Das Floss der Medusa

"Fans who know this work from its Deutsche Grammophon premiere conducted by the composer and with the voices of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Edda Moser no less, will be interested in comparing and contrasting these two performances. The 1968 recording still sounds remarkably good, though this new SWR version captures more orchestral detail and in a less artificial sounding stereo mix. There is a reason for this however, in that the left side of the stage is designated "the Side of the Living" and the right side, "the Side of the Dead." This aspect of the score is less well-defined in the SWR recording. Peter Eötvös is a touch more energetic in his conducting, bringing the whole in a good five minutes shorted than Henze, who is by no means a slouch, but gives just a little more space to the second part in particular. This cast is every bit the equal of the older recording, but true Henze scholars will want both".

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"It was written at the height of Henze's enthusiasm for left-wing protest, as a requiem for the Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, who was murdered in 1967. The premiere in 1968 was disrupted by protests from both the left and the right and ... has given the work a fame independent of its actual qualities ... The performance is an excellent one. Sven-Eric Bechtolf does his best with the very wordy narration. Dietrich Henschel is eloquent as Jean-Charles and is a pleasure to listen to. Sarah Wegener as La Mort has a lovely voice but very indistinct enunciation. The choirs do nobly and the orchestra does all that is asked of it. Cornelius Meister, an old hand at this kind of thing, conducts with dedication ... There are two other recordings ... I haven't heard these, but I find it hard to think either would be better than this".

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"This beautifully prepared recording issues the most compelling if belated of invitations to consider afresh a seminal work of the 1960s and assess how successfully it survives the circumstances of its scandalously premiere ... Peter Stein is an inspired piece of casting as the narrator Charon: wry, grizzled, and ... Camilly Nylund is no less radiantly secure ... as the personification of Death ... Like Nono's 'Intolleranza 1960' and Zimmermann's 'Requiem for a Young Poet' (1967-69), the power of its protest survives undimmed".

"Meister summons playing of remarkable intensity from the orchestra during climaxes. The choral singing conveys beauty, mystery and terror, and the sound is even finer than on the earlier recordings ... A most impressive release".