Up front, I’ll confess that my favorite Fauré Requiem recording is by John Rutter’s Cambridge Singers (Collegium) in Rutter’s own edition of the 1893 version of the work–that is, Fauré’s second realization of the piece that’s best known today in its third, full-orchestra incarnation, one that the composer probably didn’t even create.
Rutter’s version presents the liturgically practical setting Fauré made for small orchestra–one that seems to capture the composer’s original conception of the piece. However, the one most often heard these days is a full-fledged concert incarnation that employs the forces of a modern symphony orchestra and large choir–and that’s what this justly acclaimed recording with Jean Fournet and the Rotterdam Philharmonic delivers on this Philips “50 Great Recordings” disc. This is a reissue that fans of the “big” setting will look forward to hearing again on CD, and indeed, they won’t be entirely disappointed with the performance’s overall power, dense textures, and sheer sonic weight.
However, this comes with a price: orchestral detail is impossible to discern–everything just sort of blends together; and similarly, the chorus is impressive in body but rather unidimensional in spirit. The real star here is soprano Elly Ameling, whose ardent, clearly expressed Pie Jesu–with unapologetic vibrato and rich tone–makes a nice contrast to Caroline Ashton’s purer, more starkly colored rendition on Collegium. The disc is completed by a decent (if somewhat brisk) Pavane and a luscious, lovely reading of Pelléas et Mélisande, conducted by David Zinman–the latter in gorgeous, full-bodied sound that makes the whole disc worth a serious listen.
