I have witnessed a beautiful performance of Britten's "War Requiem", yesterday.

After the performance my thoughts were - this is not a mere concert experience, this is rapture.

Has anyone recorded this "piece"? I love the original DECCA recording with Britten conducting - nothing can surpass that (for me), but a good live performance comes close.

The mic set up (for broadcast probably) they had here was - Schoeps ORTF stereo mic as the main mic above the conductor, two Schoeps outriggers, many Schoeps spot mics in the expected places (not very many, though), also mono vocal soloist mics for all three soloists, 4 mics on the whole mixed choir, didn't see what was on the organ and the boy's choir, since they were on the balcony above and on the right to my sit.

It all sounded amazing, unamplified of course, also the boys' voices coming from above and out of view (from our sits) had a sublime "immersive" effect; emotionally and spiritually as deep as 20th century classical music could get... I don't think many works are at that level of complexity AND emotional expressiveness. And also carrying powerful and artistically relevant political and pacifist commentary. Sublime.

"But they who love the greater love, lay down their life; they do not hate." always gets me and also "I am the enemy you killed, my friend. I knew you in this dark...".

The force of "Dies irae" and the devastating power of "Libera me" climax with all the clashing musical parts intricately combined into a whirling vortex of power and an outcry for salvation. I have to see how the score for this part looks. Crazy complex probably. And all the ethereal choirs and in the air lingering final chords, including the "Amen" at the end...

Actually there are so many cathartic climaxes in this piece, I was in tears half of the concert.

So, did anyone tackle this gigantic work? Anyone a fan?

The musicians and soloists were great, with the Wiener Sängerknaben on top of it all, Kaunas state choir, Irina Lungu, Ian Bostridge, Matthias Goerne, Charles Dutoit conducting and our national Philharmonic orchestra and choir, which are also of very decent quality.

This was the concert: https://ljubljanafestival.si/en/even...n-war-requiem/

I count myself lucky witnessing a life performance of this the second time in my life.

i don't have the musical competence and connections to be asked for a cd/dvd release of the work but as a broadcast and live sound tech, i have been able to hear the work several times; mostly only excerpts though..

Great!

Did they perform excerpts as parts of larger concerts? Or how come only excerpts?

Were the set ups also as Britten intended - some groups removed to separate places in the venue?

Here, as I saw, they had a "quasi" chamber orchestra section - I could see a lonely double bass on the left, also the percussionist for the "chamber orchestra", positioned there, embedded within the full symphony orchestra.

The boys choir and organ were also separate enough as Britten intended - that they sound a bit more distant and not a part of the main orchestra... adding to the ethereal effect.

Dutoit made sure it was exactly as Britten intended and the result was sublime.

I wonder if in most performances they respect this separation of different groups or simplify with all musicians on the main stage?


I will also probably have to get those remasters at one point...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl7NEQX-Rh4

It's a great bit of music and was quite controversial at the time due to Britten's conscientious objection to the War.

Many in the UK felt he was not "fit" to write such a piece. After the Premiere they realised they were wrong.

There is some very moving footage from the original performance in Coventry and also one at possibly the Festival Hall.

The Decca recording with Britten conducting is great.

Britten is the best UK composer from last 100 years by far. His work is very modern with a respect for tradition. I met him briefly when I was a child at Aldeburgh.

I'm no expert but it'd be a good idea to use DAV preamps that's the decca sound

depending on the occasion: i often work on state visits, summits, international conferences etc. - it's quite common to 'frame' these events with various musical guests from different genre; the artists/orchestras mostly just get a short 'slot' - hence the excepts.

i only recall few occasions which allowed for positioning of the choirs (or sections of the orchestra, as intended in other compositions) in different places but in recent years, immersive sound systems became a thing, which are highly effective (and more versatile than phsically re-arranging sections); a matter of the venue, budget, production requirements, setup time etc. though...

I guess it's just a joke, but sure, great preamps, I used one in the past...

For broadcasting this great concert they probably used some Studer digital desk - our national broadcasting house uses mostly that.

And for the great 63 DECCA recording who knows what... the "DECCA sound" was something else back then...

Wow, meeting Britten... nice.

I agree about Britten being the best UK composer from the last 100 years, I would probably extend this assessment to Europe and world-wide, but this would be a "fan" move.

Being modern with a respect for tradition is what I love about him - and of course his incredible intellect and pure talent that can't be denied.

