December 28, 2006

Different Mozarts  

After reading about it yesterday, I picked up the Robert Levin version of the Mozart Requiem and listened through the later movements (presuming that the first two movements were unchanged since Mozart completed them himself). Because I'm so familiar with the Sussmayr version (I even performed it as a treble in this choir), I found the experience a little bit unsettling. The orchestration does seem lighter and more Mozartean, and some sections -- for instance the Benedictus -- were markedly improved. At the same time though some seemingly minor changes to melodies were quite jarring, and most of the sections that have been extensively reworked disappointed me. This was particularly true of the fugues, the new (!) Amen and the two Hosannas -- for me at least they just don't have the same clarity and sense of movement that the Kyrie and and Quam olim Abrahae sections have. Maybe they'll grow on me?

At any rate, the whole thing is a fascinating exercize and one I recommend if you happen to be familiar with the Requiem. I'll probably seek out some other versions now as well.

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