Search - Francois-Joseph Gossec, Louis Devos, Musica Polyphonica :: Gossec: Requiem

A Good but Understated Performance

03/14/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Devos' perfomance is the one that introduced me to Gossec's remarkable Requiem. And while this CD still has legs--largely because of Devos' scholarly devotion to and the score and obvious affection for the music--it emerges as a bit undercharacterized compared to the more recent performance by Diego Fasolis on Naxos 8554750-51.Part of the difference is that Naxos' recording is far more impactive, with telling presence in the brass and percussion utterances, compared to Devos' more reticent, genteel recording. But Fasolis and company also imbue the work with far more drama, and this is the most significant difference between the two CDs. Devos' performance suggests the grandeur of the Requiem; Fasolis' convinces that the Requiem is a great piece of music."