Sir Charles Villiers Stanford: Requiem

by Carolyn Sampson, Martyn Brabbins, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, University of Birmingham Voices

Overview

The thoroughly Anglican Charles Villiers Stanford wrote a requiem mass in memory of a friend, a Catholic classics scholar. The work is immediately attractive and was recorded a number of times in the 20th century, but it is excellent to have this pitch-perfect new version beautifully engineered at Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Stanford's conception of the text is not dark in the Mozartian manner but warm like the German Requiem, Op. 45, of Brahms. Big polyphony is mostly restricted to the Offertory, and even the Confutatis maledictis dissolves into solos after its imposing opening. Arguably a bigger influence than Brahms is Verdi, for he breaks up the Sequence in the same essentially operatic way. Stanford's Dies irae is not a "Day of Wrath" but a tense introduction, and much of this section is given over to solos that convey a strong sense of something personal. Sample liberally in the Sequence for an idea of the flavor of the performance. Conductor Martyn Brabbins and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with the clean yet warm University of Birmingham Voices, keep the music moving here as it shifts through a group of short movements. The soloists, with the divine Carolyn Sampson leading a group of up-and-comers, are very strong and get the spirit of the work. This recording makes one want to hear one of Stanford's nine largely forgotten operas, and anyone who thinks of Stanford as dull absolutely should hear it. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	05/05/2023
Label:	Hyperion
UPC:	0034571284187
Rank:	49597

Tracks

1. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Introit: Requiem aeternam -
2. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Introit: Te decet hymnus -
3. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Introit: Requiem aeternam
4. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Kyrie: Kyrie I -
5. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Kyrie: Kyrie II
6. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Kyrie: Kyrie III
7. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Gradual: Requiem aeternam -
8. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Gradual: ln memoria aeterna
9. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Dies irae -
10. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Tuba mirum -
11. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Liber scriptus proferetur
12. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Quid sum miser?
13. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Quem patronum rogaturus? -
14. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Rex tremendae -
15. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Recordare, Jesu pie
16. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Quaerens me -
17. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Iuste iudex ultionis -
18. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Inter oves locum praesta
19. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Confutatis maledictis -
20. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Lacrimosa dies illa -
21. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sequence: Pie Jesu Domine
22. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe -
23. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Offertorium: Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
24. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Offertorium: Hostias et preces tibi -
25. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Offertorium: Transire ad vitam
26. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sanctus: Sanctus -
27. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sanctus: Benedictus -
28. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Sanctus: Osanna
29. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Agnus Dei et Lux aeterna: Agnus Dei -
30. Requiem for solos, chorus and orchestra, Op. 63~Agnus Dei et Lux aeterna: Lux aeterna

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Carolyn Sampson   Primary Artist,Soprano (Vocal)
Martyn Brabbins   Primary Artist,Conductor
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra
University of Birmingham Voices   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Ross Ramgobin   Baritone (Vocal)
Marta Fontanals-Simmons   Mezzo-Soprano (Vocal)
James Way   Tenor (Vocal)

Technical Credits

Charles Villiers Stanford   Composer
Marco Borggreve   Photography
Todd Harris   Booklet Editor
Billy Goodforth   Photography
Andrew Keener   Producer,Recording Producer
George Frederick Watts   Illustrations
Phil Rowlands   Engineer
Benjamin Ealovega   Photography
David Kettle   Liner Notes
Ben McKee   Photography
Tim Burton   Assistant Engineer
Matthew Swan   Assistant Engineer
Victoria Cadisch   Photography
Simon Perry   Executive Producer