Verdi: Requiem (2CD) / Riccardo Muti

Verdi's MESSA DA REQUIEM is the most famous setting of the Latin Mass for the Dead of the 19th century and, after or alongside Mozart's Requiem, the best known of all. The huge work - its dimensions are as enormous as its scoring and the powerful effect it is able to exert on its audience - is regarded on the one hand as a sacred musical creation of the highest quality, and on the other as "Verdi's most beautiful opera" - which is much more a flattering compliment than cheeky and witty irony. The Munich performances in October 1981 under the direction of Riccardo Muti were concert events that have hardly been equaled or even surpassed since - so strong was the vocal and instrumental cast, so strictly did the maestro keep an eye on the interpretation and so outstanding were the renowned soloists - singers of international renown who gave their all to achieve the best possible result. They all succeeded brilliantly. At last - after four decades - BR-KLASSIK is able to present this truly great moment in the performance history of Verdi's MESSA DA REQUIEM on CD. The illustrious names of the Verdi and Requiem-experienced vocal soloists are Jessye Norman, Agnes Baltsa, José Carreras and Jewgenj Nesterenko; the multi-award-winning Bavarian Radio Choir can be heard, rehearsed by the Briton Gordon Kember, who took over his role as artistic director of the choir artistic director of the choir. The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra played under the overall direction of the then 40-year-old Riccardo Muti, who made his first appearances in Munich with these two concerts, which were followed by countless - no less rousing - performances. The audience was enraptured; the specialist journalists praised the interpretation in the highest terms: this mighty work had hardly ever been heard like this on this side of the Alps; Riccardo Muti demonstrated how Verdi's Requiem should sound; Verdi's Mass for the Dead: authentic, frightening, tender, terrifying and with a hopefully shy look hopefully shy look into transcendence; a triumphant success. Contemporary witness Wolf-Dieter Peter, reviewer for the Mittelbayrische Zeitung in Regensburg (to be read in the booklet), reported how the extra trumpets positioned in the gallery of the Herkulessaal blasted a metal-glistening jet of sound across the stalls almost as if from beyond the grave - "never seen and heard and experienced like this before ... simply unforgettable". The recording was made during the impressive and unforgettable concerts on October 8 and 9, 1981 in the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz.