"Wäre ich gezwungen, mein ganzes Lebenswerk mit Ausnahme einer einzigen Partitur zu verbrennen, dann würde ich für die Totenmesse um Gnade bitten", schrieb Berlioz 30 Jahre nach der Komposition des Werkes in einem Brief. Das Requiem ist sicherlich eines seiner genialsten Musikstücke, an dramatischer Wirkung kaum zu übertreffen. Die musikalische Deutung Roger Norringtons offenbart jedoch nicht nur die monumentale Pracht dieses Werkes sondern legt auch dessen feinnervigen Töne frei. "This is the debut recording on SACD from Hanssler Classics and Sir Roger Norrington and what a debut it is! I sincerely hope that this amazing set will lead to other SACD's from this source in similar repertoire (well, some more Berlioz anyway - nothing else in the whole of music is remotely like this Requiem!) The recording is as clear as one could wish for and no-one would be ashamed of this as their first effort at a multi-channel (or stereo) recording, or even their 100th! This is a quite magnificent achievement that the engineers from SWR have conjured and a demonstration disc in every way, both for the startling clarity that comes across and the extraordinary dynamic range. This set should be in every audiophiles home, as well as all fans of Berlioz. What more can I say than "buy it"?!? Give it to all your friends! This must (already) be a strong contender for my disc of the year..." John Broggio auf www.SA-CD.net