Requiem & La Chasse
For the most part, Harnoncourt keeps his quirkiness under control and accordingly delivers a stunning performance. Such are his insights, even those who suffer from K 626 Fatigue will quake as if hearing this masterpiece for the first time. The sound-engineers have excelled themselves. That being said, I would have bet good money that the Hostias was going to be a trainwreck before I hit the play-button and so it proved to be. Call me an antiquated Romantic if you want, but this movement (and the text itself) clamours for a meditative approach, not an attempt to break the land speed record. So all in all, this is a stellar performance with one big fat sunspot.