BERLIOZ REQUIEM, OP. 5 Saint-Eustache Cathedral Èmile
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BERLIOZ REQUIEM, OP. 5 Saint-Eustache Cathedral Èmile Passani Choir - Orchestra of Radio Paris Georges Jouatte, tenor Jean Fournet, conductor First Recording September 1943 Berlioz: ROMÉO ET JULIETTE Dramatic Symphony Nan Merriman, mezzo - Leopold Simoneau, tenor - Donald Gramm, bass New York Philharmonic - Juilliard Chorus / Alfred Wallenstein Broadcast 26 January 1961 Berlioz: TE DEUM, Op. 22 BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra London Philharmonic Choir – Alexandra Choir Richard Lewis, tenor; Alan Harverson, organ Malcolm Sargent, conductor Broadcast 5 September 1963 (Proms 41) Review by Ken Meltzer FANFARE November / December 2019 Immortal Performances celebrates the unique genius of Hector Berlioz with a trio of historic performances (three-disc set, priced as two); the first a commercial recording, and the final two, broadcasts of live concerts, both billed as world premiere releases. The very first recording of the Berlioz Requiem, op. 5, was made in the Paris Saint- Eustache Cathedral, where the composer himself had conducted performances of his works. The recording was made by French EMI in September of 1943, during the Nazi occupation. Given the world premiere status of the recording, the circumstances under which it was made, and the presence of the excellent French conductor Jean Fournet on the podium, the 1943 EMI Grande messe des morts is self- recommending to anyone interested in the history of Berlioz performances. That is not to say the recording is ideal, or should even serve in one’s collection as the sole version of this great work. Berlioz conceived his Requiem Mass as an epic and powerful sonic experience, with a massive number of performing forces placed throughout the concert venue (the premiere took place the Paris Church of Les Invalides on December 5, 1837). Given the dire circumstances at the time of the recording, it appears that EMI was 1 not able to assemble the full complement of performers (the chorus, in particular, sounds wanting in numbers). In addition, the recording only begins to suggest the grand acoustic of the Saint-Eustache Cathedral. In his superb liner notes, Dewey Faulkner emphatically and persuasively argues that for Berlioz’s music to make its greatest effect, it must be heard live, and in a first-rate concert venue. I agree with that sentiment, but it is also true that recordings of a more recent vintage give us a far better sense of the stunning sonic force of the Berlioz Requiem than does the 1943 EMI. Still, this is a performance of importance and distinction. If the grandest moments do not make their optimal impact, they are still effective, and the more introspective episodes are delivered with beauty, and heartfelt emotional intensity. Fournet leads a performance that never lags, but also never sounds rushed, or wanting for expressivity. If the Chorale Emile Passini lacks sheer numbers, it sings with a musicality and yearning intensity that is all the more affecting given an awareness of what the artists were enduing at the time. Tenor Georges Jouatte (who was also the Faust in Fournet’s relatively contemporaneous recording of Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust) sings beautifully in his brief, but demanding appearance in the Sanctus. My previous experience with this 1943 Berlioz Requiem was via the French LYS label, in a release paired with the Journet Damnation. The sound on that issue was certainly sufficient to appreciate the importance and beauties of this recording. But the Immortal Performances restoration is a significant improvement. The sonic picture now emerges with far greater depth, dynamic range, color, and detail. The recording still sounds dated, and far from demonstration status, even for its vintage. But if you are interested in exploring this historic and important recording, the Immortal Performances restoration offers the best opportunity. The featured recordings of Roméo et Juliette and the Te Deum offer a more advantageous marriage of performance strengths and sonics. A January, 1961 Carnegie Hall broadcast performance of Berlioz’s Dramatic Symphony, based upon Shakespeare’s tale of the “star- crossed lovers,” is an inspired affair. Conductor Alfred Wallenstein leads the New York Philharmonic, Juilliard Chorus, and vocal soloists in a reading brimming with energy, propulsive drive, and a joyous celebration of Berlioz’s unique and brilliant sonic palette. If the Queen Mab Scherzo doesn’t ascend to quite the magical heights of Toscanini’s renditions, it is still a considerable achievement. Throughout, the performance wonderfully conveys Romeo and 2 Juliet’s teeming and unquenchable youthful passion, and ultimately, the heartbreaking tragedy of their demise. The New York Philharmonic plays gloriously for Wallenstein, and the Juilliard Chorus delivers a first-rate account of the dramatically and musically significant choral portions. The performance is also graced with three superb soloists, all