Brahms: Requiem

Among the handful of great recordings of the Brahms German requiem, this version by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a buried treasure. It is undoubtedly a deeply humane recording, brimming with the spirit that Brahms wanted us to feel when we listen to this work. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has never sounded as immediate and subtly-nuanced as they do in this finely-recorded Telarc performance of a superb English adaptation of the Brahms German Requiem by the late Robert Shaw, and it captures the melancholy, radiance and luminous beauty that abounds throughout this beautiful work. One only needs to listen to the first, second and fourth movements to experience the contrasting moods of the Choir, with its consistend impeccable musicianship. The soloists that Craig Jessop has chosen for this recording are superb and magnificent, conveying the right moods in their solo passages. Janice Chandler's ethereal soprano solo in the fifth movement has an otherworldly quality that reminds us that the death of Brahms's mother was one of the key influences on the work, and Nathan Gunn subtly varies the mood of his contributions according to the text. His helpless and vulnerable tone manifests itself in the third movement, Lord, make me to know (Herr, lehre doch mich). I admit that some listeners who review after me may find him a whiney soloist in this movement, but he fits the mood of the solo parts perfectly. He also conveys an optimistic strength in the sixth movement, coping admirably with the hopefulness of the text. The Utah Symphony Orchestra plays with idiomatic conviction and rises to the demands of this music as admirably as you would expect from the Vienna or Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, and Telarc's recorded sound is as realistic and crystal-clear as always. An added plus about this release is the informative and lucid sleeve note by Nick Jones, complete with a movement-by-movement analysis to match the printed corresponding texts. Overall, this is a recording of the Brahms German Requiem I can recommend heartily to stand alongside any existing recordings of the work by the likes of Gardiner and Klemperer, and I'm sure that this recording will go a long way in popularising performances of this beautiful choral work in English.

I have loved Brahms' German Requiem since I sang it (in English) over thirty years ago as part of the chorus with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. Some purists may disdain the performance of this magnficent piece of music in English. Dr. Cormier, who directed the Chattanooga Symphony at the time, suggested it would be easier to teach a bunch of college students, mostly from the Southeastern USA, to sing it in English than to teach them to pronounce the German correctly and then learn the music properly. I suspect he was correct.Enough with nostalgia. Several things stand out for me with this recording. First, my favorite recording of the Brahms' Requiem in the original German is that done by The Atlanta Symphony and Chorus directed by Robert Shaw. Second, this libretto is a new adaptation into English done by Dr. Shaw, who knew this music intimately and loved it dearly. Finally, I have long desired a recording in English as a companion to my disc in German.This disc admirably fulfills my needs. Dr. Shaw's adaptation is both faithful to the scriptural base of the German Requiem and singable. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir brings a depth and richness to the performance that brought tears to my eyes in several places. It is a fitting memorial tribute to the great maestro who prepared this work but did not live to record it himself.One portion of the recording sticks with me as being particularly effective. The phrase, which I offer in English, "For Lo, the grass withereth" crescendos very rapidly and then falls back softly just as rapidly on the last part of the word withereth. If done well, it has the quality of weeping, moaning lament. The Mormon Tabernacle gets it just right.If you love this requiem in German, and desire a fine companion in English, this is a recording I can heartily recommend. I would repeat again, it is also a fitting requiem tribute to Dr. Robert Shaw.

The Brahms Requiem is one of the glories of the choral repertory. Forsaking the traditional Latin texts associated with death, Brahms chose various passages from the Bible, many of which, coincidentally or not, figure prominently as traditional funeral readings in the English-speaking Christian world. For this reason, this work has held a special place in many music-lovers' hearts, and such a good recorded performance of it in English is most welcome.That being said, it's not the recording to have as one's sole experience with the Brahms Requiem. The translation by the late Robert Shaw is carefully thought out, of course, and adheres as much as possible to the beloved King James version; still, there are occasional passages that seem odd in another language. The argument that the work has more immediacy in the vernacular of its audience is weakened if the words cannot be clearly understood, which is almost inevitable with a chorus the size of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Janice Chandler's diction is cloudy as well in her solo, though her tone and expression are appropriately seraphic. Nathan Gunn, on the other hand, sings with _both_ clear diction and elegant, warm tone. The famous fugue over the tympani pedal point at the end of the third movement seems ponderous in this rendition; conversely, the lovely fourth movement flows easily and naturally. This, then, is a most enjoyable disc to have as a second recording of this majestic work.

Having been forced to study this work for A levels many years ago it was much later that I learned to really appreciate this work and have three other recordings. Musically it is a bit lacking in places and some of the translation is a little awkward, the idea of a German requiem in English is almost an oximoron, but to help someone new to this emotive work it has a place.

I already had a performance in German and wanted an English version. This fits the bill, and copes well. with the challenge of making English fit the music while still capturing the essence of the Scriptures which from the libretto draws. A fine performance and recoding as well.

This recording in English is nice but the translation from German is different to the wording of the Novello version that our choir has recently performed, making it difficult to follow!

I bought this because we are singing it next season. I was delighted that I was able to download it too since I can listen when I am on my PC

It was interesting to hear the English version, but I have heard better renditions of the Requiem