Georges Pretre - Faure : Faure Requiem, Poulenc Gloria : Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Sudfunk-Chor Stuttgart, etc.(1997) - Import CD

Credits:

Georges Pretre

Description:

The world heritage site was filled with the magnificent and majestic Fauré Requiem and Poulenc, his specialty. Georges Prêtre's popularity in Japan broke out in his later years. He recorded operas with Maria Callas and a series of highly acclaimed Poulenc recordings, but he was never blessed with a large number of recordings. The masterpiece Fauré Requiem was also not recorded for commercial purposes, but the 2007 live recording with the Deutsche Symphonieorchester Berlin (hereinafter referred to as "Berlin disc") appeared in 2010 and quenched the thirst of fans. This time, the live performance was held in 1997 at the cathedral in Speyer, a city in southwestern Germany. Completed in 1061 at the height of the Holy Roman Empire, the cathedral is one of the largest Romanesque churches in the world and is registered as a World Heritage site. Its enormous space and long reverberations seem to have helped make this performance special. The Berlin version recorded in the concert hall lasts about 36 minutes, which is the standard performance time these days, but this recording takes nearly 40 minutes. The impression of the performance is more different than the time required. The phrases are built up over a very long time, and the dynamics are wide-ranging, and the combination of pious beauty and dramatic effect is breathtaking, as in the passages where the music slowly builds up from a weak note. The chorus, with its subdued vibrato, never lost its transparency even in the long reverberations, maintaining a warm tone and high density throughout. The two soloists representing the French musical world of the time were integrated into Praetor's interpretation in both tone and style, sometimes with restrained clarity and sometimes with dramatic fervor. The performance time of most of the movements is remarkably similar to that of the historical masterpiece conducted by Cluytens with Los Ángeles and Fischer-Dieskau, and the dramatic music making is similar, but this disc has the edge in terms of style and tonal unity, including the soloists, especially in the big vibrato. The chorus in this disc is quite different from the chorus in the Cluytens disc, in which vibrato is particularly prominent. It is also a pleasure to note that both the orchestra and chorus are less muddled, even though the recording was made in a church. This performance is a must for those who love Fauré's Requiem. Poulenc was a composer that Praetor excelled at, and Gloria has a studio recording from 1961. Compared to this recording, there is only about a minute difference in overall performance time, with some movements being shorter in this recording. The fact that the tempi are crisp and lively even with long reverberations is evidence that Praetor has a firm grasp of the essence of Poulenc's music. Poré's crystal clear voice and singing are also worth listening to. Naxos Japan