Last week I hadn’t really decided whether or not I should go to a performance of Britten’s War Requiem. After being convinced by a fellow Twitterer (once again, thank you Serrin!), I eventually decided that it would be stupid not to attend a concert with conductor Alan Gilbert, soon-to-be music director of the NY Philharmonics.
The soloists (Amanda Roocroft, soprano, Toby Spence, tenor and James Rutherford, baryton) were all very good, but the real stars of the evening were Eric Ericsson’s Chamber Choir and the Adolf Fredrik’s Boys Choir, who were both sublime.
I’m almost ashamed to say that up until a week ago, I had never heard the work. This is an intense, powerful, heartbreaking piece that probably must be one of the most important musical works of the twentieth century. I’ll be emotionally drained for the next few days.
Recommended listening:
The 1963 recording with Britten and the London Symphony Orchestra is by many considered to be the benchmark recording (it can be found here on the Swedish iTunes Store, and here on the American one).
Further reading:
For a thorough musical analysis of the work, try Thomas Niday and Cyrus Behroozi’s page on The War Requiem.
Try also the h2g2 page at BBC on Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem.
(Picture “Preparing for Britten” taken with my iPhone on October 18, 2007.)