expert in the French style, and Berlioz’s individual style of writing for the voice. Mezzo Nan Merriman and tenor Léopold Simoneau sing with elegance and tonal beauty in their relatively brief appearances. Bass-baritone Donald Gramm, substituting for the indisposed Chester Watson, plays a far more significant role toward the work’s close, and he rises to the occasion as noble-voiced and sympathetic Friar Lawrence. The monophonic recorded sound of the 1961 broadcast is not the equal of stereo commercial recordings of the era. That said, the sound is still quite fine, and more than adequate to enjoy this riveting performance, one with an electricity that rarely, if ever, is replicated in the commercial recording studio. The set concludes with a magisterial performance of the Te Deum, for chorus, solo tenor, and orchestra, taped at the Proms in Royal Albert Hall on September 5, 1963. Here, the sound is broadcast stereo, and quite fine at that. Malcolm Sargent secures first-rate contributions from the BBC Singers, Wembley Philharmonic Society, and BBC Symphony Orchestra. Yet another superb soloist, the lyric tenor Richard Lewis, is in lovely, ringing voice. The mike placements are relatively close to the stage. And so the recording, while boasting admirable richness, detail, and visceral impact, does not really suggest the vast expanses of Royal Albert Hall. A worthy conclusion to a superb trio of Berlioz performances. In addition to Faulkner’s elegant and informative program notes, the booklet includes texts and translations for the Requiem and Te Deum, commentary by producer Richard Caniell (including his Recording Notes), and artist bios. A wonderful sonic restoration of a landmark in Berlioz recordings, coupled with two superb live performances, both world premieres. Berlioz lovers, this one is for you! 5 Stars: A Trio of Landmark Berlioz Recordings, in Fine Sound. 3 BERLIOZ REQUIEM, OP. 5 — Berlioz: ROMÉO ET JULIETTE Dramatic Symphony — Berlioz: TE DEUM, Op. 22 Review by Henry Fogel FANFARE November / December 2019 This is a valuable addition to the Berlioz discography, consisting of the first recording ever made of the Requiem and live performance recordings of Roméo et Juliette and Te Deum. The high technical standard of Richard Caniell’s restorations is of importance with music of such scope and color, although the sonic limitations of the originals certainly compromise the composer’s intentions. Modern stereo or digital recordings are clearly the first choices for each of these works, and this set is more aimed at specialist collectors or those who enjoy learning the performance history of important pieces of music. Jean Fournet’s recording of the Requiem was made in the Cathedral of Saint-Eustache in Paris in 1943, where Berlioz himself had conducted performances of the work. From 1943 through 1956, this was the only recording of this wonderful work. Given rarity of performances, for many music lovers in the 1940s and 1950s this was the only way to hear the music. What is surprising is how well it holds up against the later competition. Sonically, it does not really capture the full splendor of the music’s vast canvas, but it is listenable for anyone who is used to historic recordings and it preserves a purely French style of performance better than almost all of the competition. It boasts, in fact, better sound quality than just about any other recording from 1943 that I’ve ever encountered. Georges Jouatte sings the one solo piece in the Requiem beautifully, making one regret the decision to eliminate the second verse of the Sanctus (the only cut in the recording). Prior to the internationalization of orchestral playing, which began for the most part in the 1960s, orchestras had a distinctive national sound. Although there have been more modern recordings led by French conductors, and with French ensembles, there is no question that this performance has a more distinctly French quality about it. It is present in the orchestral and choral timbres, in the clarity of textures and the ebb and flow of the phrases. Also surprising is the scarcity of recordings of the Requiem by all-French performers. Some using French forces are conducted by non-French conductors (Barenboim, Scherchen, Bernstein). Dutoit/Montreal falls into its own category. My own favorite 4 remains the Boston recording with Charles Munch for its combination of power and beauty. But looking through various sources, this is the only performance I could find on disc where all the participants were French, and I think that does bring a valuably unique naturalness to the performance. The delicate filigree of the woodwinds against the remainder of the orchestra in the Offertory is one example where the performance just sounds more right than others. There is no question that any collection should have one of the splendid modern recordings of this work, which reproduce the range of orchestral and choral colors more fully than this. But I truly believe that this recording captures something of the essence of the music that is missing elsewhere.