I've resisted posting in this thread until now because I wanted to relisten to my recordings of this work and see if my memory of them was correct. It was, and is, so now I feel I can comment!
Under normal circumstances and with other pieces, I'd favour small forces over large. I tend toward the "purist" view and I'd generally choose an "original" rather than any kind of later reworking, especially if the general consensus is that the smaller-scale version is superior. Normally I detest an overblown reading of anything, would frequently have misgivings about massed choral forces even when they're called for, and I often have an irrational fear of American musicians.
But not here.
I should probably put in a couple of caveats:
1) I learned this music from a large-scale version, it was my first foray into the repertoire and that will always be hard to beat.
2) Having accompanied a few of the movements/sections of Fauré's Requiem for the small-scale and decidedly amateur (in the best sense!) choir at Monkstown, I have an immediate bias against this kind of presentation in recordings. This may indeed be an intimate work, but if a recording has even the merest hint of "local parish choir" about its sound-world, I'm going to be turning off pretty quickly.
Which leads me to this:
I got this as part of a 3CD Requiem box-set, and I was very interested to hear the "middle" version of the work. The first few times I listened to it I turned it off pretty quickly, and while I managed to wade as far as the Pie Jesu last night, I truly can't stand this CD. I know it's spoken of highly upthread and that's great (!) but it leaves me utterly cold. If this was my introduction to the work, I doubt I'd have ever thought anything of it. I just find it all so...disappointing! The "Hosanna in excelsis" section of the Sanctus is a prime example, I just don't feel it, it goes nowhere, everything is just so buttoned-down. Yes yes it's a Requiem, but dear God this is one of the few moments you get to go above
mf so go for it! Gah!!
On the other end of the scale, many of you know that I am an enormous fan of this disc. I feel so strongly about it I'd probably consider it a desert-island selection:
It's big, ballsy, about as "intimate" as the Verdi Requiem sung by multiple Philharmonic choirs, but for me it's a thrilling, goosebump fest. The sound of so many voices singing quietly is magical, and crescendos have a visceral power and impact that are irresistible. The aforementioned "Hosanna in excelsis" has serious cojones here, in fact its now more akin to a football chant when the home team are winning 4-0. Utter vulgarama, and I love it!!!
(The Duruflé gets similar treatment, and the crescendo in that Sanctus is one of the most thrilling moments of any CD I own. If/when I destroy a bass driver, I'll probably be playing that.)
I'd suggest that if you're having trouble "getting" the smaller-scale readings of the work, you should give this one a go.
