Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 – Jan Willem de Vriend

   in Choir & Organ (May, 2017)
Brahms’s German Requiem has been fortunate on disc. This live recording made from all-Dutch forces joins a very competitive market, rubbing shoulders with such fine recent accounts as those conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. It is a perfectly decent, middle-of-the-road performance, in which Brahms’s inspiration and impeccable fine craftsmanship shine out. The choral sound is a touch recessed on the recording but there’s no doubting the singers’ unflagging spirit and accomplished sense of line, especially the sopranos. Their first phrase in the final movement, at a point when most choirs are beginning to flag, is beautifully sung. Two accomplished soloists complete the vocal honours. …