Karajan Memorial Concert - Mozart: Requiem / Claudio Abbado

Amazon.com

The packaging labels this disc Mozart Requiem, but the actual program on the DVD bears the title "Herbert Von Karajan Memorial Concert," a document of a concert given on July 16, 1999 in Salzburg Cathedral to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of the conductor. Mozart's unfinished Requiem, as completed by Süssmayr, is obviously the main work. We are told that other works were performed in the concert, but not what they were, the only additional pieces included here being two short arias for soprano, "Betrachte dies mien Herz un Frage Mich," KV42 and "Laudate Dominum," KV339, beautifully sung by Rachel Harnisch. In the Requiem, Claudio Abbado summons a deeply atmospheric performance from the Berlin Philharmonic and Swedish Radio Choir, and equally expressive singing from his finely matched soloists. Bass Bryn Terfel is powerfully communicative, soprano Karita Mattila hauntingly resigned. If not as fiery as if Karajan himself were conducting, this is still a memorable and rewarding tribute.

The DVD has a wonderfully three-dimensional Dolby-Digital 5.1 sound mix that brings the Salzburg Cathedral ambience alive, and a stunningly detailed and clear anamorphically enhanced picture. Documentation is minimal; no texts, subtitles, or information about either Von Karajan or Rachel Harnisch is given. There is only one special feature, which is not documented on the disc: by default the disc offers a standard multi-camera view, but at a press of the Angle button it switches to a second set of cameras focused entirely on Abbado. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2006-03-16

Abbado is always superb - and with the Berlin Phil!!!!! Camera work gets better and better.

Both sight and sound disappoint.......2004-10-27

Organized in observance of the tenth anniversary of the death of Karajan, this concert of Mozart's Requiem in the cathedral of Salzburg is performed by the Berliner Philharmonik and Swedish Radio Choir conducted by Claudio Abbado. I found it a profound disappointment.

Abaddo drives the ensemble far too fast, and the result is a deliriously-paced performance lacking in any sense of sanctity or gravitas. My favourite performance of the Requiem is that by Das Neue Orchester and Chorus Musicus Koeln under Christoph Spering, and while I understand that not all conductors are willing to keep the work as slowly paced as Spering, there's no excuse for the rushed handling of Abbado.

The concert is rounded out with two arias, "Betrachte dies mien Herz un Frage Mich" and "Laudate Dominum" performed by Rachel Harnisch. While pretty, they add little to the DVD.

The visuals of the DVD are mixed. The cathedral is a wonderful work of architecture, and the camera is often placed on its superb art. However, the shots of the orchestra and choir are not so pleasant. One of the choir members has ridiculous waxed moustaches that Salvador Dali could only envy, while some of the female performers are inappropriately dressed for a church. While the important thing is, of course, the music, the poor visuals of the DVD only spoil any enjoyment of the sound.

All in all, I would not recommend this DVD. The Requiem is, of course, a wonderful piece of music, but there are better performances out there. Try the aforementioned disc conducted by Spering.

Audio is good.......2003-07-05

Good audio from this DVD. Nice arrangement of the peice. Worth having for your collection.

Audio is good.......2003-07-05

Good audio from this DVD. Nice arrangement of the peice. Worth having for your collection.

Too fast.......2003-02-12

Mozart's Requiem is possibly my absolute favorite piece of music. If there is a God, He/She/It is to be found here. I give this DVD four stars because the Karl Bohm 1971 recording is my favorite, and this markedly differs from that. Conductor Claudio Abbado takes what seems to me to be a rushed approach. The Requiem here is very fast with too much staccato, in my opinion. I admit that this is probably because I'm used to Bohm's slower, more fluid version. Moreover, this performance lacks some of the grandeur of the Bohm recording. It appears that Abbado doesn't use a full orchestra, while it most definitely sounds like Bohm does. If I'm correct that Abbado here doesn't use a full orchestra, it must be because of the spatial constraints of the cathedral in which it is performed. However, the setting of the performance in this Salzburg cathedral somewhat makes up for some of the deficiencies I've mentioned. On the whole, as the consensus seems to be that the other DVD versions of this Requiem are inferior to this one, this particular version is well worth buying. I just wish Bohm's version had been filmed as well.

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