Gardiner takes on the German Requiem

[sawyl]

Having snapped up Gardiner's new version of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem, I'm extremely impressed.

The forces — the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and the Monteverdi Choir — are relatively small, leading to an extremely focused choral and orchestral sound, while the soloists are intimate rather than operatic in a way that suits the overall performance extremely well.

Compared to my other recording, a large scale version by Alexander Rahbari and the Czecho-Slovak Radio Orchestra in an unflatteringly murky acoustic, the Gardiner is revelatory: like a newly restored Old Master, it's finally possible to see hear what has been lying hidden under the layers of dark Romantic varnish.

Highly recommended.