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Britten: War Requiem
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Britten: War Requiem

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Britten: War Requiem
Music Price: $23.98 $21.99
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As of Dec 1 19:14 EST (details)

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StudioDecca
Release DateMay 16, 2006
UPC Code028947575115
Buy this item$21.99 at Amazon.com
As of Dec 1 19:14 EST (details)
2 Audio CD, Usually ships in 24 hours, Original recording remastered
 

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. Requiem aeternam. Requiem aeternam
  2. Requiem aeternam. What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
  3. Dies irae. Dies irae
  4. Dies irae. Bugles sang
  5. Dies irae. Liber scriptus proferetur
  6. Dies irae. Out there
  7. Dies irae. Recordare Jesu pie
  8. Dies irae. Be slowly lifted up
  9. Dies irae. Dies irae
  10. Dies irae. Lacrimosa dies illa
  11. Dies irae. Move him into the sun
  12. Offertorium. Domine Jesu Christe
  13. Offertorium. So Abram rose
  14. Sanctus. Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus
  15. Sanctus. After the blast of lightning
Disc 2
  1. Agnus Dei. One ever hangs
  2. Libera me. Libera me, Domine
  3. Libera me. It seemed that out of battle I escaped
  4. Libera me. Let us sleep now... In paradisum
  5. Rehearsing War Requiem. Requiem aeternam. Rehearsal
  6. Rehearsing War Requiem. Dies irae. Rehearsal of the opening section
  7. Rehearsing War Requiem. Dies irae. Discussion in the control room between Britten and Galina Vishne
  8. Rehearsing War Requiem. Dies irae. Rehearsal of end of movement
  9. Rehearsing War Requiem. Offertorium. Rehearsal
  10. Rehearsing War Requiem. Sanctus. Rehearsal
  11. Rehearsing War Requiem. Sanctus. Discussion in the control room between Britten and Galina Vishnevs
  12. Rehearsing War Requiem. Agnus Dei. Discussion in the control room between Britten, Peter Pears and
  13. Rehearsing War Requiem. Libera me. Discussion in the control room between Britten and John Culshaw
  14. Rehearsing War Requiem. Libera me. Rehearsal
  15. Rehearsing War Requiem. Libera me. Rehearsal of closing page

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User Reviews

Average user review: 4.5 (8 reviews)

rating: 5 QuoteBeware of Amazon's MP3 download!Quote
This is a wonderful recording indeed (though I too have reservations about Vishnevskaya's contribution).

But: I would avoid downloading it in MP3 form, since (most unusual for Amazon) the tracks do not join smoothly: when one track should smoothly connect with the next, you can almost always hear a little burp (for want of a better word) when the new track is starting. This can be annoying.
November 21, 2008

rating: 5 QuoteFantasticQuote
This is a great performance of the Requiem, probably the finest piece of its kind written during the 20th Century. In that it's conducted by Britten with singers of his choice makes it the definitive performance of this work.

What's particularly wonderful are the rehearsal tapes, which take up much of the second disc. It's a rare privilege to hear the composer tell the performers exactly what he wants from the music. Britten clearly knew what he wanted and conveyed that to the performers with grace and humor.

Highly recommended!!!! August 10, 2008

rating: 5 Quotei don/t have the cds yet, but...Quote
they are on my list for my next order from amazon. i had this on vinyl back in those days, and *loved* it. it is a beautiful and moving work. the one star review (which occasioned me posting this) is plain *wrong*. if britten is his/her idea of noisy music, he/she is missing a lot of very good music out there. exhibiting a closed mind in public *should* be pretty embarrassing. unfortunately, it often isn/t. April 7, 2008

rating: 5 QuoteA Safe BetQuote
Britten's reading is raw, transparent, vicious, thunderous, and very original. Especially nice is to actually understand the words of the two male soloists without having to refer to the booklet. His soloists are strong and clear, his choruses are tip-top perfect, the LSO is divine. It's hard to say something bad about this performance, except perhaps that Vishnevskaya can be slightly grating in certain sections.
In a lot of ways I like Robert Shaw's more "glossed" "mainstream" performance, and that performance also has a lot of punch behind it, especially the purely orchestra/chorus sections. Britten's of course, is definitive. It certainly is the strongest case to convince you of the effectiveness of the integrated texts. In the Shaw version you can hardly make English text from latin text because of the thickness of voice of tenor and bass.
So get this and enjoy the music, as well as the very revealing and funny rehearsals tagged on at the end of disc 2. This is a safe five-star recommendation. October 14, 2007

rating: 5 QuoteCan't help saying a few words about the 1-star reviewQuote
Whoever "OperaOnlineUs" may be, she/he is a total idiot and completely have no taste of 20th Century music!---which by itself is not a terrible defect of a human being, but, why came here and wrote something to show your ignorance? July 28, 2007

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