Search - Andreas Schmidt, Johannes Brahms, Andreas Grau :: Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op.45

An Intimate Requiem

12/19/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an important recording for two reasons. First, it offers a seldom heard, never before recorded version of Brahms own 4 hand piano reduction of the Requiem. Second, the choral forces on the recording are less than the normal behemoth performances of this piece. The result is a much more intimate, and at times introspective performance than what we usually get with the large chorus and full symphony versions.There are plenty of problems with the recording. Engineering is spotty and overreliant on digitalized solutions to choral problems. At times, soprano intonation goes awry, and the tempi, particularly in the first chorus, are more than out of the ordinary. But overall, the recording works. For the serious student or the person who loves Brahms German Requiem, this is a recording that should be in your library. It is delightful, unique, and offers a look at the piece that gets under the symphony, and allows for a more pure approach to the music."