His refined and complex compositions are a result of really hard work and big intellect, but the melodies and the interesting ideas for structures, combinations, interesting influences (including things like japanese Noh dance-drama, later in his work)... that is something else. Intuition, special talent and sensitivity.

I' not an "expert" either but one doesn't have to be one . . I opened my 2-Channel DAV twelve years ago or so. The DAV "Decca" sound does not exist in that box unsurprisingly. It's a simple chip mic pre-amp driven by a modern THAT 1510 [a nice sounding chip]. The THAT chip wasn't even invented in *Decca times [*tube and transistor based recording gear]. I guess the chromosomes for/from some of the That inventors weren't even injected back then

Sadly I was shoved in front of lot of old people when I was child so don't really recall Britten per se.

I do remember being ushered into the main hall where a guy was playing piano in the dark apart from a small lamp. I met him after and he smiled a lot but spoke no English. Sviatoslav Richter was his name. Possibly one of the best ever.

When I was studying orchestration I was not looking forward to Britten , I assumed it would be boring. Could not have been more wrong. I can hear the consideration and intellect within the music but never overwhelming it.

Bridge was his tutor and his work has some of these elements too.

Bit odd that we have Purcell, Britten and not much else (Worldwide Classical success) I guess because post war everyone got into Rock and roll.

I'd guess Nyman was the most successful recently. (Mostly thanks to music originally written by Purcell!)

There is a connection to the Decca sound that’s been omitted from the above superficial circuitry analysis….the approach of the designer/builder himself.

Here’s Mick Hinton’s story…

https://kmraudio.com/blogs/interview...I_E_-ZcfAA2Fvo

"... and Mozart and clever suggestions by Peter Greenaway." (the soundtrack for "Drowning by Numbers" was one of my favorites, the film, too)

I liked Nyman as a teenager a lot. The interest somewhat faded away later. Can't really compare him to Britten. (apart from both occasionally taking inspiration from Purcell)

Also not of such importance as Britten, but I did like some work by Jonathan Harvey; completely different of course, but interesting and profound.

His morphing electronic manipulations of voices (as in "Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco) and micro-tonality influenced some stuff I do as my "new age" alter ego.

I also liked what I heard from Frank Bridge, but don't know a lot of his work.

I would add that exceptional talent such as Britten is not necessarily born every century...

From your descriptions, it seemed you were raised in a "posh" environment?

Nice interview - it is all really unrelated to the topic, but appreciate sharing the interview.

That's what the footmen and Governess told me!

LOL I'm from the mean streets of Kilburn, London.

Well, the circuit is as simple as it gets. It's a chip amp through and through. Bread and butter circuit. End 90's development so "late Decca sound" ? . . if Decca still had a sound since the original Decca studios closed down 20 years earlier. I assume the first [DAV] version was based on the INA chip because the THAT chip [that can substitude the INA] came a few years later

Regarding DAV:

Yes, these have a flavour of Decca sound to them. Mick worked there a long time.

When I got the mic Pre I spent some time studying the circuit and layout. Like most things the components are simple, the genius is how you stick them together. Get yourself a THATS mic pre IC and see/hear how it wont sound like a finished DAV.

The Decca generation back from this also had an IC (5534) only difference was addition of a large Sowter (usually) transformer. These were the pres seen in Storm console etc.

The thing I really like about the DAVs is they are super clean but not clinical. They "help" the sound a bit. If I use my Millenia or Grace then whatever is going better be close to perfect or you will know. DAV can hide the edges, in a subtle pleasing way to my ear.

Also all DAV kit is super affordable for what it does. I almost have the whole set now! Really like the monitor box.

I recorded this piece back in November of 2018 with the Tulsa Symphony. It was quite the experience. I don't have the files any more, and but it was broadcast on our local public radio.

One thing I really like about this piece is the way it kind of creeps up on you.

No matter what mood your in when its starts after about 15 minutes your totally absorbed.

Powerful stuff.

Yes, indeed... I am always amazed what mood he managed to set... a real "trip"...

