Amazon.com This account of the German Requiem really is one of the great recordings of the century. Even today, Otto Klemperer's monumental interpretation with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in 1961, remains unmatched among readings that emphasize the spirituality of the score. Sober and sustained, but not unduly slow, it places Brahms on the continuum of German sacred music going back through Beethoven to Handel, Bach, and Schütz. Drawing committed playing and singing from his forces, Klemperer opens the door to the beauties of the music without fuss or fanfare. Both soloists are exemplary: Schwarzkopf's expressive portamento now sounds a bit dated in style, but her singing is characterful, while Fischer-Dieskau is a paragon of restrained expressiveness. The singing of the Philharmonia Chorus is especially beautiful. EMI has done a superior job of remastering the original recording. Balances and tone quality are quite fine, and the spacious Kingsway Hall ambience conveys with lifelike immediacy. Compared with previous CD incarnations, there is new depth to the image and better resolution of detail--the weight of the organ can really be felt, as can the timpani strokes in "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras," and one finds greater presence and definition in the chorus and considerably more richness of tone in the orchestra. There is still some distortion in the climactic moments; for example, what sounds like tape saturation frizzes a couple of the big Beethovenian choral proclamations at the end of "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras." Such things are but a small blemish on what is an absolutely ravishing restoration of one of the most valuable recordings of the stereo era. --Ted Libbey Product description Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem - Otto Klemperer, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Chorus & Orchestra / Great Recordings Of The Century / EMI Classics Audio CD 1998 Stereo UPC 724356695528 /// A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scriptures, Op. 45 (German: Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift) by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, and soprano and baritone soloists, composed between 1865 and 1868. It comprises seven movements, which together last 65 to 80 minutes, making this work Brahms's longest composition. A German Requiem is sacred but non-liturgical, and unlike a long tradition of the Latin Requiem, A German Requiem, as its title states, is a Requiem in the German language. /// Label: EMI Classics – 724356695528 Series: Great Recordings Of The Century Format: CD Country: US Released: 1998 Genre: Classical Style: Romantic /// Tracklist: Ein Deutsches Requiem Op.45 1 Selig Sind, Die Da Leid Tragen 10:00 2 Denn Alles Fleisch Es Ist Wie Gras 14:32 3 Herr, Lehre Doch Mich 9:52 4 Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen 5:48 5 Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit 6:54 6 Denn Wir Haben Hier Keine Bleibende Stadt 11:46 7 Selig Sind Die Toten 10:14 // Baritone Vocals – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Chorus – Philharmonia Chorus Chorus Master – Reinhold Schmid Composed By – Johannes Brahms Conductor – Otto Klemperer Engineer [Balance Engineer] – Douglas Larter Liner Notes – Alan Blyth Orchestra – Philharmonia Orchestra Organ – Ralph Downes Remastered By – Allan Ramsay Soprano Vocals – Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, ISBN13: B00000GCA3 ISBN10: B00000GCA3 Material Type: audioCDAmazon.com This account of the German Requiem really is one of the great recordings of the century. Even today, Otto Klemperer's monumental interpretation with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in 1961, remains unmatched among readings that emphasize the spirituality of the score. Sober and sustained, but not unduly slow, it places Brahms on the continuum of German sacred music going back through Beethoven to Handel, Bach, and Schütz. Drawing committed playing and singing from his forces, Klemperer opens the door to the beauties of the music without fuss or fanfare. Both soloists are exemplary: Schwarzkopf's expressive portamento now sounds a bit dated in style, but her singing is characterful, while Fischer-Dieskau is a paragon of restrained expressiveness. The singing of the Philharmonia Chorus is especially beautiful. EMI has done a superior job of remastering the original recording. Balances and tone quality are quite fine, and the spacious Kingsway Hall ambience conveys with lifelike immediacy. Compared with previous CD incarnations, there is new depth to the image and better resolution of detail--the weight of the organ can really be felt, as can the timpani strokes in "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras," and one finds greater presence and definition in the chorus and considerably more richness of tone in the orchestra. There is still some distortion in the climactic moments; for example, what sounds like tape saturation frizzes a couple of the big Beethovenian choral proclamations at the end of "Denn alles fleisch es ist wie gras." Such things are but a small blemish on what is an absolutely ravishing restoration of one of the most valuable recordings of the stereo era. --Ted Libbey Product description Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem - Otto Klemperer, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philharmonia Chorus & Orchestra / Great Recordings Of The Century / EMI Classics Audio CD 1998 Stereo UPC 724356695528 /// A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scriptures, Op. 45 (German: Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift) by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, and soprano and baritone soloists, composed between 1865 and 1868. It comprises seven movements, which together last 65 to 80 minutes, making this work Brahms's longest composition. A German Requiem is sacred but non-liturgical, and unlike a long tradition of the Latin Requiem, A German Requiem, as its title states, is a Requiem in the German language. /// Label: EMI Classics – 724356695528 Series: Great Recordings Of The Century Format: CD Country: US Released: 1998 Genre: Classical Style: Romantic /// Tracklist: Ein Deutsches Requiem Op.45 1 Selig Sind, Die Da Leid Tragen 10:00 2 Denn Alles Fleisch Es Ist Wie Gras 14:32 3 Herr, Lehre Doch Mich 9:52 4 Wie Lieblich Sind Deine Wohnungen 5:48 5 Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit 6:54 6 Denn Wir Haben Hier Keine Bleibende Stadt 11:46 7 Selig Sind Die Toten 10:14 // Baritone Vocals – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Chorus – Philharmonia Chorus Chorus Master – Reinhold Schmid Composed By – Johannes Brahms Conductor – Otto Klemperer Engineer [Balance Engineer] – Douglas Larter Liner Notes – Alan Blyth Orchestra – Philharmonia Orchestra Organ – Ralph Downes Remastered By – Allan Ramsay Soprano Vocals – Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, ISBN13: B00000GCA3 ISBN10: B00000GCA3 Material Type: audioCD , ISBN13: B00000GCA3 ISBN10: B00000GCA3 Material Type: audioCD