Britten: War Requiem

by Galina Vishnevskaya, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Overview

This album, named by the BBC as one of the 50 greatest recordings of all time, was made in 1962 shortly after the premiere of Benjamin Britten's searing War Requiem, written for the reconsecration of Coventry Cathedral after it was destroyed during the Blitz of World War II. Britten was the conductor. Surely, it is not always true that composers make the best interpreters of their own works, but this one, at the very least, reflects what Britten had in mind. The ailing Britten was unable to serve as chief conductor at the work's live premiere, and soprano Galina Vishnevskaya was refused permission by the Soviet government to travel to England for the performance. However, for the recording, both those problems were solved. Britten wrote the work specifically with Vishnevskaya, baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and tenor Peter Pears in mind, and the contrasts he draws between them are vivid indeed. Sample Vishnevskaya's haunting sound in the "Liber scriptus" from the Dies irae. Notwithstanding the occasional Russian accent, she is marvelous throughout. Moreover, Britten proves an adept handler of the varied forces of the work, matching the varied texts that mix the Latin requiem mass with contemporary English-language poetry by Wilfred Owen on the theme of war. The full forces are soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists, adult chorus, boys' choir, organ, a full orchestra, and a chamber orchestra, and Britten keeps these all well in hand. The 1962 sound is quite good, and another draw is the set of tapes from rehearsals made during the preparation of the album; these are included with Decca's 2013 rerelease of the album. They give valuable insights into what Britten intended. A marvelous classic; anyone who hasn't heard it should rectify that situation. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	11/03/2023
Label:	Decca
UPC:	0028948537693
Rank:	75190

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Galina Vishnevskaya   Primary Artist,Spoken Word,Soprano (Vocal)
Benjamin Britten   Primary Artist,Conductor,Spoken Word
Peter Pears   Primary Artist,Spoken Word,Tenor (Vocal)
London Symphony Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau   Primary Artist,Baritone (Vocal)
Simon Preston   Organ
Edward T. Chapman   Choir Director
Bach Choir   Choir/Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra Chorus   Choir/Chorus
Highgate School Choir   Choir/Chorus
Melos Ensemble of London   Ensemble
John Culshaw   Spoken Word

Technical Credits

Christopher Palmer   Liner Notes
James Lock   Remastering Supervisor
Paschal Byrne   Transfers
Tim Handley   Remastering,Re-Editing,Processing
Kenneth Wilkinson   Engineer
Nina Lesieur   Libretto Translation,Text Translation,Liner Notes
John Gunston   Photography
Decca N. Lesieur   Liner Note Translation
Phil Rowlands   Processing,Re-Editing,Remastering
Gerd Uekermann   Liner Notes,Text Translation,Libretto Translation,Liner Note Translation
Wilfred Owen   Text,Poetry
Hulton Getty   Photography
Donald Mitchell   Liner Notes
John Culshaw   Producer