Although severely spoiled for choice, probably my Brahms piece for the desert-island is German Requiem. Which recording? That’s for another day. Meanwhile, Edward Gardner leads a well-prepared, clearly detailed, generously expressed account, contemplative, transporting and – in those fugal passages indebted to Bach and Handel – thrilling, featuring an excellent combined chorus, two splendid soloists (a baritone of gravitas and a natural/spontaneous soprano with the capacity to move the listener to tears, I don’t mind admitting) and with the Bergen Philharmonic producing transparent and translucent textures (nothing bearded or corpulent here, nothing underdone either), captured by Ralph Couzens’s microphones with openness, well-judged balance and a wide dynamic range. True, Gardner makes less of the horns than does Klemperer in movement II and, therein, at 3’37”, a change of mood and tempo is introduced a little clunkily. But that’s about it. Produced by Brian Pidgeon, this impressive realisation of one of music’s Everest opuses – Chandos CHSA 5271 [SACD] – is released on February 14. Valentine’s Day. Yes, why not, there’s a lot of love in this wonderful, deeply affecting score.
Johanna Wallroth (soprano)
Brian Mulligan (baritone)
Bergen Philharmonic Choir
Edvard Grieg Kor
Choir of Collegium Musicum