Biber: Requiem a 15 in Concerto / Battalia a 10
Biber's grand Requiem in A Major was probably written for the funeral of his employer, Archbishop Maximilian of Salzburg. It is a celebratory piece, with  trumpets (and timpani added by Savall) and rich orchestration, quite suitable  for a heavenbound soul. The quieter moments ("Sanctus") are just as  effective as the big ones ("Dies irae"). The CD's opener, a 13-minute  "Battalia" for instruments only, is amazingly colorful and contains some  weird, entertaining dissonances. The performances by La Capella Reial de  Catalunya and Le Concert des Nations are ideal. Biber seems to be coming into  his own lately, and the recent CDs devoted to his work are very exciting. He  was apparently a virtuoso who enjoyed making big statements; they deserve to  be heard. Lovers of "high Baroque" music will be moved and delighted.--Robert Levine