FRANZ VON SUPPÉ: EXTREMUM JUDICIUM

It is exciting to discover hidden treasures when expecting dutiful obeisance towards a monumental form like a Requiem Mass to be offered by a composer associated more with lighter forms. Franz von Suppé was clearly a devout and ingenious composer, and his Requiem Oratorio balances skilfully the austerity of the usual Requiem text with Otto Johann Prechtler’s more dramatic additions – originally in German, but soon translated to Latin. The balance between dramatic authority and emotional intensity and earnestness is underlined by a strong group of soloists, complementing exciting choral and orchestral forces.

PATRIC STANFORD Read the full review on Agora Classica