Verdi : Requiem
Evelina Dobraceva, soprano
Elizabeth DeShong, mezzo-soprano
Edgaras Montvidas, tenor
Hanno Müller-Brachmann, bass-baritone
RSNO Chorus
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Carlos Miguel Prieto
The Verdi Requiem is one of those extraordinary pieces that is virtually bullet-proof in performance terms, in that it still produces an impact even in second-, third-, or fourth-rate hands. Hearing it in first-rate hands, though, is immeasurably more satisfying, and that is what we got tonight.
My only problem with tonight's performance is that I was seated a little close to the orchestra, in the stalls, with the result that at peak moments, the sound of the chorus went rather over our heads, and the middle range of the voices was a bit drowned out. The opening phrase of the "Dies irae" was indistinguishable until the sopranos chimed in, in their top register, which made everything audible again. However, that was no one's fault save the acoustics, and certainly not that of the chorus which was singing its collective heart out from start to finish, fervent and fervid, clear and firm-toned throughout.
We were further blessed with an excellent quartet of soloists, all in fine vocal form, all wholeheartedly engaged in the music. Evelina Dobraceva is a rather characteristic Slavic dramatic soprano, big tone, rather heavy on the vibrato, not my favourite type of soprano, but the voice is of fine quality, smoothly velvety and well controlled, only very slightly pushed right at the bottom of the range, and not at all strained at the top.
Elizabeth DeShong was able to match her for vocal weight, with a very dark, lush timbre much of the time except when she most needed to lighten it, for the "Lux aeterna", which was magical. Similarly the men both sounded very much at ease, Montvidas clear and sure, very pleasing, Müller-Brachmann forthright and resonant. It's more usual to cast a full bass, rather than a bass-baritone, but Müller-Brachmann's voice lacked neither power nor colour.
The orchestra supported and complemented all this with energy and precision, and a full gamut of expression, from merest whispers to the thunderous shouts, deftly guided by Carlos Miguel Prieto, an economical but effective conductor who knew exactly what he wanted from his forces, and how to achieve it.
[Next : 7th January]
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