Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig, Herbert Kegel - Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (2017)

Capriccio's Encore series features re-releases of the most famous recordings from the Capriccio back catalogue. These legendary recordings are of artists like Sandor Vegh, Ton Koopman, Sir Neville Marriner and the Vienna Boys' Choir. The series spans highlights from the baroque era to the contemporary era. This gem has a special place among the great performances of Ein Deutsches Requiem for its unique sound qualities. The Requiem held special meaning for the accomplished and underappreciated Kegel. The choir was his hand-picked group that he led for three decades. There is a purity and sensitivity to this performance, penetrating to the soul and to the heart of the work, the meaning behind every lyric emphasized. The orchestral touch and control are uncanny, the softest caresses and storms perfectly balanced. Transcendent, intense, deeply personal and intimate, the beauty is pristine, but at the same time very human and fragile, probing and unsettling. The interpretation comes from within, and speaks directly to you.