In our current world, where it’s almost impossible to find classical music of any kind in a brick-and-mortar store, and with many folks out there not yet quite internet-savvy enough to shop successfully for music online, it’s no wonder that many classical music labels have either appeared solely based on live concert recording, or have turned to it as a serious cost-cutting measure. Just look at labels such as LSO Live, RPO Live, CSO Resound or the San Francisco Symphony’s very successful live recording forays for the proof, and such is the case with this relatively new German label, Coviello Classics. In this case, the recording involves a relatively provincial symphony, the Aachen Symphony Orchestra, and the Vocapella chorus, along with vocal soloists who are essentially unknown to U.S. audiences. Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect from this disc, and honestly, I’m just blown away by how very good it is! Of course, most provincial European orchestras can give the average American orchestra a serious run for the money on any day, with just about any repertory. Labels like Naxos tapped into that notion years ago.
Verdi’s Missa da Requiem was called by George Bernard Shaw “Verdi’s greatest opera,” and many over the years have concurred – it’s a requiem on steroids at the very least. Verdi’s successes as an operatic composer helped him infuse his requiem with enough humanity and attention to detail to help the work resonate with a variety of audiences. This allows the work to stand successfully alongside any of his operas. Verdi had actually taken a break from operatic composition in 1873, when he received the news of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, Italian nationalist, author and poet, whom Verdi held in very high esteem. He felt compelled to compose a requiem mass for Manzoni, and the enthusiastic reception the work received helped propel him to later compose his final two operas, Otello and Falstaff, which were both rooted thematically in the Requiem da Missa.
From the opening notes, it’s obvious that this disc is something very special indeed. The surround presentation is exceptional, and places you in the theoretical best seat in the house. The vocal soloists are not rendered at such a scale that disproportionately places them against the orchestra and chorus. And the dynamics of this disc are nothing short of miraculous. I’d have no reservations about trying anything on the Coviello Classics label. Very highly recommended!
– Tom Gibbs