In the past I even experienced the climax of "Libera me" as a literal "out of body experience", when the affects from the swirling wall of sound catapulted me above the body and I "came down" back with the release and calm after that part... quite literally, not figuratively... of course it was "in the mind", but a real effect... only happened if I listened to the whole piece till that part. If I only payed that part directly, it was not equally powerful. Because you realize how the many musical motifs and ideas that were previously presented come back in unison, different time signatures at the same time, etc. combining in a really powerful climax.
(I used to listen to this at "concert volume" on the JBL4430s I had back then)

There are other powerful works, but as a whole, none other are equal in their effect (for me).

A nice essay book by an author who must have a similar (and even more intimate) appreciation of this work:
https://coalhillreview.com/the-war-requiem/

In telephone conversations with Mick Hinton he related the following:

When Decca was changing over from 16 bit to 20 bit recording in the early 90's, they decided they needed a more quiet mic amp to get the most out of the new added bits technology. Mick Hinton went to work. The design brief was for a mic amp with low noise and low distortion.

His department built any number of mic amp designs and turned these over to the engineers making the records.
After testing and listening the mic amp designs got winnowed down to several from which the new Decca mic amp would be chosen.

The mic amp the Decca recording engineers chose was used from that point onwards.

When Decca closed and the staff was scattered, Mick Hinton took that mic amp and made it in to the Broadhurst Gardens No. 1 mic amp.

So the lineage is direct.

The BG No. 1 sold today is the Decca Records mic amp chosen by Decca engineers who listened.

I take it you aren't a John Rutter fan?
--scott

Which INA chip? Burr-Brown made a bunch of instrumentation amplifiers in the INA series, most notably the INA103 which turns up in some preamplifiers even though the JFET input isn't really great for the application. They also made a chip specifically intended as a preamp called the INA163 which was pin-compatible with the earlier SSM2017 chip from Analog Devices but sounded a lot better. It sounds like you're talking about the INA163 but not sure. There are still fans of many of the Burr-Brown instrumentation amp chips.
--scott

I have to confess I need to listen to more, I am not too familiar with Rutter.

Funnily enough as I'm about to have lunch with the choir director I will ask them...

As you undoubtedly know, Britten and Richter played together.



Peter Pears once said that when it came to music, Britten never mucked up anything. Britten was also a fine conductor. So I’m not surprised the OP prefers Britten’s recording of “The War Requiem.” We guitarists are fortunate to have several works by him. His Nocturnal After John Dowland, Op. 70 is widely considered to be the finest guitar solo composed in the 20th century.

Listen to the requiem! It is amazing in its own and different way!
--scott

There are many good british composers, but I must agree with AVSC... none comparable to genius of Purcell or Britten... Händel not really being British...

I mentioned Jonathan Harvey, who is very interesting to me and might be considered an "important" contemporary composer, but, like Rutter, not the same caliber as those two mentioned.

From the That Corp website [not that this is hard to find out]

THAT1510/1512 "pin compatible with the Analog Devices SSM2019 and SSM2017 (discontinued), and the Texas Instruments INA217 and INA163"

The SSM2017 sounds also better that the 2019 [I have some Avitel Broadcast cards using those]

The INA217 is very very different than the INA163 and is more an industrial transducer thing, although like the INA103 and that family it can be used in a mike preamp in spite of not being optimized for the job.. The INA163 is the one that is specifically designed as an SSM2017 replacement. The SSM2019 was designed as a lower cost product, I think.

When AD bought out PMI and discontinued the SSM2015 and SSM2016 preamps, a lot of people were disappointed (although AD's decision is entirely understandable). AD came out with the SSM2017 as a sort of replacement for the customers who had been buying the older mike preamp chips, but it didn't sound as good as the older ones, and Burr-Brown took advantage of that to make the INA163 which was pin-compatible and sounded much better. The THAT 1512 came out a little bit afterward and I think was the best of the bunch.

But lots of those other burr-brown instrumentation amps have been used for audio over the years, although some of us regret having done so....
--scott

Lake People F366 that I recently purchased uses INA217 chip, and it sounds pretty fine.

Whatever is used in the DAV BG preamps - it works well in that design.

btw - the info on TI site contradicts what you said about which chip is a replacement for SSM2017. (not that I care much about those things - just an observation) : https://www.ti.com/product/INA217

Anyway, back to a brilliant composer, pianist and conductor...

This may be a controversial take: My favorite War Requiem is not the classic Decca, but the 1996 Teldec recording with NY Phil, Westminster Choir, American Boychoir, et al.
https://www.discogs.com/release/9173...r-Symphonic-Ch