A German Requiem discography

Summary

This is a non-exhaustive list of recordings of Johannes Brahms' A German Requiem (Ein deutsches Requiem), Op. 45 (1868). The primary table features recordings of the standard version with full orchestra. Additional recordings that use either the two-piano and timpani version by Brahms himself or arrangements by other composers are provided in list format below the main table.

Recordings edit

Year Conductor Chorus, orchestra Soprano, baritone Label Notes
1943 Arturo Toscanini Westminster Choir,
NBC Symphony Orchestra
Vivien Della Chiesa
Herbert Jansssen
Naxos 8.110839 (historical CD reissue) sung in English
1947 Herbert von Karajan Choral Society of the Friends of Music, Vienna,
Vienna Philharmonic
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Hans Hotter
EMI
1948 Wilhelm Furtwängler Lucerne Festival Choir,
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Hans Hotter
Istituto Discografico Italiano IDIS6674 1947 live performance
1948 Robert Shaw RCA Victor Chorale and Orchestra Eleanor Steber
James Pease
RCA Victor First commercial recording of the work in the USA
1948 Wilhelm Furtwängler Musikalista Sällskapet Kör,
Stockholm Konsertförenings Orkester
Kerstin Lindberg-Torlind
Bernhard Sönnerstedt
Warner Classics (2018 issue) Recorded live at Konzerthuset Stockholm, 1948
1954 Bruno Walter Westminster Choir,
New York Philharmonic
Irmgard Seefried
George London
CBS
1955 Fritz Lehmann Chor der St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale,
Berlin Philharmonic
Maria Stader
Otto Wiener
Deutsche Grammophon
1955 Rudolf Kempe Chor der St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale,
Berlin Philharmonic
Elisabeth Grümmer
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
EMI Recorded in Jesus-Christus Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem
1956 Otto Klemperer Kölner Rundfunkchor,
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester
Elisabeth Grümmer
Hermann Prey
International Classical Artists Recorded live
released in 2011
1959 Carl Schuricht Stuttgart Vokalensemble, Hesse Radio Choir,
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
Maria Stader
Hermann Prey
Hänssler Classic 93144 released in 2004
1960 Karl Eliasberg Republican Russian Choir Cappella,
USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Nadezhda Sukhovitsyna
Leonid Petrov
Russian Compact Disc released in 2010 by Vista Vera
1960 Sergiu Celibidache Chorus of RAI Milano,
Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano della RAI
Agnes Giebel
Hermann Prey
Archipel Records ARPCD0848 live radio recording from 19 February 1960
1961 Otto Klemperer Philharmonia Chorus,
Philharmonia Orchestra
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
EMI
1961 Eugene Ormandy Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
Philadelphia Orchestra
Phyllis Curtin
Jerome Hines
Columbia Records sung in English
1964 Herbert von Karajan Wiener Singverein,
Berlin Philharmonic
Gundula Janowitz
Eberhard Waechter
Deutsche Grammophon
1964 Karl Richter Chorus of the RTF,
Orchestre National de France
Evelyn Lear
Thomas Stewart
EMI Recorded live on 8 April 1964 in Paris
released in 2007
1969 Erich Leinsdorf New England Conservatory Chorus,
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Montserrat Caballe
Sherill Milnes
RCA Victor
1976 Herbert von Karajan Wiener Singverein,
Berlin Philharmonic
Anna Tomowa-Sintow
José Van Dam
EMI
1977 Lorin Maazel New Philharmonia Chorus,
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Ileana Cotrubaş
Hermann Prey
Columbia
1978 Georg Solti Chicago Symphony Chorus,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Kiri Te Kanawa
Bernd Weikl
Decca 1979 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
1978 Carlo Maria Giulini Edinburgh International Festival Chorus,
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Ileana Cotrubas
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
BBC Legends Recorded live, 26 August 1978.
