Benjamin Britten, London Symphony Orchestra - Britten: War Requiem 3Lp - Import 180g Vinyl 3 LP Record Limited Edition

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Benjamin Britten, London Symphony Orchestra

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60th anniversary of the world premiere recording. A masterful recording of his own composition with a heartfelt message and sophisticated performanceThis year marks 60 years since Benjamin Britten completed the world premiere recording of his own work, "War Requiem," at Kingsway Hall in London, in a session held on January 10, 1963. To commemorate the occasion, the recording was newly remastered at British Grove Studios at 24bit/192kHz from the original master tapes. Based on this, a set of three 180g weight LPs cut on half-speed lacquer discs at Abbey Road Studios will be released. Conducted by the composer and featuring three soloists - English tenor Peter Pears, German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya - the recording of this work, written with them in mind, remains for many The technical feats of producer John Culshaw and balance engineer Kenneth Wilkinson are few and far between, and Decca today is responsible for updating these historic recordings with the latest technology. Coventry Cathedral was destroyed and later rebuilt, and Britten was commissioned to compose the War Requiem for the dedication ceremony. The text is a combination of the liturgical text of the Latin Requiem Mass and nine poems by the English poet Wilfred Owen. The performers are also divided into three major groups: a "full orchestra, choir, and soprano solo" for the Latin liturgical texts; a "chamber ensemble, tenor solo and baritone solo" for Owen's poems; and a distantly placed "boys choir and organ." The May 1962 premiere, Galina Vishnevskaya's appearance was not approved by the Soviets, and Herta Tepper was hastily substituted for the soprano solo voice.The impact of the performance, which represented reconciliation among the frontline casualties of the European clashes of the 20th century, spread quickly, and the critical response spurred a commercial recording, which was made at Kingsway Hall in London from January 3-10, 1963, with producer John Culshaw and engineer LP3 includes a rehearsal of the War Requiem. (This is the first LP release since its sole pressing as a gift from Decca to Britten on his 50th birthday in November 1963.) The booklet includes excerpts from John Culshaw's autobiography, "Putting the Record Straight," the original The booklet is replete with excerpts from John Culshaw's autobiography, "Putting the Record Straight," a retrospective by three members of the original 1963 recording team, technical notes, an in-depth essay on "War Requiem" and its recording sessions, rare and newly discovered photographs, and much more. One of the most celebrated commercial recordings ever made, this incomparable and authentic performance deserves to be in every collection." The Decca production team, along with the authoritative performers who give their all, do their best to convey Britten's talent."-Gramophone Magazine (2022), Universal Music/IMS