Verdi - Requiem / Fleming · Borodina · Bocelli · D'Arcangelo · Gerviev

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Verdi's Requiem demands a quartet of soloists who could be cast as leads in Aida, along with a virtuoso chorus and orchestra and a conductor who can balance the score's heaven-shaking drama with its spiritual longings. Small surprise, then, that few recordings, including this one, can fulfill all those demands. Renée Fleming's soprano is perhaps the most beautiful such instrument before the public today, and Olga Borodina's mezzo has the equivalent smoothness and texture, making for a gorgeous duet in the "Agnus Dei." Idlebrando D'Arcangelo, too, has a lovely voice, though, like so many of today's basses, it's tilted toward the top and lacks the deep black resonance that fills out the part. Andrea Bocelli? Let's just say he's no asset to the production. His fans will love him, but Verdians will be appalled. The voice is unsupported, its small size mitigated by close microphoning, and his phrasing is rudimentary. Chorus and orchestra are fine, though they lack the tonal shadings the very best bring to this music. Valery Gergiev leads a dynamic performance, ear-shattering in the "Dies Irae," reverential elsewhere. In sum, a decent Requiem that falls short of the best, including those of the stereo era led by Solti, Giulini, and Barenboim, and vintage recordings by Toscanini, de Sabata, and Serafin. --Dan Davis