1978 Rafael Kubelik Bavarian Radio Choir,
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Edith Mathis
Wolfgang Brendel
Audite recording of live concert performance from 29 September 1978
1980 Bernard Haitink Vienna State Opera Chorus,
Vienna Philharmonic
Gundula Janowitz
Tom Krause
Philips Records
1981 Sergiu Celibidache Munich Philharmonic Choir, Munich Bach Choir,
Munich Philharmonic
Arleen Augér
Franz Gerihsen
EMI Recorded live
released 1999
1983 Robert Shaw Atlanta Symphony Chorus,
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Arleen Augér
Richard Stilwell
Telarc Released 1 September 1984, second release 25 October 1990
1983 Giuseppe Sinopoli Prague Philharmonic Chorus,
Czech Philharmonic
Lucia Popp
Wolfgang Brendel
Deutsche Grammophon
1983 James Levine Chicago Symphony Chorus,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Kathleen Battle
Håkan Hagegård
RCA 1984 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
1983 Herbert von Karajan Wiener Singverein,
Vienna Philharmonic
Barbara Hendricks
Wolfgang Brendel
Deutsche Grammophon
1983 János Ferencsik Slovak Philharmonic Choir,
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Ilona Tokody
István Gáti
Hungaroton
1984 Klaus Tennstedt London Philharmonic Choir,
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Jessye Norman
Jorma Hynninen
EMI Classics Issued 1996;
re-issued by Brilliant Classics
1985 Herbert Kegel Leipzig Radio Choir,
Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mari Anne Häggander
Siegfried Lorenz
Capriccio
1985 Wolfgang Sawallisch Bavarian Radio Choir,
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Margaret Price
Thomas Allen
Orfeo (C039101)
1987 Carlo Maria Giulini Vienna State Opera Chorus,
Vienna Philharmonic
Barbara Bonney
Andreas Schmidt
Deutsche Grammophon Recorded live
released 1988
1990 John Eliot Gardiner Monteverdi Choir,
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Charlotte Margiono
Rodney Gilfry
Philips Period instruments
re-released 2010 Decca
1991 Richard Hickox London Symphony Chorus,
London Symphony Orchestra
Felicity Lott
David Wilson-Johnson
Chandos
1991 Roger Norrington Schütz Choir of London,
London Classical Players
Lynne Dawson
Olaf Bär
EMI Classics Period instruments
re-released 1999 Virgin
1992 Claudio Abbado Swedish Radio Choir, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir
Berlin Philharmonic
Cheryl Studer
Andreas Schmidt
Deutsche Grammophon Recorded live
released 1993
1992 Daniel Barenboim Chicago Symphony Chorus,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Janet Williams
Thomas Hampson
Erato
1992 André Previn Vienna State Opera Chorus,
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Margaret Price
Samuel Ramey
Teldec
1992 Alexander Rahbari Slovak Philharmonic Choir,
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Miriam Gauci
Eduard Tumagian
Naxos
1995 Herbert Blomstedt San Francisco Symphony Chorus
,San Francisco Symphony
Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz
Wolfgang Holzmair
Decca Classics 1995 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
1995 Kurt Masur Westminster Symphonic Choir,
New York Philharmonic
Sylvia McNair
Håkan Hagegård
Teldec
1996 Philippe Herreweghe La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale Gent,
Orchestre des Champs-Élysées
Christiane Oelze
Gerald Finley
harmonia mundi
1997 Cristian Mandeal Cluj-Napoca State Philharmonic Choir,
George & Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra
Ramona Eremia
Gheorghe Crăsnaru
Arte Nova LC 03480
1998 Frieder Bernius Kammerchor Stuttgart,
Klassiche Philharmonie Stuttgart
Julia Borchert
Michael Volle
Carus
1999 Craig Jessop Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
Utah Symphony
Janice Chandler
Nathan Gunn
Telarc New English-language adaptation by Robert Shaw
2002 Wolfgang Helbich Bremer Domchor,
Kammer-Sinfonie Bremen
Siri Thornhill
Klaus Mertens
MDG
2002 André Previn London Symphony Chorus,
London Symphony Orchestra
Harolyn Blackwell
David Wilson-Johnson
LSO Live (LSO 0005)
