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Whose Requiem do you prefer?

  • Berlioz

    Votes: 28 51.9%
  • Verdi

    Votes: 26 48.1%

Requiem vs. Requiem

10K views 38 replies 21 participants last post by  tahnak 
#1 ·
Probably the two best-known and often recorded Requiems of the 19th century are Berlioz's and Verdi's. Which one do you prefer?

For me, it's the Berlioz. While I enjoy both works, Berlioz's is the more engaging. I can sit through all of the Berlioz whereas I usually have to take the Verdi in about two doses.

While the Verdi is harmonically more daring, I think the Berlioz is more melodic and thus falls a little easier on the ears.

This is not a "which is better," merely "which do you prefer?"
 
#6 ·
Am I the only Verdi lover? Even though I like Berlioz a lot, his requiem sounds a bit weird to my ears, too much homophonic to my taste, too much ostinati, incredibly, Verdi is a more academical composer. I just love his power, he would become a stylist only later with Otello, but until then, he was a source of larger than life dramatic power, but it worked so well here, the Tuba Mirum is like a punch in the stomach, but I like it...

There is a famous recording of Toscanini shouting with the orchestra: Più forte, più forte!, it's so intense, I don't change it for nothing.
 
#7 ·
Berlioz's Requiem is a splendid piece of music. Verdi did a good job with his Requiem as well and it is, indeed, powerful, but it doesn't make me come away thinking about it. It's not thought-provoking like all the other requiems I've heard.

I just like Berlioz better as composer. He was much more original. His orchestrations are a sonic marvel. You can hear a few measures of Berlioz and know it is his music being played. That kind of distinction is truly remarkable.
 
#27 ·
How about Duruflé's? That's a nice, meditative piece. And I would easily take either Fauré's or Brahms' over either Berlioz or Verdi.

But, those aren't in the poll, so I voted for Berlioz. I like Verdi's operas quite a bit, but I've always though that his Requiem retains the grandness (some might say bombast) of his operas, but loses the dramatic intensity.

I just noticed that my vote makes it 6-6! We need a tiebreaker!
 
#29 ·
I haven't heard all of either the Berlioz or Verdi. I've only heard bits, so won't vote...

But I will comment that I think that the Verdi seems very interesting, as he wrote it in an operatic style. I doubt that many composers had done this type of thing with liturgical music, although I do know that Gounod had some very operatic sacred works, like the St Cecilia Mass. And I also like Puccini's Messa di gloria, pretty operatic, but this is getting off track...
 
#37 ·
If we only take conventional (Latin) requiems into account, I'd pick Faure as the clear winner, ahead of Verdi. Then ex aequo Berlioz, Dvorak and Saint Saens.

If we include non-conventional requiems, it is a tie between Brahms and Faure, two of the greatest masterpieces of all time (imo).
 
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