Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Requiem
Contents listed after review
Ying Fang (soprano); Beth Taylor (alto); Laurence Kilsby (tenor); Alex Rosen (bass); Chadi Lazreq (treble)
Ensemble Pygmalion/Raphaël Pichon
rec. 2023, Grand Manège de Namur, Belgium
Libretto and commentary in French, English and German included
Reviewed as a 24-bit/96kHz download
Harmonia Mundi HMM 902729 [73]
Raphaël Pichon’s new recording of Mozart’s Requiem, performed with his Ensemble Pygmalion, continues his series of exceptional albums for Harmonia Mundi, following his acclaimed interpretations of Bach’s Köthener Trauermusik (review) and Motets, and, most recently, Monteverdi’s Vespers. Pichon’s approach, while historically informed, is far from dogmatic or academic. His performances use period instruments and are rooted in careful study of historical sources, but they remain deeply expressive, prioritising drama and emotional impact over strict adherence to scholarly orthodoxy. This results in performances that are both historically informed and theatrically potent.
One of the most distinctive features of all of Pichon’s recordings is his overall sound aesthetic, which stands in contrast to earlier generations of early music specialists. The sound has a strong bass foundation, resulting in a rich, full-bodied sonority, quite unlike the often bright, tinny and harsh textures heard in many recordings from the 1980s and 1990s, such as Christopher Hogwood’s well-known version of the Requiem (L’Oiseau-Lyre).
What sets this recording apart from others of Mozart’s Requiem is Pichon’s decision to intersperse additional works by Mozart between the movements of the Requiem, creating a narrative structure that explores themes of death and mortality. These added pieces, some transposed or newly orchestrated to fit into the context of the Requiem, allow for smooth transitions and illuminate thematic connections within Mozart’s œuvre. By juxtaposing early and late works, Pichon highlights the continuity in Mozart’s writing, while also underscoring the unfinished, fragmentary nature of the Requiem itself.
The idea of interspersing additional pieces into the Requiem is not entirely new. Manfred Honeck has employed a similar approach in his concerts with a number of European and American orchestras over the past decade, presenting the Requiem as part of Mozart’s ‘hypothetical funeral service’, incorporating plainchant, other works by Mozart, as well as readings from the Bible and the composer’s letters. By contrast, Pichon’s version has its roots in a fully staged production of Mozart’s Requiem directed by Romeo Castellucci at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2019.
The programme is framed by the Gregorian antiphon In paradisum, performed by boy treble Chadi Lazreq. This is the only non-Mozartian work in the programme, opening and closing the album to establish a spiritual and thematic arc. After this haunting introduction comes the short canon Ach, zu kurz ist unsers Lebens Lauf (‘Alas, too short is the span of our life’), performed by the solo quartet of the Requiem. Fittingly, the canon, like life itself, is cut short and ends abruptly in the middle of a phrase. Pichon then transitions seamlessly into the Kyrie in D minor, K. 90, which is here sung to the text of Miserere mei. Composed by the fifteen-year-old Mozart in the style of Palestrina, the work’s key allows for a smooth progression into the opening of the Requiem proper.
A particularly notable and fascinating interpolation is the bass aria Ne pulvis et cinis superbe te geras, K. 122 (‘Do not indulge in pride, ye who are but dust and ashes’), which Pichon inserts after the Kyrie. This piece is particularly interesting because of its secular and theatrical origins—it was originally part of Mozart’s incidental music for Tobias Philipp von Gebler’s Masonic play Thamos, King of Egypt and was initially entitled Ihr Kinder des Staubes, erzittert und bebet (‘Tremble, ye children of the dust’). Mozart later set it to a Latin (and Christian) text to remove it from its Egyptian context and make it suitable for liturgical use. Despite having been composed when Mozart was not even twenty, it anticipates the music of the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and pairs strikingly with the Dies irae that follows.
After Rex tremendae, boy treble Lazreq returns to sing Mozart’s Solfeggio in F major, K. 393/2, newly orchestrated by Vincent Manac’h. This piece was originally intended as a didactic vocal exercise for young singers. The childlike innocence of this piece stands in sharp contrast to an unusually percussive and dramatic reading of Confutatis. Following Domine Jesu Christe, Pichon introduces the motet Quis te comprehendat, K. Anh. 110, which is based on the Adagio from Mozart’s Gran Partita, K. 361. This piece has a close resemblance to the Hostias from the Requiem, which follows it, and acts as a point of repose in the middle of the programme.
One of the most beautiful moments in the recording comes just before the Agnus Dei, when Pichon inserts a newly orchestrated version of Mozart’s hymn-like O Gottes Lamm, K. 343/1. A German paraphrase of the liturgical Agnus Dei, this piece is performed by the Scottish mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor, whose serene delivery, marked by long legato lines and inner calm, is deeply moving.
For the movements of the Requiem itself, Pichon uses the traditional Süßmayr completion, with one notable exception. After Süßmayr’s Amen at the end of the Lacrimosa, Pichon inserts a few bars of Mozart’s own fugato-like ‘Amen’ sketch. This fragment, like the canon earlier in the programme, ends abruptly, a reminder of Mozart’s own untimely death and the incompleteness of the work.
Purists who prefer a more traditional, uninterrupted Requiem experience can always programme their CD player or create a playlist to exclude the additional material.
The performance as a whole is marked by the exceptional quality of the choir and soloists. Pichon’s choir displays great discipline and a profound understanding of the text, with a clear sense of rhetoric in every phrase. The authentic South German/Austrian ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation adds a further layer of historical accuracy. The solo quartet—Ying Fang (soprano), Beth Taylor (alto), Laurence Kilsby (tenor), and Alex Rosen (bass)—are excellent throughout, with light and flexible voices that fit perfectly into the overall sound world. While bass Alex Rosen sounds a bit strained and shouty on the top notes, his powerful low register and sense of dramatic flair more than compensate.
The album boasts exemplary sound quality. It was recorded in a medium-sized concert hall rather than a church, which allows the music the space it needs without compromising the clarity of the textures. The one slight disappointment is the booklet, which falls short of Harmonia Mundi’s usual high standards. The text is littered with typos and mistranslations, including a particularly unfortunate howler: The canon Ach, zu kurz ist unsers Lebens Lauf is listed as ‘Ach, zu kurz ist unsers Lebenslauf’, which would translate as ‘Alas, our CV is too short’, turning Mozart’s memento mori into a lament about a failed job application.
Pichon’s creative and intelligent programming, coupled with the extraordinary musical quality, makes this recording essential listening, even for those who already own multiple versions of the Requiem and think there is nothing new left to discover. While it may not displace longstanding personal favourites like Herreweghe (HMM 931620) or Abbado (DGG 463181-2), this is, without question, the finest recording of Mozart’s Requiem I have encountered in years.
Stefan Schwarz
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Contents
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Requiem in D minor (ed. Süßmayr), KV 626 (1791)
Ach, zu kurz ist unsers Lebens Lauf, K. 228 (515b) (1787)
Miserere mei (originally Kyrie), K. 90 (1771)
Ne pulvis et cinis, K. 122 (c. 1774)
Solfeggio in F major (orch. Vincent Manac’h), K. 393/2 (1782)
Quis te comprehendat, K. Anh. 110 (1781)
O Gottes Lamm (orch. Vincent Manac’h), K. 343/1 (1788)
Anonymous (plainchant)
In paradisum
