Karl Böhm (Conductor)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Matisse (S), Hamari (A), Ovman (T), Ridderbusch (Bs)
■ Product number: ESSG-90269
■ Specifications: Super Audio CD hybrid
■ JAN: 4907034224708
■ Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Genre: Symphony
■ Release date: December 10, 2022
Boehm's bitter lamentation for Mozart's "Swan Song" comes to fruition.
■ Böhm honestly conveys the essence of German and Austrian music
The Austrian conductor Karl Böhm (1894-1981), who was revered like a god by the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic during his lifetime and shared the popularity of Karajan. In contrast to Karajan's flamboyant music, which refines his music in an elegant way, Böhm's music, which is simple, simple, and faithful to the music, is highly regarded as conveying the essence of German and Austrian classical performances. I was. Since the 1970s, in the last decade of his life from the late 70's to the 80's, Boehm's presence as a guardian deity of classical music tradition has increased, especially in Japan, coupled with the acclaim of his three visits to Japan, which has led to a rapid increase in popularity. It was also a time when its reputation and popularity increased. This Mozart "Requiem" was recorded at the beginning of the last ten years of his life.
■ Leading Mozart recording at Deutsche Grammophon
Böhm's reputation as a 'Mozart conductor' was already established in the 1930s, when he headed the Dresden State Opera, and after moving to the Vienna State Opera, he continued to perform Viennese legendary Mozart conductors during and after the war. It lays the foundation for the ensemble. He has already recorded major symphonies since the SP era, and even after the introduction of LP, he recorded all the operas one after another, and was highly evaluated on the record side. Despite being born in the 19th century, Böhm drew a clear line from sentimental romanticism, and was known as ``new materialism (= Neue Sachrichkeit).'' It can be said that Mozart's interpretation, which has a clear sense of rhythm, embodies the mainstream of Mozart's performance in the latter half of the 20th century. At Deutsche Grammophon, where Böhm began recording in 1955, in the stereo era, in addition to the big project of the complete symphonies with the Berliner Philharmoniker (recorded from 1959 to 1968), "Don Giovanni", "Figaro's Marriage” and “The Magic Flute” were recorded, and he had a strong presence as if he had been assigned the role of “Mozart is Boehm”. Furthermore, by being fixed in the form of recordings and being widely publicized and sold, the splendor of Böhm's interpretation of Mozart was conveyed to music lovers around the world.
■Böhm's miraculous masterpiece imprinting his fulfillment in his later years
This image of "Mozart is Boehm" has been inherited in Boehm's recordings in the 1970s as major projects such as the serenade collection with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the continuation of the recording of all operas, and the wind concerto collection with the Vienna Philharmonic. I will continue. "Requiem" recorded in April 1971 is positioned as the recording that contributed most to strengthening this image among them. For Böhm, it is a long-awaited stereo re-recording since the Philips recording (Vienna Symphony Orchestra) in the monaural era, and a pure session for record recording was organized independently of the live, and it was recorded in two days, which is rare for such a large piece. I was. Although it relies on an extremely slow tempo, which can be said to be the style of Boehm's later years, there is no slack at all, and it is penetrated by a strong vitality. The string part, which is sung with a long bow, and the deep wind part, which uses Viennese-style instruments, both emit a rich sound unique to the Vienna Philharmonic, and Edith Matisse joins them. The choir of the Vienna State Opera, which was well-trained in its 30s by the master conductor Baratsch in both vocalization and dictation, vividly conveys Mozart's laments in his final years. Eight months after this recording, Böhm changed the orchestra to the Wiener Symphony Orchestra and recorded the video of "Requiem" at the Pierlisten Church in Vienna, and it seems that he was deeply devoted to this work at this time. increase.
■Orchestra, chorus, and solo singing captured at the optimum distance
Deutsche Grammophon veterans Wolfgang Lohse and Günter Hermanns were responsible for the recording. When the audience is empty, there is a lot of reverberation, and session recording is not necessarily easy. According to the photos of the session, there was only the chorus on the actual stage, and the orchestra was placed on a flat floor with no seats. It is thought that he may have aimed at it. It seems that the arrangement was successful, and while incorporating the beautiful reverberation of the hall itself, each part of the orchestra in the foreground and the chorus in the back is captured with an optimal sense of distance without blurring. The soloist's glossy and beautiful voice is also clear, but it is not too close, and the balance with the chorus and orchestra is naturally constructed. Since it was made into a CD in 1984 in the early days of the CD era, it has never disappeared from the catalog because it is a well-established masterpiece. It was released as a Super Audio CD hybrid in 2004, as a Super Audio CD single layer in 2010, and in recent years, as an MQA-CD and the second Super Audio CD hybrid disc (2021). It is a sought-after masterpiece that can be said to be a reference board for measuring the true value of new technology. This time, for the 3rd time in total, Super Audio CD hybridization, as in the past, from the selection of the master to be used to the final DSD mastering process, the work was done without compromise. Especially for DSD mastering, we used the newly constructed "Esoteric Mastering". Carefully calibrated, he brought in ESOTERIC's top-of-the-line Master Sound Discrete DAC and Master Sound Discrete Clock. Also, by generously using the MEXCEL cable, we were able to convert the information of the original master into a disc with a relaxed sound.
recorded music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Requiem in D Minor K.626
[1] Requiem - Kyrie
Requiem-Kyrie
[2] Day of Anger
Dies irae
[3] Strange trumpet sound
Tuba mirum
[4] The Formidable King of Goryou
Rex tremendae
[5] Remember
Recorder
[6] Those who are cursed and rejected
Confutatis
[7] Day of Tears
Lacrimosa
[8] Lord Jesus
Domine Jesu
[9] Praise Sacrifice
Hostias
[10] Holy Kana
Sanctus
[11] Blessed One
Benedictus
[12] Lamb of God – Eternal Light
Agnus Dei - Lux aeterna
Edith Mathis (soprano)
Edith Mathis, Soprano
Yulia Hamari (alto)
Julia Hamari, Alto
Wieslaw Ochman (tenor)
Wieslaw Ochman, Tenor
Karl Ridderbusch (bass)
Karl Ridderbusch, Bass
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Chor der Wiener Staatsoper
Chorus Master: Norbert Barracci
Chorus Master: Norbert Balatsch
Hans Haselbeck (organ)
Hans Haselbock, Organ
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Wiener Philharmoniker
Conductor: Karl Boehm
Conducted by Karl öhm
[Recorded] April 13-14, 1971, Vienna, Musikvereinsaal
[First Appearance] Deutsche Grammophon 2530 143 (1971)
[First appearance in Japan] Deutsche Grammophon MG2299 (November 1971)
[Original recording]
[Executive Producers] Hans Hirsch, Ellen Hickman
[Recording Producer] Wolfgang Lohse
[Balance Engineer] Günther Hermanns
[Super Audio CD Producer] Motoaki Ohma (Esoteric Co., Ltd.)
[Super Audio CD Remastering Engineer] Shinya Higashino (Esoteric Inc.)
[Technical Manager] Tetsuya Kato (Esoteric Co., Ltd.)
[Super Audio CD Remaster] September 2022 Esoteric Audio Room, "Esoteric Mastering" System
[Commentary] Kozo Asari and Motoyuki Teranishi
[Planning/Sales] Esoteric Co., Ltd.
[Planning/Cooperation] Tokyo Denka Co., Ltd.