War Requiem
A lot of people were surprised when this recording ofBenjamin Britten'sWar Requiem--featuring the all-amateur Washington Chorus, the Shenandoah Conservatory Chorus, and the Maryland Boy Choir under the direction of Robert Shafer--won the Grammy for Best Choral Performance of 1999. They shouldn't have been. From first note to last, it is a compelling realization of one of the greatest, most beautiful, and most challenging scores of modern times, a performance that does credit to all involved. Robert Shafer and his cohorts give a disciplined yet impassioned reading of the piece, one that is notable not only for the fine choral singing--blend, balance, and intonation are all exemplary--and the outstanding work of the vocal soloists, but for its felicitous detailing of the instrumental parts as well. Recorded live at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on April 14, 1995 (as part of the U.S. Department of Defense's 50th-anniversary commemoration of the end of World War II), the performance comes across with a virtually ideal combination of scope and intimacy, energy, momentum, and cumulative effect.The orchestra, though it goes uncredited on the discs, is in fact the National Symphony Orchestra with some additional ringers, and it gives an absolutely splendid account of itself. No strangers to this music, the band delivers big time for Shafer, meeting the extraordinary demands of Britten's score with consummate ease. The soloists also rise to the occasion with great distinction, especially soprano Christine Goerke, hands down the finest interpreter of this part sinceGalina Vishnevskaya.The recording, made by a team of engineers from NPR, is atmospheric and well balanced, with excellent imaging and minimal audience noise. In a very competitive field that includesthe composer's own account, this rendition of theWar Requiemrightly takes a place in the front rank, deserving of the honor it has received.--Ted Libbey