[concert] Strauss, Brahms: RFH, 3.XI.10

Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs
Johannes Brahms: A German Requiem
Solveig Kringelborn soprano, Jacques Imbrailo baritone, Goldsmiths Choral Union, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Brian Wright conductor

I'm not that familiar with either of the pieces, but last night's performance inclines me to search out the Brahms and be more open to the Strauss. (I find Richard Strauss's operas, e.g. Electra, hard work: the Last Songs are more mellow and accessible, though still have the edge and depth.)

I don't think I'd ever heard Brahms' Requiem performed before: it's dramatic, loud (esp. with RFH organ) and lusciously textured. Mostly choir rather than soloists (though both Kringelborn and Imbrailo had gorgeous hall-filling resonant voices). One of the things I love most about Brahms is the changes of rhythm and tempo -- they remind me of those optical illusions where you see two profiles and then a vase -- and the Requiem is constantly changing, slowing and loudening [why isn't there a better verb for this? or is it a vocabulary fail?]. Not an exhilirating piece in the way that Beethoven's 9th, or Verdi's Requiem, have been, but a profoundly moving one.

You can hear it for free via Wikipedia and Creative Commons!

Roiling Sky

Roiling Sky
Originally uploaded by tamaranth