内容(「CDジャーナル」データベースより)
親友の死を悼んで書いた激烈なレクイエム。愛する人の死に面した直後の悲しみは,この曲のように凄絶なはず。とりすましてなんかいられない。ヴェルディの痛みがストレートに伝わってくるような真に人間的なレクイエム。劇的な演奏及び録音で圧倒する。
From Amazon.com
If you value the drama and terror of
Giuseppe Verdi's sacred masterpiece, you need to hear this. Solti's "Dies Irae" is overwhelming, the drums pounding and the chorus sounding as if it's writhing in hell's torments. What Solti's intense, operatic conception lacks in spirituality it more than makes up for in the way it grips you by the throat and never lets go. The solo quartet, with one exception, is among the best assembled in the stereo era. Pavarotti shines, and Talvela's authoritative basso profundo is a rock-solid anchor. Horne's trademark register break can be a distraction at times, but she's thrilling. With a more idiomatic soprano, this would have been an unbeatable foursome, but Sutherland is sadly miscast here, most damagingly in the "Libera me." Sonics were demonstration quality in their day and are still competitive with the best. For a more devotional approach,
Giulini is a good choice. Vintage performances by Toscanini (RCA and Music & Arts) and
Serafin on Pearl (the latter with a true golden age vocal quartet) are desirable, as are stereo versions by
Daniel Barenboim on Teldec and
Robert Shaw on Telarc.
Solti's remake for RCA is less attractive; you can't go wrong with this one.
--Dan Davis