Mozart: Requiem
Sylvia McNair, Carolyn Watkinson, Francisco Araiza, Robert Lloyd, Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chorus, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner
Sir Neville Marriner, the conductor who led the late 20th-century Mozart boom with his contributions to the film Amadeus, works with the Fields players to deliver a finely balanced take on the composer's final statement. The modern-instrument sound gives the music a weight that fits the subject matter, though tempos remain fleet and dramatic throughout. By resisting the temptation to over-Romanticize the composer’s haunting innovations (as with the “Lacrimosa”), Marriner and the orchestra fully honor the composer’s intentions—and this requiem's unique profundity.