Transparent
The transparency of a chamber choir makes this German Requiem quite a different piece: warm, intimate, accessible. Something that one could imagine a few good friends performing at a musical mentor's funeral. It makes me look at traditional performances in a different light -- neither better nor worse, but different...heavier, more opaque, without the immediacy of these forces. Still...a few quibbles. Wow -- someone should have tuned the piano before the recording! I don't believe this is a "period" instrument, but even so, it should be better than this. The transparency of the vocal ensemble reveals a few "stars" in the choir. The blend is not ideal in spots as some voices soar out above the rest. Would love to see the concept of small vocal scale carried on to accompaniment by a small orchestra. That would make for a facsinating performance!
