pay alot more compared to the dirt cheap box set.

[knight66]

'Too late Junius, too late.....too late!'

The single disc has been ordered.

Mike

[Xenophanes]

I don't listen to the Berlioz Requiem very often, but I rather like the Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus recording on Telarc. It is very well recorded.

[karlhenning]

It is very well recorded.

No merit of the performers, that. (Just saying.)

[kishnevi]

No merit of the performers, that. (Just saying.)

Au contraire.
One of my first in-person symphony concerts (as a college freshman) was the Requiem performed by these forces.  That was in 1976-77;  I don't know if this recording was made in connection with those performances.    It was my first exposure to the Requiem, and it certainly impressed me at the time.

One thing that probably does not come out on the recording (if it was made at that time) was the spatial arrangements Shaw used:  the secondary brass was located in the balcony, and the tenor (whose name I have long forgotten) was well overhead, out of sight,  almost as if to make him seeming to sing from Heaven.