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Sony Masterworks

Classic Library - Verdi: Requiem / Solti, Price, Et Al

$15.98

Details

Composer
VERDI, GIUSEPPE
Artist
Solti, Cso
Format
CD
Label
Sony Masterworks
Released
Oct 12, 2004
Catalog #
82876623182
UPC
828766231823

About

Of Georg Solti's two recordings of the Verdi Requiem, I slightly prefer this later one, though I realize that this isn't received wisdom. The Decca recording, after all, features Sutherland, Horne, Pavarotti, and Talvela as soloists, and while Sutherland arguably is not the right voice for the part, everyone else is very good indeed. On the other hand, Leontyne Price, even toward the end of her career, certainly does have the right voice, as does Veriano Luchetti, while Baker and Van Dam are very intelligent singers by any measure, and they do a good job here. Besides, it's hard not to raise an eyebrow at the generic complaint that "singer X lacks a true Italianate timbre" when the words being sung are in Latin and the drama (such as it is) occurs entirely within a devotional framework. The music certainly can take many different approaches, particularly when there's so little actual agreement on what a "true Italianate timbre" is.


Also compared to the Decca recording, Solti here has the finer chorus, a better orchestra (for this work at least), and strangely enough, better (meaning less gimmicky) sound, particularly in this admirable new remastering that minimizes the claustrophobic closeness of the original and allows some air to circulate around the performers. Solti's interpretation remains consistent, exciting, and direct, with a particularly thrilling account of the brief Sanctus and a Dies Irae chorus that is as violent as anyone could want without ever turning merely brutal or hysterical. A work as rich as this one always excites a wide range of opinions, and personal preferences tend to vary substantially. My personal favorite, all things considered, is the first Muti on EMI, with Scotto, Baltsa, Luchetti, Nesterenko, and the Philharmonia Orchestra; but on any given day I also might go for one of Giulini's (his best is his mono live recording on BBC Legends), Fricsay (DG), Shaw, Toscanini, and yes, either of Solti's. He's definitely among the select few.
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 15 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 Requiem - Kyrie 08:31
    Track
    1
    Title
    Requiem - Kyrie
    Duration
    08:31
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  3. 2 Dies irae: Dies irae, dies illa 02:21
    Track
    2
    Title
    Dies irae: Dies irae, dies illa
    Duration
    02:21
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  4. 3 Dies irae: Tuba mirum 03:04
    Track
    3
    Title
    Dies irae: Tuba mirum
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  5. 4 Dies irae: Liber scriptus 04:54
    Track
    4
    Title
    Dies irae: Liber scriptus
    Duration
    04:54
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  6. 5 Dies irae: Quid sum miser 03:36
    Track
    5
    Title
    Dies irae: Quid sum miser
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  7. 6 Dies irae: Rex tremendae 03:26
    Track
    6
    Title
    Dies irae: Rex tremendae
    Duration
    03:26
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  8. 7 Dies irae: Recordare 04:02
    Track
    7
    Title
    Dies irae: Recordare
    Duration
    04:02
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  9. 8 Dies irae: Ingemisco 03:22
    Track
    8
    Title
    Dies irae: Ingemisco
    Duration
    03:22
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  10. 9 Dies irae: Confutatis 05:35
    Track
    9
    Title
    Dies irae: Confutatis
    Duration
    05:35
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  11. 10 Dies irae: Lacrymosa 06:01
    Track
    10
    Title
    Dies irae: Lacrymosa
    Duration
    06:01
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  12. Disc 2
  13. 1 Offertorio 09:56
    Track
    1
    Title
    Offertorio
    Duration
    09:56
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  14. 2 Sanctus 02:41
    Track
    2
    Title
    Sanctus
    Duration
    02:41
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  15. 3 Agnus Dei 04:21
    Track
    3
    Title
    Agnus Dei
    Duration
    04:21
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  16. 4 Lux aeterna 06:17
    Track
    4
    Title
    Lux aeterna
    Duration
    06:17
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti
  17. 5 Libera me 13:13
    Track
    5
    Title
    Libera me
    Duration
    13:13
    Composer
    Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer
    Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam
    Ensemble
    Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Georg Solti