World’s finest music?

Press, 12 March 1984, Page 18

World’s finest music?

Classical records review

ALLAN FRANCIS

VERDI. Requiem Mass. Riccardo Muti conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Ambrosian Singers. Renata Scotto, Agnes Balsta, Veriano Luchetti and Evgeny Nesterenko. WORLD RECORDS WI 4862-2. Many people claim this to be the finest music ever written; what they really mean is that it is their favourite music, and this is more understandable. One could go on forever with arguments swaying to and fro in the pursuit of an end result to assertions of this nature so the best one can achieve is the indisputable fact that it is one of the most impressive and powerful compositions on the musical front, one which will possibly stay that way for a long time to come. Muti adds his illustrious contribution to the long list of exponents headed by Toscanini, Reiner, Solti, Giulini and, of course, Karajan. Claudio Abbado should not be overlooked either, as his DG version, which came out barely a year later than the review set, must be a strong contender for top honours. Unfortunately, what one is left with is the search for flaws which might drop a few points. With the Muti set, the rich voice of Agnes Baltsa has too much vibrato for my taste; hers is an oldfashioned mezzo, rarely found these days, but doubtless very much in vogue when the work was first launched. It is curious that Verdi was reluctant to produce the work in the first place in the fear that another Requiem in an overcrowded field might be a pointless exercise. From the outset, however, the Mass was greeted as an outstanding event, ranking in importance with Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” for nineteenth-century liturgical music. The position has remained unchanged since that time, the work

being just as impressive as it was from its first performance in 1874. The recorded sound from EMI is spacious, with the proper sense of direction and distance the occasion demands. Renata Scotto is quite superb, without the dramatic conviction of Mirella Freni in the Karajan set, while the Russian bass, Evgeny Nesterenko, could hardly be faulted. It is a satisfying version of a great work with niggling reservations on precision, soloists, spirituality or sonority. VERDI. Aida. Karajan conducts the V.P.O. and Vienna State Opera Chorus with Mirella Freni, Jose Carreras, Agnes Baltsa, Jose van Dam and Piero Cappuccilli. WORLD RECORDS WI 4902-3. Composed at the same period as Requiem Mass, “Aida” in the form shown here is another superb example of Verdi’s genius. Not always has Karajan managed to trump his earlier achievements, but he certainly does so here. His 1959 recording for Decca was a stimulating version which still holds well by current standards, but in the later recording he has avoided many of the traps which beset repeat performances — that of excess speeds, pompous when intending to aim for splendour, or brushing over detail. Where Muti rushed headlong into most of these faults, the old master has held his forces together with admirable leadership. Often when he has claimed that each succeeding performance is better than the one before, Karajan deceives no-one but himself yet I cannot recall a more outstanding exception to the rule than this present set. Some have achieved immortality in “Aida,” such as Maria Callas, but in time some may also claim that Jose Carreras has reached

the peak of his career in this present set. I did hear that the brilliant future predicted for him was unfortunately cut short, so it is in these works that one may experience the best of his singing. There are a few faults with the soloists though, but these scarcely detract from Karajan’s magnificent reading, one which is pungently atmospheric, and the conductor is happy in the knowledge that he has indeed produced a winner. LUCIANO PAVAROTTI. Mattinata. 14 tracks of excerpts from Beethoven, Bellini, Caldara, Ciampi, Donizetti, Durante, Giordani, Gluck, Tosti, Rossini and Leoncavallo. DECCA SXL 7013. With each succeeding recording one is unconsciously looking for signs of any falling off in the great singer’s quality, but those .searching for any dejeriora-

tion will be disappointed ’ with this batch. ’? Pavarotti has reverted to the role of the recitalist here, with more or less \ standard songs from the'.' Italian repertoire, the light- • weight discussions on the l various aspects of love to» the more sombre sentiments ’ of Beethoven’s “In Questa tomba ascura.” Pavarotti sings the» former with beguiling ’■ charm, the title piece from Leoncavallo is quite delightful in the older stage tradi-; tion, and those Rossini songs * which were originally cast I for piano and voice are * winningly transposed for ? orchestra — in this case the proficient Piero Gamba and ; the Philharmonia.