Giuseppe Verdi: Messa da Requiem

This is the best performance of the Requiem that I have ever heard ; I do not expect to find its equal during my lifetime.

Von Karajan, a perfectionist of ferocious repute, liked to run a very tight ship. Here too the performance is planned, regulated, ordered, supervised and controlled to within an inch of its life. It is a testament to the genius of van Karajan that the music does not die, but springs into rich and vibrant life instead. This Requiem does all, and more, that the Requiem is supposed to do - it dazzles, it astounds, it moves, it charms, it chills, it transports, it examines crucial moral and intellectual questions - and it does so at a level most other executions can only dream of.

In short : this comes as close to perfection as is humanly possible.

All four of the soloists bring their own unique qualities and characteristics to the table : Ghiaurov sings like a melancholy angel, while Pavarotti contributes a warm humanity, Price an imperial dignity and Cossotto a deep, ringing conviction.

It's almost an act of vandalism to pick out a favorite from among such an abundance of talent, but still : I prefer Cossotto. Her combination of clarity and conviction turns her into someone who is speaking of things which are (or will become) absolutely certain and true. (Think, for example, of a judge saying "You will be taken to your cell ; and there you will remain until the day the executioner will lead you to the gallows" or of a doctor saying "Now that the victim has ingested so much cyanide, he is beyond medical help".) It is at times deeply unsettling, as if listening to a prophetess - perhaps the "Sybil" of which the text speaks ? Or, even more dreadful, as if listening to someone who has actually returned from the dead.

Buy, borrow, steal or beg a copy of this masterwork ; if necessary, throw in a few months' pay. The "Liber scriptus", "Ingemisco" and "Mors stupebit" alone are worth the effort.

I cannot agree with the other reviewer that Henri George Clouzot (Yes, the esteemed director of "Diabolique" etc.) was so good at what he was doing as director of this film. Shooting a feature film and a musical performance are not the same thing and the camera work often is not focused on the performers who are singing (mostly) and instead to be showing tremolo strings or Von Karajan admiring his own beautiful hands, for example! And the beginning is recorded so softly that it is virtually inaudible unless the volume is turned up (and turned down again later on so as not to clip the speakers.). Some of the balances are also quite poorly judged at times.

But I agree that the singing is generally as good as it gets and the early stereo sound is also more than adequate. Yes, Ghiaurov's pitch is a bit questionable in the "Mors stupebit" but he is otherwise excellent dramatically as well as vocally in this disguised "opera". And one gets the opportunity to see the almost unrecognizable young Pavarotti before he became a "personality". No, he's not a sylph even here but is a baby compared to the later "Luchianissimo" who became a huge "personality". Yes, he had looks (!) and vocally he could do anything.

Fiorenza Cossotto, the premiere mezzo-soprano of her generation, is also excellent even if she reportedly started having vocal problems at about this time. Leontyne Price rises to the occasion as well and both women use chest voice sparingly.

Karajan conducts a fine dramatic, if less than Italianate, performance.

Verdi wrote the last section "Libera me" originally for a Rossini Requiem and finished it in 1869 but it was not performed in this form in Verdi's lifetime. But in 1873, the poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni died and this time Verdi revised and expanded this movement as well as composing the rest of the Requiem himself. (This is also known as the "Manzoni" Requiem.) It seems obvious to me at least, that the "Tuba Miram" section of the "Dies Irae" was inspired by the similar one by Hector Berlioz with its "stereophonic" use of brass choirs scattered through the auditorium or at least its balconies.

It should be mentioned that Verdi was an outspoken, often embarrassingly so, atheist (as was Berlioz.)!

As a huge fan of Verdi's music, I was recommended this performance of Messa Da Requiem, which until two years ago I knew little but highlights. And what a magnificent performance of this great piece. It had all the ingredients to be a success, a great conductor and four fantastic singers. It absolutely lived up to expectations.

I don't really need to comment on Verdi's music, it is amazing and gives a real emotional impact. Although I am aware there are those who don't like Karajan I have always admired him. Here he brings everything that makes me feel that way about him; musicality, depth, refinement, dramatic intensity and a strong romantic approach, all in all, a superior and very exciting reading.

The orchestra play with true passion, and the chorus with beauty. The sound while occasionally a little muffled is overall clear, and this Messa Da Requiem is beautifully shot, it has a cinematic feel rather than the too-many-close-ups-side-shots-and-back-shots that can elude some performances.

The soloists are perfection. Leontyne Price shows off her creamy, sincere soprano perfectly and shapes her music with intelligence. Fiorenza Cossotto is well and truly in her element as well, it is a huge voice which she uses with great intensity and ferocity and this performance shows it beautifully produced. Both ladies sing without music and really relate to the text as you can tell by their faces and communication, and their duet is just exquisite. It just goes to show the best of music is done without sheets of music in front of you.

And what a surprise to see a young Luciano Pavarotti. His unique voice is as effortless as it ever was, and is at its most sensitive. The star of the four in my opinion is Nicolai Ghiaurov, then again I may be biased as in general of these four he's my personal favourite. Not only is he on thunderous form vocally, but he acts and really connects to the music.

Overall, just magnificent. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Verdi's most heartfelt work, Requiem, is given a moving performance at La Scala, Milan in 1967.

Master Film Director Henri George Clouzot is responsible for a beautifully staged and shot presentation of this work.

The film quality is remarkably good, considering its vintage. The sound is likewise notable for its sharp dynamic contrasts.

Herbert von Karajan conducts with great eloquence and sensitivity. A "dream" cast is assembled to realize this score: Leontyne Price, soprano; Fiorenza Cossotti, mezzo; Luciano Pavaroti, tenor; and Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass.

Add to this, the La Scala Symphony and Chorus, and what can one say? A genuine landmark performance, which will undoubtedly become legendary.

How wonderful to have this preserved for future generations to enjoy.