Sacred Music

Sir Roger Norrington has been chief conductor of the former Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (today the SWR Symphonieorchester) for thirteen years. During this time he has caused a stir internationally with what has come to be termed 'The Stuttgart Sound': a synthesis of historically-informed performance practice with the technical capabilities of a modern orchestra. Whether in Mozart, Haydn, Bruckner or Brahms, Norrington has sought to capture the performance experience of the time, adjusting the orchestra's size and seating plan to create an authentic sound without vibrato. His artistic credo was to keep as close as possible to the composer's expectations. The present re-issue brings together in a boxed set three of most the important works of Sacred Music from the 19th century: Berlioz' Requiem, Brahms' A German Requiem and Beethoven's Missa solemnis.