Zdenek Kosler's performance of
Mozart's Requiem follows the standard Süssmayr edition, so there are no revisionist novelties or alternate orchestrations here to concern the listener. However, there are still some surprises -- unpleasant ones -- that should be noted. The strings of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra have a thin, scraping quality from the beginning, which is especially distracting in the Introitus. Their raw sound recurs periodically throughout the rest of the Requiem. Whether it is due to poor recording or just scrappy playing is hard to discern, though both factors may contribute to the coarse sound. Intonation problems from the vocal soloists appear in the Tuba mirum and the Recordare, especially noticeable in the exposed quartets, and their sound is also artificially amplified in these sections and in the Benedictus. Tempi are problematic, sometimes at odds with the meaning of the texts. The Confutatis maledictis proceeds at an inappropriately stodgy pace and is unconvincing as a result of the labored playing and lazy dotted rhythms. Conversely, the Domine Jesu Christe is distressingly fast, and the fugal Quam olim Abrahae is unnecessarily choppy and aggressive. The uneven digital recording is unsatisfactory, even by standards in 1985, and despite the budget price, this disc is not recommended.