Harnoncourt's Verdi Requiem stresses the "spiritual" aspects of the work and downplays its theatrical elements. He's aided by the wonderful playing and singing of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. Both give Harnoncourt precisely what he wants. It's doubtful though that what results in a recording competitive with the best. Pacing is agonizingly slow, without the rhythmic life that allows other versions that stress the score's religious aspects (Guilini for EMI and BBC, Fricsay for DG) to retain their classic status. The slow tempos do allow Harnoncourt to explore details often overlooked by others, so the huge outbursts of the "Dies Irae" section have the kind of precise articulation and carefully observed instrumental details rarely heard. But the slow speeds also come at the cost of pushing his miscast, light-voiced solo quartet far beyond their limits. Their singing is full of carefully refined tonal shadings that seem out of place in this work, as well as afflicted by intrusive vibratos. Verdi completists and the curious will want this; others will be content with such longtime favorites as the Giulini, Solti (Decca), and Toscanini (RCA) versions. --Dan Davis