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I want to get a CD of Brahms German Requiem. Does anyone have a suggested good recording to listen, in particular for the tuba playing? Thanks!

I don't remember the date, but HvK/Berlin. Great stuff. It's from the early 80s possibly?

One of the benchmark recordings of Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem has to be the recording of Otto Klemperer and the Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra as published from EMI on their "Great Recordings of the Century" label.

There's something soulful and special about that particular performance.

http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Ein-deutsc ... 090&sr=1-1" target="_blank

I'll second the Klemperer/Philharmonia recording. Stupendous playing and singing all around. Might also want to listen the Shaw/Atlanta on Telarc. Shaw was THE ABSOLUTE MASTER of choral works and the orchestra is fabulous. Mike Moore is the tuba player, one of the best in the business.

I hope after you immerse yourself in learning the tuba part that you sit back and revel in the astonishing beauty of the piece. You get to listen to the best movement, "Selig sind", probably one of the strongest testaments to faith ever put down on manuscript paper after the Bach b minor Mass and the Bach St. Matthew Passion.

If I may suggest, practice the part mf and below to make sure you can handle every note at those volumes. I have performed this piece many times and unless you are playing with a top notch professional group with at least 140-160 voices (sadly, only once in my career), you will be getting the hand. ALOT. The piece is hard as it stands, but it is extremely difficult to play SOFT. Don't scratch the high F!!!!

I hope you have a great choir to work with. It will make the experience exponentially better. Cheers.

Chuck

Solti, perhaps? If Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is the soprano, it's probably the Solti.

Thanks for the suggests. I will see what I can find in the London record stores tomorrow.

Anyone heard the Previn/LSO, or Rubilik/Bavarian Radio Symp recordings?

Whenever possible, I do like to get familiar with the music I will be performing and how the tuba fits in the texture, before joining the orchestra for rehearsals. Nothing worst than the whole orchestra being stopped in rehearsal, because the tuba part is not right!

Neptune wrote:Whenever possible, I do like to get familiar with the music I will be performing and how the tuba fits in the texture

Not to oversimplify it, but the tuba is basically an extension of the bass trombone in this piece.

I was of the opinion Previn had recorded it with the Royal Phil - maybe he's done LSO as well. Personally I'm fond of the Solti.

In the end I got the Klemperer/Philharmonia recording and am very happy with that not only for the performance, but the clear tuba, too (I wonder who that would have been pre-John Jenkins days?)

My own concert of the Requiem was a very moving experience. I do not usually go for Brahms, but this does change my view of him somewhat.

My Melton Eb proved ideal for performing with just the tone I wanted and I did not get the hand once without holding back in an orchestra of 70 with choir of about 130.

[quote="Neptune"]In the end I got the Klemperer/Philharmonia recording and am very happy with that not only for the performance, but the clear tuba, too (I wonder who that would have been pre-John Jenkins days?)
[/quote]

Depending on when it was recorded. It could have been Philip Catelinet, or John "Tug" Wilson.