Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Ein deutsches Requiem Op 45
Johanna Wallroth (soprano); Brian Mulligan (baritone)
Edvard Grieg Kor, Choir of Collegium Musicum
Bergen Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra/Edward Gardner
rec. 2024, Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway
German text and English translation
Chandos CHSA5271 SACD [68]

Ein deutsches Requiem is one of my favourite choral works. I’ve had the good fortune to sing in quite a number of amateur performances over the years and I never tire of rehearsing, performing or listening to it. Not only is the music inspired, but Brahms’ selection of texts is nothing short of inspired. The meaning of the words is profound and, furthermore, though I’m not a German speaker myself I find the words themselves very gratifying to sing, especially because the music fits them like a glove.  Whenever a new recording comes along, I feel a mixture of keen anticipation, therefore, but also a degree of trepidation: will the performance measure up to the best in the (very crowded) field?

This new version from Bergen had quite a lot going for it before the disc had even been placed in the player. I’ve previously encountered and admired the work of the three choirs which combine for this recording; the Bergen Philharmonic has a very fine pedigree; and I’ve enjoyed a lot of performances, both live and on disc, conducted by Edward Gardner. Incidentally, this recording was made (under studio conditions, I presume) in March 2024; that would be towards the end of the 2023/24 season after which Gardner stepped down as the Bergen Philharmonic’s Chief Conductor, becoming their Honorary Conductor. This, then, may be the last recording from his tenure. The other thing that augured well for this recording, in advance of listening, was the fact that this is a Chandos release and so comes with all their engineering expertise. 

Before discussing the performance, I should mention the three comparative versions that I used. One was the famous EMI recording which Otto Klemperer made with the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra in 1961. I notice that my colleague Rob Barnett reviewed this performance when it appeared on the Alto label and reported unsatisfactory sound. My copy is a 1986 digital remastering by EMI and the original label seems to have got it right. It wouldn’t surprise me if Warner were to reissue this performance in a new remastering, perhaps on SACD, as they have done with quite a few Klemperer recordings recently. Another version I consulted was the RCO Live performance from 2012 on which Mariss Jansons conducted the Netherlands Radio Choir and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (review). Finally, I took into consideration a recording which we don’t seem to have reviewed: the 1964 DG version on which Herbert von Karajan conducts the Wiener Singverein and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Gardner begins the first movement, ‘Selig sind die Toten’, slowly.  The tempo marking is Ziemlich langsam und mit Ausdruck (Rather slow and with expression). To be honest, though, the crotchets in the bass gave the impression of trudging. I checked both Jansons and Klemperer; both of them move the music along just a fraction more and, for me, that works better. The Bergen choir makes a positive impression; the sound the singers make is good and the words are clearly enunciated. Both of these characteristics apply throughout the performance. However, a little detail caught my ear. At bar 29 (cue A in my Edition Peters vocal score) the choir sings the word ‘selig’. This is clearly marked <>, a crescendo/diminuendo over two beats.  Exactly the same thing happens two bars later. The effect that Brahms is seeking is a swelling up and down. I’ve listened carefully through headphones and I don’t hear the choir doing this; they just seem to ‘sit’ on the note. This may seem to be a pernickety detail but I think it’s worth mentioning it for a couple of reasons. Firstly, both Klemperer and Jansons get their choirs to observe this, with beneficial results. Secondly – and this is the real reason I mention it – this isn’t the only time in the performance that this effect, though noted in the score, seems to go for nothing; furthermore, the choir is inconsistent in their observance of other crescendo and diminuendo markings; some are observed – and to good effect – but others appear to be either ignored or insufficiently done. It’s a pity when so much else of the choir’s work is admirable. Before leaving this movement, I should say that the orchestral contribution is marvellous; the rich, dark hues in Brahms’ scoring register ideally and the contrast with the high woodwind lines is excellent.

