Berlioz: Requiem; Te Deum

Colin Davis’s Berlioz cycle for Philips was a highly acclaimed, if not ambitious achievement forty years ago and many of his performances- including the Requiem and Te Deum here- remain the reference to which all others have since aspired. His soloists are all remarkably good (especially tenor Franco Tagliavini in the Te Deum) and the Wandsworth School Boys Choir simply sing their hearts out. Davis tends to downplay the usual theatrics most conductors pepper their readings with though his restraint pays off famously with one of the most highly dramatic, emotionally charged interpretations ever recorded. With Philip’s 96 kHz 24-BIT remastered transfers as well, this glorious production sounds better than ever.