LP: UK EMI/COLUMBIA SAX 2430 & 2431 KLEMPERER

$

162

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COLUMBIA (EMI, UK) SAX 2430 & 2431 (1962) 3 sides only (side 2 of SAX 2430 is blank)

BRAHMS: A German Requiem

Elisabeth SCHWARZKOPF; Dietrich FISCHER-DIESKAU; Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Otto Klemperer

English EMI cut (2/3/2) and pressed, (first edition), Blue & Silver labels

Original illustrated inner sleeves in superb condition

CONDITION: SLEEVE: Absolutely mint. No marks of any kind. The front cover gloss finish is absolutely perfect, no edge wear or creases; DISCS are Mint possibly unplayed. No marks of any kind;

Here comes a true classic of the gramophone, if there ever was one. There are quite a few fine recordings to chose from, when looking for a version of this larger-than-life masterpiece of the romantic chorale. But finding one that outranks Klemperer's awesome vision, is easier said than done!

These are the fruits of Otto Klemperer's legendary project involving the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus. An orchestra founded by Walter Legge, just years before the great german arrived to make it one of the truly great orchestras of the world.

By the late 1950's Klemperer's crew had won the attention and admiration of London audiences as well as the rest of the music loving world. The Philharmonia's recorded legacy from the 50's and 60's contains treasures of untold worth; this account of the Brahms' Requiem being among the finest examples.

Many listeners find it hard not to be overwhelmed by Klemperer's profound and sincere reading of Brahms's grand choral endeavour. The long sweeping lines, wonderfully shaped by one of the finest and most homogenous choirs of the century, are formidable in effect. Brahms' textual settings convey a slightly more tranquil and bearable ambience than, say Mozart's apocalyptic vision; a trend taken even further by Fauré.

The emphasis here leans more towards the vision of eternal rest, rather than that of eternal damnation. The balance between the air of celestial tranquility and the coils of mortality; the bliss of heaven versus the temporal grit of earthly life, a duality central in Brahms' choice of biblical excerpts, are as central in Klemperer's reading.

The serene beauty of the opening movement's Selig sind die da Leid tragen... is contrasted by the awesome force of Alles Fleisch es ist wie Grass of the second movement, where the announcing brass and the unrest of the timpani creates a spine-chilling sensation of witnessing something not quite of this world, a sensation not uncommon in the Klemperer recordings of the time.

The choice of soloists, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, adds further to the impression of an unusually integrated and thoroughly reflected German requiem. The regal quality of Schwarzkopf's pure and involving rendering in the 5th. movement, is well matched by the authority of Fischer-Dieskau. However this is, to many ears, primarily the masterpiece of Klemperer and his outstanding musicians and singers: a musical force the equal of Reiner's Chicago, and Furtwängler's or Karajan's Berliners

Who cares about so-called authenticity when presented with musicmaking of this calibre.

LPs will be shipped next to jacket for protection against seam splits, inside of an outer liner in sturdy cardboard mailer with extra stiffening material to avoid any possibility of damage in transit. Package will clearly say DO NOT BEND!

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