Anton Bruckner - Requiem (Łukasz Borowicz)

Information

Composer: Anton Bruckner

1. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: I. Introitus. Requiem
2. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: II. Sequentia. Dies Irae
3. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: IIIa. Offertorium. Domine
4. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: IIIb. Offertorium. Hostias
5. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: IIIc. Offertorium. Quam olim
6. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: IV. Sanctus
7. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: V. Benedictus
8. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: VIa. Agnus Dei
9. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: VIb. Requiem
10. Requiem in D minor, WAB 39: VIc. Cum sanctis
11. Libera, WAB 32
12. Aequales, WAB 149
13. Am Grabe, WAB 2
14. Vor Arneths Grab, WAB 53 (arr. Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs)
15. Vor Arneths Grab, WAB 53
16. Aequales, WAB 114
17. Todtenlied No. 1, WAB 47 No. 1
18. Trösterin Musik, WAB 81b
19. Todtenlied No. 2, WAB 47 No. 2
20. Libera, WAB 21

Johanna Winkel, 

Sophie Harmsen, 

Michael Feyfar, 

Ludwig Mittelhammer, 

RIAS Kammerchor

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

Łukasz Borowicz, conductor

Date: 2019

Label: Accentus

https://accentus.com/discs/474/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

This collection of funeral music by Bruckner, mostly choral works composed in his twenties, provides a fascinating contrast with the more commonly heard symphonic masterpieces from the composer’s later years. The most substantial work here is the Requiem, completed in 1849 when Bruckner was just 24. Scored for four soloists, chorus, strings, three trombones, horn and organ continuo, the work was composed following the death of Franz Sailer, a notary at the St Florian monastery who had encouraged Bruckner’s musical talents and who bequeathed him his Bösendorfer grand piano, which Bruckner kept for the rest of his life. The influence of Mozart notwithstanding, the Requiem is a finely crafted piece of music and is notable for including a double fugue six years before Bruckner commenced his extended counterpoint studies with Simon Sechter.

Also dating from Bruckner’s early period are the Aequales Nos 1 and 2 for three trombones, the two Libera me settings and the two lovely Totenlieder settings for a cappella choir. In addition to arranging the first Aequales for the more authentic historic trombone rather than modern bass trombone as usually heard, the Bruckner scholar Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs has reconstructed a possible third Aequales in F minor that was later expanded to form the funeral chorus Vor Arneths Grab. This latter chorus was first performed in 1854 at the funeral of the prior of St Florian, Michael Arneth. The same text but different music forms the basis of another funeral chorus, Am Grabe, first performed in 1861. Bruckner composed a final funeral chorus, Nachruf! (‘Obituary!’), in 1877 in memory of his friend and St Florian organist Josef Seiberl. A concert in 1886 brought a revised text and new title, Trösterin Musik. This recording of the piece combines both texts and titles with an arrangement by Cohrs for mixed choir rather than the large male choir for which it was originally composed.

With Schönzeler’s pioneering recording (Unicorn, 12/70) yet to be made available in digital form, Matthew Best’s 1987 version for Hyperion has long been a recommendation for the Requiem. Borowicz’s interpretation is considerably swifter than either of these but his performance has freshness and depth, and makes a strong impression. The smaller pieces have all been recorded before with the exception of the speculative third Aequales. The singing and playing are uniformly excellent, and the recording has exemplary balance and clarity. The booklet note by Cohrs, in German, English and French, is extremely informative. It’s a pity, however, that no translations are provided of the Latin and German texts.

-- Christian Hoskins, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Jan/Bruckner_requiem_ACC30474.html

https://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Requiem-RIAS-Kammerchor-Berlin/dp/B07Y1V51B9

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896) was an Austrian composer. His symphonies are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, strongly polyphonic character, and considerable length. Bruckner composed eleven symphonies, scored for a fairly standard orchestra; his orchestration was modeled after the sound of his primary instrument, the pipe organ. Despite being criticized for their large size and use of repetition, Bruckner's symphonies was greatly admired by subsequent composers, including his friend Gustav Mahler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Bruckner

***

Łukasz Borowicz (born 25 September, 1977 in Warsaw) is a Polish conductor. He graduated with honors in orchestral and opera conducting from the Warsaw Academy of Music in the class of Bogusław Madey. From 2007 to 2015 he was Chief Conductor of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw. Considered one of the leading conductors of younger generation, Borowicz is distinguished from others by his interest in the less-known repertoire. A prolific recording artist with over 75 albums to his name, Borowicz's recordings have been awarded three Diapason d’Or, among other prizes.
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Łukasz_Borowicz
http://lukaszborowicz.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!