Britten’s War Requiem Review: A Tragically Relevant Act of Remembrance

Britten’s commemorative masterpiece was crafted for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral, a place resurrected from the near-total destruction of the Second World War. Though intended as an occasional piece, its relevance persists, continually offering reflections on the composer’s pacifist message. Originally, the soloists were to include an Englishman, a German, and a Russian, symbolizing the major combatants of the two world wars. However, the Soviets denied Galina Vishnevskaya travel permission, altering the roster. This Prom performance also opted for a symbolic array: a British tenor, an American baritone, and a Welsh-Ukrainian soprano, mirroring the West’s resolve to counter – as Wilfred Owen famously put it – the “blast of lightning from the east.”

Much of the performance was exceptional: the sombre ceremonials, the clarity of expression, and the marvel of Britten’s integration of Owen’s poetry within the Latin Mass for the Dead. Antonio Pappano harnessed every moment to build dramatic tension, delivering a disciplined yet organic reading steeped in musical storytelling. Rarely has this choral work seemed so operatic.

The London Symphony Orchestra, soon to welcome Pappano as chief conductor, played with fiery precision. The London Symphony Chorus, the BBC Symphony Chorus, and the Tiffin Boys’ Choir—singing ethereally from the gallery—infused the performance with emotional depth, from the hushed opening through the jubilant Sanctus and Hosanna, to the terrifying Libera me. In the Requiem Aeternam, antiphonal voices swayed left to right, evoking a vast musical censer.

Both male soloists excelled as vocal actors, injecting Owen’s texts with profound intensity. Allan Clayton’s tenor was clarion yet flexible, capable of warmth and daring pianissimos that were spine-tingling. Making his Proms debut, Will Liverman demonstrated a shapely baritone and poetic sensitivity. However, both occasionally needed reminders of the auditorium’s vastness. Natalya Romaniw, in contrast, faced no such issue. Her top notes resonated like a silver bugle, crowning a powerful and tragically pertinent act of remembrance.

The Proms continue until 14 September

Source: The Guardian