5つ星のうち4.0GREAT SOPRANO SOLOS, CHOIR MUDDY AT TIMES, INTERESTING SUBJECTIVE CONDUCTING
2010年1月20日にアメリカ合衆国でレビュー済み
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Update Apr 10, 2014. NOTE THAT THE WRONG COVER PHOTO HAS BEEN DISPLAYED. Having heard this choir sing Bach's Christmas Oratorio, on a CD from a library, I knew this recording would have problems. In the Creation, they do very well in the dramatic forte parts but lose focus in a few of the softer parts. A review elsewhere blames the recording for this, but I cannot find anything electronic that is wrong. Having sung this and other choral works, as well as recording choirs, I suspect that they spent most of the rehearsal time on the key sections. Not enough time was left to work on singing the softer sections cleanly with good diction. This is not uncommon with amateur choirs today, and three decades ago this would be great choral singing. Many listeners will not find this annoying at all.
Guttenberg's conducting is perhaps too subjective at times but also brings a new perspective to this music. His use of rubato is not as fluid as Welser-Moest or Furtwaengler. Listeners who find authentic performances, such as Gardiner's, too rigid may find this more romantic approach rewarding. The use of a piano instead of a harpsichord is another way in which this performance is made more romantic sounding.
Although not well known, the Saarbruecken Radio Symphony Orchestra is excellent. I have some Bruckner symphonies with this orchestra conducted by Skrowaczewski that I like very much, despite having Bruckner conducted by Jochum, Furtwaengler, Wand and Rattle. The soprano solos sung by Malin Hartelius are excellent. She is a consistantly pleasing singer. This,and her Brahms Requiem recording, are her best sounding recordings from the 1990s, Bass and tenor soloists are quite good too.
In conclusion: In my opinion, this recording does not stand up to the Gardiner recording, except for the soprano solos. For fans of Hartelius, this is a "must have". For anyone who does not like the authentic period instrument recordings and wants excellent sound, this might be just what you want.