2003 Gerd Albrecht Danish National Choir,
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Inger Dam-Jensen
Bo Skovhus
Chandos Records
2004 Michel Corboz Ensemble vocal de Lausanne,
Ensemble instrumental de Lausanne
Christa Goetze
Werner Lechte
Virgin Classics
2006 Simon Rattle Rundfunk Chor Berlin,
Berlin Philharmonic
Dorothea Röschmann
Thomas Quasthoff
EMI Classics Recorded in concert, released in 2007; 2008 winner of the 50th Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance
2008 Robert Spano Atlanta Symphony Chorus,
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Twyla Robinson
Mariusz Kwiecień
Telarc
2010 Karl-Friedrich Beringer Windsbacher Knabenchor,
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Juliane Banse
Stephan Genz
Sony
2010 Nikolaus Harnoncourt Monteverdi Choir,
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Genia Kühmeier
Thomas Hampson
RCA Red Seal (88697720662)
2010 Marek Janowski Berlin Radio Choir,
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Camilla Tilling
Detlef Roth
Pentatone PTC5186361
2010 Yannick Nézet-Séguin London Philharmonic Choir,
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Elizabeth Watts
Stéphane Degout
LPO LPO0045
2010 Valentin Radu Ama Deus Ensemble Tatyana Galitskaya
Ed Bara
Lyrichord LYRCD6014
2010 Christian Thielemann Bavarian Radio Choir,
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
Christine Schäfer
Christian Gerhaher
Unitel Munich / C Major 703308 (DVD)
2010 Valery Gergiev Swedish Radio Choir,
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Solveig Kringelborn
Mariusz Kwiecień
BIS BISDVD1750 (DVD)
2011 Hansjorg Albrecht Munich Bach Choir,
Munich Bach Orchestra
Ruth Ziesak
Konrad Jarnot
Oehms OC787
2011 Paavo Järvi Swedish Radio Choir,
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
Natalie Dessay
Ludovic Tézier
Erato 6286100
2012 Johannes Fritzsch Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus,
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Nicole Car
Teddy Tahu Rhodes
ABC Classics ABC4764811
2012 John Eliot Gardiner Monteverdi Choir,
Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
Katharine Fuge
Matthew Brook
Soli Dei Gloria (SDG 706)
2013 Marin Alsop Leipzig MDR Radio Choir,
MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra
Anna Lucia Richter
Stephan Genz
Naxos 8.572996
2013 Philippe Herreweghe Collegium Vocale Gent,
Orchestre des Champs-Élysées
Ilse Eerens
Andrew Foster-Williams
Chopin Institute NIFCDVD003 (DVD)
2014 Valery Gergiev London Symphony Chorus,
London Symphony Orchestra
Sally Matthews
Christopher Maltman
LSO Live (LSO 0748)
2014 Roderich Kreile Dresdner Kreuzchor, Vocal Consort Dresden,
Dresden Philharmonic
Sibylla Rubens
Daniel Ochoa
Berlin Classics (0300569BC)
2014 Helmuth Rilling Gächinger Kantorei,
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart
Donna Brown
Gilles Cachemaille
Hänssler Classic HAEN91102
2014 Antoni Wit Warsaw Philharmonic Choir,
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Christiane Libor
Thomas E. Bauer
Naxos (NX 3061)
2015 Mariss Jansons Netherlands Radio Choir,
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Genia Kühmeier
Gerald Finley
RCO Live RCO15003
2016 Jan Willem de Vriend Rotterdam Symphony Chorus,
Residentie Orchestra
Renate Arends
Thomas Oliemans
Challenge Classics CC72738
2019 Daniel Harding Swedish Radio Choir,
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Christiane Karg
Matthias Goerne
harmonia mundi (HMM902635)
2019 Daniel Reuss Capella Amsterdam,
Orchestra of the 18th Century
Carolyn Sampson
André Morsch
Glossa (GCD921126)
2020 Ralf Otto Bachchor Mainz,
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern
Christina Gansch
Matthias Winckhler
Naxos (8574273)
2020 Paavo Järvi Latvian State Choir,
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Valentina Farcas
Matthias Goerne
C Major 753208 (DVD)
2023 Ricardo Casero Orquesta Reino de Aragón,
Coro Amici Musicae
Iwona Sobotka
Isaac Galán
Halidon 8030615164035

