Oh joy. Another reissue of a reissue of a reissue. Decca’s previous release of the Dvorák Requiem included his Mass in D, while the Kodály last appeared on Kertész’s complete Háry János (both twofers). This newcomer reveals the pitfalls of a witless application of technology absent a careful ear guiding the process. There’s very little difference between this reissue and the last, save that the sound has acquired a harshness and glare, a “processed” quality, that it has lacked hitherto. The higher recording level and emphasis on such ephemera as throbbing organ pedals in the “Dies Irae” point to an attempt to create a “hi fi” extravaganza at the expense of more important musical values. The performance of the Requiem is a very good one, but still not the equal of Ancerl’s on Supraphon with a better lineup of soloists (including Maria Stader and the young Ernst Haefliger), far more natural, better balanced, spacious recorded sound, the wonderful timbres of the Czech Philharmonic, and a chorus that roundly outshines the Ambrosian Singers. This Psalmus hungaricus also numbers among the finest recordings of the piece, but again this unimpressive “96kHz 24-bit Super DIGITAL Transfer” offers little more than a not-so-super way to part you from your hard-earned money. If you already own any of the previous issues of these performances, no need to pay any attention to this one. If not, it’s a decent buy, but it doesn’t sound as good as it used to, and there’s no excuse for that.
