Instead of Arleen Augér and the Requiem, the cover of this Sony Essential Classics disc should feature Judith Blegen and Exsultate, jubilate, for it’s this latter singer and her performance of Mozart’s early showstopper (he wrote it when still in his mid-teens) that makes this a recording to own. Blegen’s technically flawless and musically peerless rendition is a pure celebration of beautiful singing and of the wonder of Mozart’s dazzling masterpiece. The sound is as clear and immediate as if it had been recorded yesterday, and Pinchas Zukerman’s direction is exemplary. Not so exemplary is this version of the Mozart/Süssmayr Requiem, although it certainly is one of the sturdier and more durable performances on disc (and the quartet of soloists is unsurpassed).
Although Helmut Rilling’s tempos are sometimes too plodding (the opening Introitus, for example), he makes up for it elsewhere–in an emphatic Recordare and smoothly flowing Benedictus. And while the chorus has a somewhat saturated, conglomerate sound, its impact is nevertheless substantial, not only in the fullest, loudest sections, but also in the quieter passages, which come off as more evenly balanced. Soloists, on the other hand, are absolutely clear if perhaps just a bit too up-front, and the orchestra, which fares well overall, gets swallowed in the mix when the entire chorus is singing. Rilling requires keen articulation from his players and singers, which although normally a good thing sometimes (as in the opening of the Confutatis) seems overly deliberate and stifles the music’s natural momentum. However, if you’re looking for a good, basic reading of the traditional edition of the Requiem–and an unrivalled performance of the Exsultate, jubilate–you won’t go wrong with this decently remastered, inexpensively priced release.