Additional recordings edit

Two-piano and timpani version by Brahms ('London 1871' version) edit

  • accentus Chamber Choir; Sandrine Piau (soprano); Stéphane Degout (baritone); Brigitte Engerer, Boris Berezovsky (pianists); Laurence Equilbey (conductor). Coro Records (2006)
  • King's College Choir; Evgenia Rubinova (soprano); José Gallardo (baritone); Stephen Cleobury (conductor). EMI (2006)
  • The Sixteen; Julie Cooper (soprano); Eamonn Dougan (baritone); Gary Cooper, Christopher Glynn (pianists); Harry Christophers (conductor). Coro Records (2006)
  • Vasari Singers; Claire Seaton (soprano); Colin Campbell (baritone); Jeremy Filsell, Roderick Chadwick (pianists); Jeremy Backhouse (conductor). Guild GMCD7302 (2007)
  • WDR Rundfunkchor Köln; Simone Nold (soprano), Kay Stiefermann (baritone), Ian Pace, Mark Knoop (piano), Peter Stracke (timpani); Rupert Huber (oonductor). Neos Classics NEOS30803 (2008)
  • EuropaChorAkademie; Fionnuala McCarthy (soprano), Michael Volle (baritone), Jonathan Alder, Thorsten Kaldewei (pianists); Benjamin Heil (timpani); Joshard Daus (oonductor). Glor Classics GC09191 (2010)
  • Rundfunkchor Berlin; Marlis Petersen (soprano), Konrad Jarnot (baritone); Philip Mayers, Philip Moll (pianists); Simon Halsey (conductor). Coviello COV41006 (2010)
  • Maulbronner Kammerchor, Musica Sacra; Heidi Meier (soprano), Josef Wagner (baritone); GrauSchumacher Piano Duo; Jürgen Budday (conductor). K&K KuK105a (2012)
  • Chorus Musicus Köln; Soile Isokoski (soprano), Andreas Schmidt (baritone); Andreas Grau, Gotz Schumacher (pianists); Christoph Spering (conductor). Naïve OP30140 (2012)
  • Chorus sine nominee; Elena Copons (soprano), Adrian Eröd (baritone); Johanna Gröbner, Veronika Trisko (pianists); Johannes Hiemetsberger (conductor). Gramola 99014 (2014)
  • Choir of King's College London; Mary Bevan (soprano), Marcus Farnsworth (baritone); James Bailieu, Richard Uttley (pianists); Joseph Fort (conductor). Delphian DCD34195 (2017; sung in English)
  • Bella Voce; Michelle Areyzaga (soprano), Hugh Russell (baritone), Madeline Slettedahl, Craig Terry (pianists); Andrew Lewis (conductor). Naxos 8573952 (2019)
  • Chorwerk Ruhr; Johanna Winkel (soprano), Krešimir Stražanac (baritone); Sebastian Breuing, Christoph Schnackertz (pianists); Florian Helgath (conductor). Coviello COV91905 (2019)
  • Te Deum; Ida Nicolosi (soprano), Brian Ming Chu (baritone); Elisa Williams Bickers, Jan Kraybill (pianists); Matthew Christopher Shepard (conductor). Centaur CRC3647 (2019; sung in English)

Other arrangements edit

  • Chamber ensemble arrangement by Iain Farrington: Yale Schola Cantorum; Natasha Schnur (soprano); Matt Sullivan (baritone); David Hill (conductor). Hyperion CDA68242 (2018)