5 of 6 recommend this SA-CD
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Reviews: Britten: War Requiem etc - Hickox

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Reviews: 2
Review by SimonTJU May 20, 2003 (2 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance:  Sonics:
As I understand, this is one of the first high resolution CD's of this label. Britten was mastered from 16/44 (info from discs cover). Dispite this, the sonic is increadibly analog like! I couldn't hear any harshness and brightness, usually, associated with such PCM mastering. Superb transparency, powerful bass, wide soundstage (particularly with chorus in Requiem) - sonic delight.
Britten War Requiem is well known work. Performance is very good, the tempo per my taste is a bit slow. Still magic and hypnotizing. Here, when soloists are too close to microphones, some harshness can be detected. Expensive, two disc - double price. Still, highly recommended.

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Review by Dr. O August 5, 2005 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance:  Sonics (MC):
A very fine recording! (I still have a soft spot in my heart for the version conducted by Britten himself in 1963 [released under the London label]. The voices of Galina Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau are joined by the London Symphony and the Melos Ensemble to create what I continue to consider as the "standard" by which all other performances are judged.)

Richard Hickox does a wonderful job in this new release. The orchestral and choral forces are crisp and well balanced. The recording is of a very high quality. Every single nuance is crystal clear. The tempos are at times different from those chosen by Britten, but nevertheless Hickox's musical judgements are sound and compelling.

I recommend this disc without reservation. And I also hope that in the not too distant future, the venerable London recording so dear to my heart will find a suitable transfer to the world of Super Audio!

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