Mozart: Requiemby Anonymous

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April 10, 2002: It's amazing to me that so many big-name conductors don't seem to be able to grasp this work. Georg Solti is one of the few exceptions. The orchestra is expressive and clear, and Solti's tempi are appropriate to the compositions. My usual complaint with recordings of this work is that so many conductors take so much of the work way too slowly. If anything, a couple of times Solti's tempi were so brisk that some of the details of the composition are lost on the ear (e.g., the Confutatis). But my major beef with this recording is that the chorus sounds strident at times, almost as if it's screaming. Arleen Auger is also present on Robert Shaw's recording of the Mozart Requiem. In my opinion, that recording is the best available. Check it out!