Berliner Philharmoniker

“This version of the much-recorded Requiem must be the most spiritual, reverential, and perhaps visionary yet to appear…. I have seldom heard such a sustained legato throughout the slow movements, such warm and seamless singing, such beautiful playing... And the spacious recording, with its very wide range of dynamics (including a rather too insistent bass drum), matches the breadth and scale of the singing and playing, with the correct perspectives where Verdi calls for them—listen right near the start to the care taken over every part of the texture in the unaccompanied "Te decet hymnus" or the shimmering violins at the start of "Lux aeterna" – Gramophone 1990

“Furtwangler's obvious grasp of symphonic structure and his ability to perceive both the big picture and the tiny details marked his interpretations in the music of other, greater composers. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Schumann, which the conductor infuses with engrossing bite. Has anyone ever led the Scherzo with more passion and precision? And in the finale, one stands mute as Furtwangler effortlessly blends gravity and levity.” New York Times on a previous recording of Furtwängler conducting Schumann’s 4th Symphony in 1953.

“As one might expect from these forces, the asceticism of neo-Classical Stravinsky plays second fiddle to the orchestra's natural plushness. But while the textures sound a little weightier than we are used to, Simon Rattle's mastery in orchestral balancing ensures that nothing is compromised. There is some delectable playing here, especially from the woodwind in the Bachian counterpoint at the heart of the Symphony of Psalms, where the Berlin Radio Chorus also excels. And the richness of sound does nothing to dampen the rhythmic vitality that is at the heart of the two purely instrumental works” Matthew Rye, Daily Telegraph, 28th June 2008

“Rattle's performances, all taken from concerts in Berlin's Philharmonie, are as energised and impeccably played as one would expect, with the woodwind contributions a particular delight. Predictably, it's the last of the trilogy, the stark Symphony in Three Movements from 1946, that makes the biggest impression, with Rattle channelling its energy and athleticism uncompromisingly. Yet all three works have a litheness and confidence, a perfect balance between the sections, and, in the Symphony of Psalms, between the orchestra and the superbly groomed choir, that give the music a transparent, "classical" feel. Rattle's performance of the Symphony of Psalms gets the balance between celebratory exuberance and liturgical grandeur exactly right, releasing the energy of the finale in a controlled display of orchestral virtuosity.” The Guardian, 20th June 2008 ****

“Rattle gives [the woodwind] Mozartian prominence above the transparent strings, and this is music to which the British conductor brings a special empathy. In the Psalm settings, the Rundfunkchor Berlin, now under Simon Halsey, give exemplary accounts of their music. These are luxury interpretations in every sense, sumptuously recorded.” Sunday Times, 15th June 2008 ****