巴哈合唱團、倫敦交響合唱團、海格學院合唱團

☆布列頓指揮／倫敦交響樂團暨梅洛斯合奏團

  1940年11月14日，英格蘭考文垂大教堂因納粹空襲被夷為平地，戰後1956年由當時英女皇伊麗莎白二世象徵性埋下基石，於舊教堂廢墟旁開始重建，1962年始落成。布列頓接受委託創作於教堂啟用典禮上演出，布列頓以拉丁文安魂曲

文本插入九首英國反戰詩人威爾弗雷德‧歐文於戰壕下所寫的悲慘詩文，題名《

戰爭安魂曲》。

 《戰爭安魂曲》於1962年5月30日於新考文垂大教堂首演，作品編制相當大，布列頓安排一個大型交響樂團及一個室內管弦樂團、三名獨唱家、混聲合唱團、兒童合唱團等。布列頓原先安排三名獨唱家國籍分別代表俄國(薇許涅夫絲卡雅)、德國(費雪-狄斯考)及英國(皮爾斯)，但是俄國拒絕讓女高音出席，於是在首演前兩週臨時換成北愛爾蘭女高音哈波。’

  1963年1月3-10日，DECCA將戰爭安魂曲帶進錄音室，由DECCA夢幻團隊，製作人John Culshaw與錄音師Kenneth Wilkinson，女高音換回布列頓原先指定薇許涅夫絲卡雅，樂團由考文垂升級為英國最好的倫敦交響樂團，打造出夢幻陣容。發行之後反應相當好，優異的發燒等級錄音，最權威的作曲家親自指揮一年內就達到六位數的銷售成績，以當代作品來說實屬罕見。

  為紀念《戰爭安魂曲》問世60週年，DECCA公司以原始母帶重新轉錄，以3片LP及2片SACD兩種方式限量豪華發行。LP由艾比路錄音室資深刻片師Miles Showell以半速精工刻片，180g黑膠壓片，SACD為24bit高音質。並附上1963年首版小冊的複印本，布列頓排練錄音等。

【曲目】

Hybrid SACD 1

I. Requiem aeternam

1. a. Requiem aeternam Chorus
2. b. What Passing Bells for These who die as Cattle? Tenor

II. Dies irae

3. a. Dies irae Chorus
4. b. Bugles Sang, Saddening the Evening Air Baritone
5. c. Liber Scriptus Soprano
6. d. Out there, We've Walked quite Friendly up to Death Tenor & Baritone
7. e. Recordare Jesu pie Chorus
8. f. Be Slowly Lifted Up Baritone
9. g. Dies irae Chorus
10. h. Lacrimosa dies illa Soprano & Chorus
11. i. Move Him into the Sun Tenor

III. Offertorium

12. a. Domine Jesu Christe
13. b. So Abram Rose, and Clave the Wood

IV. Sanctus

14. a. Sanctus Soprano & Chorus
15. b. After the Blast of Lightning from the East Baritone

V. Agnus Dei

16. One ever Hangs Where Shelled Roads Part Tenor & chorus

VI. Libera me

17. a. Libera me, Domine Chorus
18. b. It Seemed that out of Battle I Escaped Tenor
19. c. Let Us Sleep Now ... In Paradisum Baritone, Tenor, Boys, Soprano & Chorus

HYBRID SACD2                                                           

       Rehearsing War Requiem*

       These recordings were made using the courtesy microphone by the conductor’s Podium and a microphone in the producer’s control room. Hence the sound is mono.

1. Requiem aeternam Rehearsal                                                     
2. Dies irae Rehearsal of the opening section                                  
3. Dies irae Discussion in the control room between Britten and Galina Vishnevskaya (via her interpreter), then between John Culshaw and Galina Vishnevskaya
4. Dies irae Rehearsal of end of movement                                     
5. Offertorium Rehearsal                                                                 
6. Sanctus Rehearsal                                                                       
7. Sanctus Discussion in the control room between Britten and Galina Vishnevskaya (via her interpreter)
8. Agnus Dei Discussion in the control room between Britten, Peter Pears and John Culshaw
9. Libera me Discussion in the control room between Britten and John Culshaw    
10. Libera me Rehearsal                                                                   
11. Libera me Rehearsal of closing page   
12. Closing remarks