Gardner paces the march material in the second movement very well. The choir’s hushed delivery of ‘Denn alles Fleisch’ is very good indeed and then their forte reprise is admirably powerful – though I wonder if the pounding timpani are not too prominent both here and when the passage is repeated. Gardner gets the contrasting passage, at ‘So seid nun geduldig’, to flow in an ideal fashion. ‘Die erlöseten des Herrn’ is full of energy and I admire the clarity which the choir achieves; all the lines are audible. The third movement introduces us to the baritone soloist. I don’t recall that I’ve heard Brian Mulligan before. To be honest, I don’t think his contribution is ideal. To my ears he seems uncomfortable on the highest notes – there seems to be a hint of strain – and he doesn’t bring much eloquence to what he sings. Mariss Jansons has Gerald Finley as his soloist and his voice is evenly produced throughout its compass. He also makes far more of the words – without any undue exaggeration – and overall, he displays more command, compelling our attention rather more than Mulligan does. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sings for Klemperer. He’s the only native German speaker among our trio of soloists; it shows. He’s as expressive as you’d expect and the sound of his voice is a delight. Later in the movement comes the lengthy fugue, ‘Der Gerechten Seelen sind in Gottes Hand’. Gardner, quite properly, takes this swiftly but the music doesn’t sound rushed. The choir delivers the music nimbly; I admire the fact that they avoid any heaviness.

The much-loved fourth movement, ‘Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen’ is taken at a nice, flowing speed. The choir sings the movement well, though I don’t feel that they observe the dynamics sufficiently; as a result, there’s not quite enough contrast. The contrapuntal passage at ‘Die loben dich immerdar’ is robustly done – I mean that as a compliment. In the lovely fifth movement we hear the soprano, Johanna Wallroth. Like her baritone colleague, I think her voice is new to me. I liked her singing; she has an appealing, clear voice and her diction is very good. I also very much like the mellow sounds that Gardner obtains from the Bergen Philharmonic. On the Karajan recording Gundula Janowitz is in a class of her own; her singing of this solo is treasurable. However, I don’t think anyone hearing Ms Wallroth will be disappointed. The simple, consoling beauty of this movement is amply realised on this Bergen recording.

I sense that Gardner’s tempo for the opening pages of the sixth movement is a touch too deliberate – the tempo marking is Andante. I feel the same about Brian Mulligan’s singing, both in isolation and relative to his peers, as I did in the third movement. Gardner, his choir and orchestra make the passage beginning at ‘Denn es wird die Posaunen schallen’ exciting: accents are sharply observed and there’s ample bite in the singing and playing. The extended passage – arguably, a little over-extended – that begins with the fugue on ‘Herr, du bist würdig’ is performed with spirit and I’m delighted to find that heaviness is avoided, which isn’t always the case at this point in the score. It’s a long passage but I always find it exciting to sing and so, it seems, does Gardner’s choir. Having criticised some of the attention to dynamics elsewhere I should report, in fairness, that here the dynamics are generally well observed.

The last movement is well done, though I can’t help feeling that at ‘Ja, der Geist spricht’ more care over the dynamics would have helped the choir to make even more than they do of this extraordinary, pensive passage.

You may think I’ve been unduly critical of some matters of detail in this performance. Perhaps I have, but what might have easily passed unnoticed in a concert hall doesn’t necessarily stand up to repeated listening on a recording. In any case, if one is looking to invest in a version of Ein deutsches Requiem, the competition is ferocious. I’ve referenced three very fine recordings; there are several more in the catalogue which are equally fine, both historic and modern. For me, Gardner’s version just misses the mark. That said, others may disagree; there are, as I’ve said, quite a number of things going for this recording, which I’ve also tried to highlight.

As you’d expect, Chandos have recorded the performance with their usual excellence. The documentation is very good; the booklet includes a fine and informative essay about Ein deutsches Requiem by Nicholas Marston.

John Quinn

Previous review Ralph Moore (February 2025)