Verdi: Requiem / Sutherland, Horne, Pavarotti, Talvela, Solti

If you value the drama and terror of Giuseppe Verdi's sacred masterpiece, you need to hear this. Solti's "Dies Irae" is overwhelming, the drums pounding and the chorus sounding as if it's writhing in hell's torments. What Solti's intense, operatic conception lacks in spirituality it more than makes up for in the way it grips you by the throat and never lets go. The solo quartet, with one exception, is among the best assembled in the stereo era. Pavarotti shines, and Talvela's authoritative basso profundo is a rock-solid anchor. Horne's trademark register break can be a distraction at times, but she's thrilling. With a more idiomatic soprano, this would have been an unbeatable foursome, but Sutherland is sadly miscast here, most damagingly in the "Libera me." Sonics were demonstration quality in their day and are still competitive with the best. For a more devotional approach, Giulini is a good choice. Vintage performances by Toscanini (RCA and Music & Arts) and Serafin on Pearl (the latter with a true golden age vocal quartet) are desirable, as are stereo versions by Daniel Barenboim on Teldec and Robert Shaw on Telarc. Solti's remake for RCA is less attractive; you can't go wrong with this one. --Dan Davis