Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Eliot Gardiner, Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie von Otter, English Baroque Soloists, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Willard White, Monteverdi Choir - Mozart: Requiem / Bonney, von Otter, Blochwitz, W. White, Gardiner

John Eliot Gardiner's 1986 recording of Mozart's unfinished Requiem, with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists, is a model of clarity and grace. The soloists--Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie von Otter, Hans Peter Blochwitz, and Willard White--are supple, expressive, but never overpowering. This disc also features the lively and colorful Kyrie (k. 341). --Joshua Cody Amazon.com

Good, but average

I am reviewing the reissue of Mozart forever collection which contains only the requiem (not the Kyrie) and neither has the text. (Is cheaper, of course)
The liner notes include a brief introduction and a ten "true or false" statements about this famous work, which is wellcome.
All the performers are very good. The conducting is "energetic". The Orchestra very clear, the choir is wonderfull and the soloists dont have the usual operistic vibrato of ancient times. The problem? Gardiner is superficial. The Recordare is too fast, the Benedictus slow and almost ponderous, the long notes of the Rex tremendae without necessary projection (look for Koopman) and the famous, Dies Irae, taken at such a fast speed that the orchestra simply cant make a point with the fantastic period brass section. For a very good recording of Sussmayr version, try William Christie, which contains the ave verum corpus also, has a strong quartet, and almost good choir and, most important, a conductor which uses fast speeds when necessary and is not afraid of holding down tension when music asks for relax (as in the recordare). August 13, 2006

Muy buena version,altamente recomendada

Escuchando varias veces esta versión me doy cuenta que la perfomance mostrada por Gardiner en las obras de Mozart es exquisita,en esta versión del Requiem los tiempos son buenos (salvo en el Kyrie,debió ser un poco mas brillante),el coro y los solistas sobresalientes(cantando como en la época de Mozart,sin un vibrato operístico),la orquesta tiene un rendimiento muy bueno ya que tocar con instrumentos de la época no es nada fácil especialmente en la afinación. En cuanto al campo musical las frases estan claramente definidas y los matices son buenos y ni que decir de la ejecución con el carácter necesario para interpretar Mozart,fenomenal realmente,Gardiner como siempre no decepciona y sigue muy bien dirigiendo Mozart en todo sentido,vale comprarlo!!RECOMENDADO! February 16, 2006

Give it a try!

This is a recording on period instruments, which I am never a fan of. Instruments of this period had a lot of problems with intonation and they can be quite difficult to play. Thus, a lot of the recordings one hears with this variety of instrument can be substandard. And me, I personally like the sound of a full modern orchestra, even for the Mozart Requiem. I purchased the Abbado recording with the Berlin Philharmonic as well, but I'll have to say I prefer the Gardiner. His tempos are brisk, especially in the Dies Irae, which I really like. And it sounds really good. What more can I say?

So for those naysayers, give this a try. I don't think you will be disappointed. December 20, 2005

If you need to get a copy--get this one

This was the recommended version by my professor when we did this for university. It's a fabulous rendition, one easy to sing along with once you know the music or just to have playing in the background. September 25, 2003

Gardiner gives a close look back in the past

My compliments to Gardiner and his talented Monteverdi Choir along with the English Baroque Soloists. I have previously bought his equally accurate Beethoven: Missa Solemnis and have ever since had the upmost respect for this indeed rare conductor. To say that this is one of the more accurate versions of Mozart's Requiem is an understatement. So many other conductors seem to have this piece entirely interpreted wrong. To be honest, I dont think it's really an accidental interpretation of Mozart's last work. I believe these conductors often ignore the way they feel a composer's work should be interpreted and replace it with their own vision. That may be ok for study purposes in some schools or universities but it is entirely wrong for public performances and recordings. Gardiner does this piece justice by returning us all to the 18th century and his singers and orchestra are immediately stating that fact with the very first movement, Requiem. It takes out the overly operatic feeling of most versions of this piece and goes straight for accurate tones, style and pace. The soloists are also close to the original interpretation of this Requiem though I wish I knew why Willard White felt he had to get "creative" with certain notes here and there. Overall, an excellent piece which I feel you'll enjoy time and time again. January 7, 2003

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