War Requiem review – in the cathedral where it premiered, Britten’s masterpiece has lost none of its power

Coventry Cathedral Kazuki Yamada led the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and chorus and soloists Christian Gerhaher, Andrew Staples and Olga Peretyatko in this monumental and moving performance of Britten’s towering work The premiere of Britten’s War Requiem as part of the

Coventry Cathedral Kazuki Yamada led the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and chorus and soloists Christian Gerhaher, Andrew Staples and Olga Peretyatko in this monumental and moving performance of Britten’s towering work The premiere of Britten’s War Requiem as part of the consecration of Coventry’s new cathedral in 1962 left its German baritone soloist Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau “completely undone”. Sculptor Barbara Hepworth listened on the radio and declared herself “profoundly moved”. The composer described it as a “call for peace”; critics unanimously reached for the word “masterpiece”.

More than half a century later, some of the boy choristers from that world premiere were in attendance as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra returned to Coventry Cathedral to perform the War Requiem – now marking both Armistice Day and 50 years since Britten’s own death. The work has lost none of its currency. Wilfred Owen ’s texts still shock, the most explosive passages of Britten’s score continue to detonate as if physically threatening.

And the mass cooperation of so many musicians continues to represent Britten’s hopefulness in humanity like nothing else. Continue reading...