Philippe Herreweghe - Brahms: Requiem (2001)

This is a rather brisk reading of Brahms' masterpiece, the most ambitious work in his output, one of the greatest compositions of its type. When I listen to this piece, I often sit numb, in awe of its profound beauty, of its emotional range and intellectual depth. I hadn't heard it for some time, so this recording occasioned a most welcome reacquaintance. Though Herreweghe's tempos often pushed the music to its limits here (except for the first section), the performance never actually sounded fast, or at least not offensively fast. In fact, it challenges my previous favorite, the Levine/RCA.
Funny, but both recordings are rather opposites: Levine's is weighty and glorious, where Herreweghe's is ecstatic and animated. The former has the better soloists in Kathleen Battle and Hakan Hagegard, and the better supporting forces in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, advantages that would seem to tilt the scales in favor of the RCA. But those seeming pluses can be deceptive. In fact, I think Herreweghe may actually have a superior interpretation, perhaps hitting closer to the spirit of the Requiem as Brahms conceived it: the composer's work aims toward the human side of the issue, depicting mourning, all right, but offering consolation, instead of expressing the grimness of the Last Judgment. Try Herreweghe's positively rapturous ending of the third section, starting from around 7:00. Levine here goes slower and is convincing in his way. Both offer good opening sections (Selig sind), although here it is Herreweghe who goes slower, and to good effect.
In the end, this Harmonia Mundi Brahms Requiem is thoroughly compelling and suffers from no weaknesses: if the soloists are not as good as Levine's, they're not much inferior either, and they certainly convey the requisite drama, religiosity, humanity and sorrow with total conviction. On the evidence here, I'd say Finley should be better known. Oelze's contribution isn't to be overlooked either, but she comes up short when compared with Battle. The choral and orchestral support on this Harmonia Mundi release are first-rate. The notes are informative, and full texts are provided; sound reproduction is superb. In sum, this is a major effort by all parties involved, and takes its place among the most distinguished Brahms Requiems.