Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
Seraphic Fire, Professional Choral Institute, Patrick Dupré Quigley, Teresa Wakim, Scott Allen Jarrett, Justin Blackwell, James K. Bass & Paul Max Tipton
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Customer Reviews
A lovely, intimate performance
To the reviewer who thinks Brahms is rolling over in his grave due to the lack of an orchestra in this performance, a thought. At the request of his publisher, Brahms himself composed this 4-hand piano accompaniment shortly after the full orchestral version premiered. So though I never had the pleasure of meeting Herr Brahms, I don't think he would have had a problem with it. As to the performance, it is first-class, through and through. This is a committed, passionate effort performed with great skill. The choral ensemble is marvelous, the soloists are terrific, and the piano accompaniment is heartfelt and executed with great sensitivity and precision.
That said, it is a very different listening experience to that of the orchestral version. By default, the piano accompaniment and 50+ voices render this a much more intimate performance. What it "lacks" in broad, dramatic reverence, though, it more than makes up for in melodic and harmonic clarity. This is also a more uptempo reading than what you get from most (if not all) orchestral versions. Interestingly, I think this more intimate version actually has a more religious character to it than the full orchestral version—probably because the overall effect is more that of a choir singing in a church than an orchestra performing with a chorus in a concert hall. That may not have been Brahms'—by all accounts a humanist—intent. But either way, the result is a performance that lacks the gravitas of the orchestral version, but reveals wonderful nuances and further evidence of the evolution of Brahms' compositional skills.
It will be interesting to listen again to the orchestral version to see what new insights I have gleaned from listening to this leaner version. I won't ever stop listening to the full orchestral version, but I will return to this performance again and again.
Stunning!
Crisp. Clean. Very refreshing Brahms. The ensemble really allows the listener to hear all of the incredible, intricate details of Brahms' writing. What a joy to find this album today! One of my favorite works performed by an emerging ensemble. I haven't heard of this group but they will surely be on my radar in the future. Thank you, Patrick Quigley and Seraphic Fire! Classical music is not dead in the States, it's re-charging!
Brahms at its best: clean, crisp, heartfelt
In 1853 Robert Schumann was so amazed by the young Brahms' compositional gifts that he published a monumental article entitled 'Neue Bahnen' or 'New Paths' in the journal Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. He claimed that Brahms was "destined to give ideal expression to the times." This recording of Brahms' immortal Requiem is a testimony to the Romantic aesthetic at its most sublime level. The clarity of the harmony (essential to good Brahms performances) is made all the better by Brahm's skillful piano reduction (played to perfection.) The piano reduction supports the voices perfectly and allows the choral sound to bloom without orchestral competition. Crisp, clean, perfectly tuned voices are superbly balanced. Musical choices are strong. One doesn't even need to see the conductor's gestures to perceive the musical picture the group is painting.
This is an exceptional recording well worth listening to over and over again!
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