Requiem / Symphony No. 8

"The flow of the music [in the Requiem] is entirely natural in Jansons's hands, the chorus, soloists and instrumental detail both gelling with and standing out from the texture as the occasion demands...[The Eighth's] exuberance and radiant instrumental colour [are] vivified through a performance of poise and rejuvenating verve." The Telegraph, 14th May 2010 *****

"...it's a real performance [of the Symphony] and a worthy makeweight for a magnificent reading of the Requiem, which is a real feather in Jansons's cap" Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine, July 2010

Among the activities undertaken by the Vienna Singverein to commemorate its 150th anniversary during the 2008-9 season was a series of performances of Dvorák's Requiem with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction of Mariss Jansons. The concert recordings of the two performances given in Amsterdam in February 2009 have been integrated here to create a captivating presentation of this rarely recorded work. On this double SACD release, Jansons, who has a special affinity with Dvorák's late works, has paired the Requiem with the Eighth Symphony, composed during the period directly preceding the Requiem. Of particular note in Jansons's interpretation of both works here is his attention to detail, a characteristic of his performances, but which in no way impedes the development of extended, overarching climaxes.