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Johannes Brahms – Ein Deutsches Requiem – Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer (1961/2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96kHz | Time – 1:08:54 minutes | 1.34 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks | © Warner Classics/Erato
Recorded: 1961, Kingsway Hall, London
Otto Klemperer was one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century and built a renowned reputation for his monumental performances. Leading the Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus, Klemperer delivers one of the greatest recordings of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. At the height of their powers, the ensemble was able to combine the rugged spirituality and lyrical aspects of this score. Soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau were in peak form adding stunning solo contributions. This audiophile download is essential for any music lover’s collection.
It doesn’t take long, listening to this recording of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with Otto Klemperer leading the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, to understand its iconic status as one of the outstanding recordings of the work. In the opening measures of the first movement, “Selig sind, die da Leid tragen,” Klemperer creates an ethereally transparent texture that blossoms throughout the movement into a mood of luminous serenity. That quality is even more pronounced in the transcendent tranquility of the fourth movement, “Wie Lieblich sind deine Wohnungen.” In the second movement, “Den alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras,” Klemperer cuts loose in the build up to the apocalyptic second choral statement of the theme, which has an overwhelmingly ominous power, a power that he summons again in the forceful sixth movement, “Denn wir haben keine bleibende Stadt.” Klemperer handles the composers’ tricky tempos shifts with complete assurance, so that they seem entirely inevitable. Throughout, Klemperer demonstrates his profound understanding of the musical and emotional richness and complexity of Brahms’ masterpiece. The orchestra and chorus respond to his leadership with complete attentiveness and deliver nuanced and passionate performances. Baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s investment in the music is evident in his warm tone, shapely phrasing, and the dramatic urgency of his performance. Soprano Elizabeth Schwartzkopf’s voice did not have all the bloom and flexibility of its prime, but she brings a floating lightness to her solo, “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit.” Produced by Walter Legge and engineered by Douglas Larter, the recording was state-of- the-art when it was recorded in 1961, and the 1997 digital remastering brings it to a standard that should satisfy most listeners. The sound is transparent in the quieter moments, and round and rich in the fuller sections, and always clear and clean. This recording is a must-have for fans of Brahms’ Requiem and of outstanding choral performances. –AllMusic Review by Stephen Eddins
Tracklist:
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Ein deutsches Requiem Op.45
1 Selig sind, die da Leid tragen 10:00
2 Denn alles Fleisch es ist wie Gras 14:30
3 Herr, lehre doch mich 9:50
4 Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen 5:46
5 Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit 6:52
6 Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt 11:43
7 Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben 10:13
Personnel:
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone
Ralph Downes, organ
Philharmonia Chorus
Reinhold Schmid, choir master
Philharmonia Orchestra
Otto Klemperer, conductor
About the Mastering
Four engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London have remastered these historic EMI recordings from their original analogue sources for release in pristine hi-def. Between them, Simon Gibson, Ian Jones, Andy Walter and Allan Ramsay have many years of experience remastering archive recordings for EMI and other record labels. The process always starts with finding all of the records and tapes in EMI’s archive in London and comparing different sources and any previous CD reissues. We consult each recording’s job file, which contains notes about the recording made by the engineer and producer. For example, this sometimes explain why there is more than one set of tapes to choose from. All of the tapes are generally in good condition and we play them on our Studer A80 π inch tape machine, after careful calibration of its replay characteristics.
In order to have the best digital remastering tools at our disposal for the remastering, we transfer from analogue to the digital domain at 96 KHz and 24-bit resolution using a Prism ADA-8 converter and capture the audio to our SADiE Digital Audio Workstation.
Simon Gibson, January 2012
Download:
mqs.link_BrahmsEinDeutschesRequiemElisabethSchwarzkpfDietrichFischerDieskauttKlemperer19619624.part1.rar
mqs.link_BrahmsEinDeutschesRequiemElisabethSchwarzkpfDietrichFischerDieskauttKlemperer19619624.part2.rar
