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From: greg@olivee.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.music.classical
Subject: Re: Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Requiem'
Message-ID: <331@olivee.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Apr-85 12:45:07 EST
Article-I.D.: olivee.331
Posted: Wed Apr 24 12:45:07 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Apr-85 01:40:25 EST
References: <353@ptsfc.UUCP>
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Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
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> 
> It's a fascinating piece, very dramatic and often quite moving.
> Domingo's part is the least interesting of the soloists', but
> he sings beautifully, although his Spanish-accented Latin is
> rather exotic in comparison with everyone else. Sarah Brightman
> is magnificent - her part is fiendishly difficult in places -
> and the boy sings like an angel. 
> 

I had missed the original telecast, and finally saw a repeat
last night (Apr. 23).  I deliberately avoided reading any reviews 
before hearing it.  I gave up on it about half way through.
There was no original music in it.

No, a composer shouldn't be prevented from even attempting a
"Requiem" just because he can't match the level of Mozart,
Verdi, Berlioz, etc.  However, he should have something of his
own to say on the subject.  This particular work seemed to me
blatantly derivative of the work of other composers, specifically
Orff and Britten, with other "borrowings" from the Italian
verismo school.  I wouldn't mind if someone took thematic material
from others and fashioned them into a coherent statement that
could, itself, stand as a separate work of art.  What I heard
in this case was a mishmash of styles that never cooperated to
make a statement.

Domingo's Latin was not Spanish-accented.  It was classic
"church Latin" of the Roman school (as opposed to the German
tradition) which approximates contemporary Italian pronunciation.
I suspect that Brightman's voice has a freak high register which
makes this music relatively easy for her and would make it nearly
impossible for most other sopranos.  Her middle register was
tremulous and unsteady, the low register nonexistent.  The part
seemed written to capitalize on her unusual top notes.  Nonetheless,
"fiendishly difficult" as it may sound, the insistent hammering
away at the top octave is poor vocal writing, creating a sense
of monotony and aural fatigue (even if the singer can handle it)
and making verbal definition impossible.  If this had been a
new text, I would defy anyone to understand what was being sung
from listening to her.  Domingo was also strained by passages
that required him to scream insistently at the top of his range,
but the steadiness of his vocal production in other sections
contrasted badly with the unevenness in Brightman's.

I surmise from articles posted that many critics did hatchet jobs
on the work.  My own irritation on hearing the talents of 
Maazel, Domingo, etc. wasted on something of this caliber was
heightened by the knowledge of how difficult (and politically
involved) it generally is to get a new work performed at all.

	- Greg Paley