Sheer Heaven...
Maybe a requiem mass is not your idea of entertainment, but after listening to this CD at least 100 times since purchasing it 2 months ago I can only rave about the quality of the singing and the quality of the recording.

I'm now afraid I have a bias for Hogwood produced work.

It is truly a beautiful piece of work: supported by Emma Kirkby and the boys choir whose voices lift you above the everyday sensations.

I highly recommend this CD over others on the same subject. I am unable to speak to the technicalities of techniques and choice of "manuscripts" I leave that to the experts (or so called experts). This is a moving piece and as such can only affect according to ones taste.

Approach with Caution, know what you want
Caution: this is not a Mozart Requiem for beginners, or for those who seek only a "middle" performance. Hogwood conducts the 'Maunder' edition, which includes most prominently an intresting "Amen". What bothers me about this performance -different that is- is quite frankly the boys choir replacing the women's choir.

If you buy this good disc, you should know what you want: a completely different take on the Requiem.

Novice's - top find
Although only a novice and by no means an erudite music critic, Mozart's Requiem has always been a personal (late night) favourite of mine. At last count, I have now collected at least 7 versions on CD/SACD & LP. However, I find this L'Oiseau Lyre - AAM / Hogwood version to have the most emotive and passionate singing as well as being excellently engineered/recorded. The then young Emma Kirby's voice is just sublime in places. This is not a version with just one performer excelling and the others (soloists/orchestra) just along for the ride. All give very strong performances. An exceptional disc which should be in every serious collector's library.

The best recording of the Requiem I have ever heard
Well, to start things off I was an AP music theory student for two years. We studied tons of stuff and Mozart just happens to be my favorite composer. Anyway, from the minute I learned of the Requiem I absolutely fell in love with it. My teacher had THIS recording, and upon graduation I realized I had to track it down. So I came to Amazon.com and ordered it.

First of all, I have to agree- Emma Kirkby's voice is simply, purely angelic. Such little vibrato can be very hard to achieve when it comes to soprano soloists...her voice is so pure and refreshing. It first in perfectly with the boys' choir, which brings me to my next point- I DO believe having a boys' choir is absolutely appropriate...the innocence and purity of young boys combined with the 'darkness' of the requiem mass and its music it simply haunting.

Emma sounds beautiful in the solos, everything from the Intriot to the Recordare and Tuba Mirum. The basses and tenors in the "Dies irae" are fantastic. The Kyrie I love because it's faster than most other recordings I have heard and I think the tempo is just perfect.

I also like the Rex Tremendae because the tempo is faster, and I also like Hogwood's interpretation of the opening phrase. The staccato, "grandly processional" sound in the minor key is fantastic. It's looming and it gets "king of awful majesty" across brilliantly.

The boys' choir during "voca mae" in the Confutatis is so chilling. I absolutely love it.

My most favorite of all the parts in the Requiem, though, has got to be the Lacrimosa. It's almost brought me to tears several times. It's just...everything you could ever hope to hear, and that's really the best I can explain it. It's amazing.

This recording of Mozart's Requiem is the absolute best I have ever heard, and I have heard at least 6 different recordings, nothing ever coming close to this version. I've found myself putting this back into my CD player and getting chills all over again for the last 4 years. It's amazing.

I think if Mozart were alive he'd be pleased with this version.

Asking the Right Questions
There are many serious points to consider before buying such a deep and profound work as Mozart's Requiem. It's important to know exactly what you want, or you may be disappointed. However, keep an open mind and be prepare for some surprises. I will now attempt to tell you how this particular recording fulfilled and disappointed my expectations.

Being a singer myself, the first things I consider when I listen to a recording are the soloists, starting with soprano. Emma Kirkby is a fantastic singer who sings with very little vibrato. The question is, do you care more about authenticity or hearing it the way you've always heard it. Most singers now sing with alot of vibrato, whereas most singers in Mozart's day did not. On the other hand, I believe that the alto, Carolyn Watkinson, uses entirely too much vibrato, destroying both the authenticity and the overall beauty. The tenor is well-trained, but a bit too dramatic for sacred works. A Requiem is not an opera. The bass is good overall, though a bit "thick" and "heavy" sounding for my taste. In other words, too much vibrato again.

The next thing I would consider is the choir. The main question here seems to be is a boychoir what you want for this work? In my opinion, Hogwood did well to use a boychoir for something bright, like Handel's Messiah, but a boychoir seems a bit too bright for the dark drama of the Requiem. On the other hand, the sound is crisp and clear and every note distinct.

I don't claim to be an expert on instrumentalists, so I'll now concentrate on the conductor himself. Overall, I thought he did an excellent job, but sometimes there seemed to be a lack of the drama that is present in other recordings. I believe that the orchestra occasionally lacks dynamic contrast or well-placed accents. There's very little swell in some songs. The part that especially bothered me was the "Rex tremendae", which was taken much too fast. The tremendous and fearful majesty was almost entirely absent. The words "salva me" did not convey the piteous cries of a sinner.

As for the authenticity of the piece, I appreciate Hogwood's efforts to restore Mozart's genius to the piece. I was never completely satisfied with the parts written by Sussmayr and I have not missed them at all in this recording. And the "Amen", added from one of Mozart's other masses, is absolutely beautiful and fits in very well with the Requiem, especially since it is very Baroque.

Well, I won't tell you whether to buy it or not, I just hope I have helped to answer some of the questions you may have had about the performance. I hope you enjoy it.