Product Description
Brahms Johannes
Ein Deutsches Requeim Op.45
1. Blessed are they that mourn 9:21
2. For all flesh is as grass 16:41
3. Lord, make me to know mine end 10:43
4. How amiable are thy tabernacles 5:37
5. And ye now therefore have sorrow 6:36
6. For here have we no continuig city 11:39
7. Blessed are the dead 9:52… More >>
Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem Op.45
Tags: brahms, Deutsches, ein deutsches requiem, flesh, grass, Op.45, requeim, Requiem, sorrow, tabernacles
#1 by Robert L. Edwards on April 1, 2010 - 2:46 am
Valuable if you are a Toscanini collector – or a fan of the Westminster Choir – because this is the original Williamson WC with an unmatched vocal quality (unmatched especially by the choirs from the 1970s through 1990s when Williamson’s vocal approach so beloved by Toscanini, Bruno Walter et al, was destroyed).
The performance is stunning and one of Toscanini’s best. Another personal interpretation that is unique and highly moving. Often there are moments of insight yet to be matched by other conductors.
The surviving cutting is full of pops, clicks and mechanical noises from the recording process, mechanical noise that is regular and sometimes obliterates the music, but considering the methods of the time and the typical condition of the source discs, this is all to be expected. Not all early Toscanini recordings are in this poor condition, however.
Also, there are audible artifacts from the digital processing in this CD. And the frequency response is what one would hear from a vintage horn phonograph with the music re-recorded via microphone dangling in front. If you are handy with audio processing software, you can alter the frequency response (as a starting guide, create a smooth increase from about 500Hz down to 50Hz peaking at +10db; reduce 1KHz-3KHz in a bell curve to max point -5db; and a final smooth curve from 3.5KHz up to 14Khz +10db). This will restore a more natural rich resonant sound. But you will not likely be able to eliminate the upper harmonic artifacts.
If you are used to listening to nearly destroyed and very worn recordings, from the early days, then the sound won’t bother you and the performance will stand out. (There is another recording of this performance from Guild Studios also available from Amazon although I haven’t listened to it.)
Just wanted to warn newbies that the recording issues might be a strong barrier to enjoying one of the historic performances of Toscanini. Newbies might want to try other Toscanini recordings first, such as the Verdi Requiem which has much cleaner sound.
Rating: 2 / 5