Search - Alessandra Marc, Waltraud Meier, Ferruccio Furlanetto :: Verdi: Requiem / Marc, Meier, Domingo, Furlanetto; Barenboim

Best Verdi Requiem Available

Daniel Graser | Wappingers Falls, New York United States | 03/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow! What a combinaton of talents, Barenboim, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Placido Domingo. What you will notice first on this recording is that Barenboim has used the perfect balance between orchestra and chorus. The orchestra has a marvelosly unifed sound as does the chorus who's diction speaks clearly and controlled. The Dies Irae and Tuba Mirum are absolutely perfect. Domingo soars on the Ingemisco with a beautifully rounded and mature voice, although this should not come as a surprise as he has established himself as one of the finest Verdi tenors in the history of music. Furlanetto has a very dark bass voice that fits perfectly into Verdi's musical texture. Marc and Meier are also very capable soloists who were very appropriately cast for these roles. The sound on this recording is also top notch and lets you feel the beauty, the sorrow, and the rage. I don't know of any recording of the Verdi that even comes close to the attention to detail or the sheer power on this recording. If you own the Gergiev or Solti recording or the 2nd Solti recording, buy this and listen to what you've been missing. And, if you're worried that Barenboim might take the tempi too slow as he has been known to do, listen to a sample of the Dies Irae and let those worries vanish. Highly Recommended!"

Barenboim is good enough, but the orchestra and chorus are s

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/27/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Because the Verdi Requiem has been gloriously recorded by a number of great condcutors (Giulini, Karajan, Fricsay, Reiner, De Sabata, and Toscanini come to mind), a good-enough conductor like Barenbloim is bound to fall a bit flat. He has a trump card, however, in the Chicago Sym. and its world-lass chorus, who perform amazingly here. Thanks to the clear, dynamic sound quality, every aspect can be heard perfectly. The Verdi Requiem is a devil to balance, but the engineers have done as well as any I have ever heard.



Among the soloists, Domingo and Meier do best -- they are among the most satisfying to be heard on modern recordings. Furlanetto is consistently too loud and emotionally flat; Marc has a gorgeous voice but not much temperament, so she can't carry the drama of the concluding Libera Me -- in fact, she loses steam as this taxing section proceeds. Yet with the CSO and chorus at full force behind her, it almost doesn't matter. The earth opens up in a thrilling way. I wish Barenboim had more to say, but at the very least he marshals his immense musical forces with total professionalism. Highly recommended to fans of the orhestra and chorus."

Tristan and Isolde meet Verdi

pyramidcvv | Western US | 04/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a 2000 re-release of the 1993 recording for Teldec's "Daniel Barenboim - 50 Years of Performance" series.



I'm giving this five stars, but for me it was a mixed bag.



At 83' 54", this Verdi Requiem (no filler) is about the same length as Robert Shaw's. But the tempo distribution couldn't be more different.



The Sanctus, to take the most obvious example, clocks in at 2' 23", probably the fastest ever. The opening Dies Irae chorus (and all subsequent appearances) is also taken at breakneck speed.



I really got the feeling that Barenboim doesn't like the chorus. The well-recorded brass (and they are excellent) often totally overwhelm the chorus. In the Tuba Mirum and Rex Tremendae, the basses are all but inaudible. And what's with the sudden accelerando right before the Lacrymosa? It's not in the score. Was Barenboim worried the chorus might run out of breath?



The solo passages, however, are all taken at relatively "normal" tempos allowing us, of course, to appreciate all their fine work. But then it seems it was planned that way.



The soloists certainly guaranteed maximum decibels for this performance. Alessandra Marc's signature role is Turandot (her Met debut role), and has also done numerous Aidas and Brunnhildes. Waltraud Meier recorded Isolde with Barenboim in 1993, about the time she did this CD. Placido Domingo, also known for his powerful voice, went on to record Tristan in 2004. Ferrucio Furlanetto, one of my favorite basses, has a mighty sound, not unlike like fellow Italian basso Ruggiero Raimondi.



The solo entrances in the Kyrie were absolutely glorious. Waltraud Meier is wonderful in Liber Scriptus; I definitely prefer her to Christa Ludwig and Marilyn Horne. Alessandra Marc has a funny tendency to use throaty pickups to her notes; this was very noticeable (and distracting) in Recordare.



Domingo recorded Verdi's Requiem with Bernstein in Feb 1970. His Ingemisco is pretty much the same after 23 years, with the exception that he doesn't go "wimpy" at "Inter oves locum praesta."



Furlanetto can do no wrong in my book. So his Confutatis was every bit the example of vocal prowess that I was expecting.



Domingo certainly demonstrated what a difference a tenor can make in the Offertorio. I thought the beginning of this movement was the best I've ever heard.



Things for the soloists weren't always great. The opening soprano-mezzo unison duet in Agnus Dei didn't sound in tune at all. And - horror of horrors! - Marc's high B flat in Libera me was quite flat.



The Chicago Symphony Chorus sounded quite splendid (when the orchestra wasn't blasting away at them). The "Te decet" in the beginning was very commanding and forceful; the altos sounded surprisingly "butch." All the Dies Irae's were totally electric. The Sanctus, at Barenboim's lightning tempo, became twice the virtuoso showpiece that it already was; the chorus handled it with fine control. In Libera Me, the chorus finally got a "breather." At the more conventional tempo, the choristers were allowed to show their stuff without worrying about making it to the finish line. They have a wonderful sound. Their chorus director Margaret Hillis (1921-98) deserves much congratulations.



As previous reviewers have noted, the recorded sound is first-rate. You will be greatly tempted to turn up your stereo for this one. Audiophiles will certainly enjoy the thunderous bass drum in the Dies Irae. The brass, as I've noted earlier, are recorded beautifully; hearing them is absolutely thrilling.



No texts or translations are provided. Liner notes include an essay by Phillip Huscher, who states: "Verdi was a man of grat spirituality...He was never an atheist - simply, as [Verdi's wife] Giuseppina put it, 'a very doubtful believer.'" There is also a highly laudatory bio of Barenboim."