Brahms’ Requiem

That no concessions had been made to vocal quality due to the required number of singers was immediately evident. The first three chords of “Selig sind…” resounded in perfect balance, with the tenors gently soaring, before the sopranos took over the torch halfway through the next phrase, “sie sollen getröstet werden.” Meanwhile, at Cappella Amsterdam, the bright counter-voice of the baritone-like basses was striking, while the altos briefly meandered through the tenor register with motherly warmth. Those kinds of “Oh” and “Ah” moments were strung together into a listening experience that was just as captivating after more than an hour as it had been at the beginning.

The Residentie Orkest and conductor Renes beautifully and softly worked through the orchestral introduction of the second, march-like movement, which begins tenderly in three-part harmony but bursts out into a four-part forte at “Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras.” Here, the choir (prepared by Heide Müller) created an impressive arch of sound toward “des Grases Blumen.” Refinement characterized this performance, which, even in the exuberant “Freude” after the spirited “Die Erlöseten,” was delivered with full ensemble sound. The choir blended as one in power with the orchestra, surrounding the musicians like a shell, positioned against the back wall of the stage.