Brahms’s mother died in 1865 and this may have been the direct reason for him to write a large-scale work in her memory. In December 1867 the first three movements were performed in Vienna but the first official performance was in Bremen in April 1868. This was still without the fifth movement, which was composed during the summer that year. The first complete performance was given in Leipzig in February 1869, conducted by Carl Reinecke.

The first Vienna production was given by The Choral Society of the Friends of Music and this is the choir that Herbert von Karajan engaged for this, the first commercial recording of the work. Vienna by then, in 1947, was still severely affected by the war: the political situation was unstable, the electricity could not always be trusted and the city was divided into four zones by the Allies. With Walter Legge as producer and Douglas Larter as engineer they managed to record the work successfully and considering that it was set down sixty years ago the quality of the sound is indeed impressive. A work of these dimensions ideally requires stereo recording to convey the full impact but listening with headphones, as I regularly do when reviewing, there is enough detail to be heard for full enjoyment of this sombre but warm work. Just two years after the war was over it is also remarkable that musical life had recovered to such an extent. The Vienna Philharmonic play beautifully and though there are occasionally individual voices that protrude from the collective of the choir it is still a homogeneous sound-picture. Most impressive is the singing in the fugal passages, notably in movements three and six, with pinpoint precision and no lack of power. But the beautifully serene fourth movement, Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, is also as reverential as it should be. It is worth noting that Karajan was associated with the choir from the year of this recording, 1947, until his death in 1989, directing them in over 250 performances.

This is primarily a work for choir and orchestra but the two soloists are also important and they lend a special individuality to the work in contrast to the collective of the choir. Hans Hotter’s dramatic declamation is almost on a Wagnerian scale and at this stage of his career his dark baritone was a superb instrument, powerful and beautiful. His timbre at the beginning of the third movement made me reach for the cover to check if this wasn’t after all Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Of course it wasn’t but there is certainly an uncanny likeness. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, who six years later was to marry producer Walter Legge, was at this stage still a lyric soprano. She sings her solo, Ihr habt nur Traurigkeit, simply and with vulnerable tone.

Listening to Ein deutsches Requiem is always an act of contemplation and reverence, from the sombre opening via the dramatic climax of the double fugue of the sixth movement and back to the atmosphere of the opening. In a collection of great choral music there should be at least one recording in modern sound – and there is a wide choice. Some listeners think Sinopoli’s DG recording is erratic but I have always liked it, Solti on Decca with Kiri Te Kanawa a wonderful soprano soloist may be a safer bet, and Karajan recorded it on three further occasions, his 1964 version with Gundula Janowitz and Eberhard Wächter as soloists possibly the best. And then there is always Klemperer with Schwarzkopf again – and Fischer-Dieskau. The present version belongs in this select company and should be an attractive complement to one of the others – not only for historical freaks.

There are no texts but Malcolm Walker provides historical notes, from which I have drawn some of the information above, a ‘synopsis’ and biographies. At Naxos price this disc gives much music for the money.

This is possibly the closest Karajan got to Furtwängler in terms of long-range thought and its realisation. His pacing of the second, and longest, movement, “Denn alles Fleisch ist wie die Gras” (“For all flesh is as grass”) is masterly. One really receives the impression of Brahmsian vastness. In addition, he captures the peace of “Wie lieblich ist deine Wohnungen” (“How lovely is thy dwelling place”) to heart-rending effect. Accents can count, too, though: listen to the penultimate movement, around four and a half minutes in. Indeed this movement, too, contains some of the great drama of the performance as the choir challenges Death. This version of the Requiem ends with its own redemptive force in the shape of a prayer-like “Selig sind die Toten” (“Blessed are the dead”). Listen out for the ray of sunshine oboe at around 3:20.

What a privilege it is to hear the great Hans Hotter - to my mind one of the great singers of all time - in top form. His entreaty, “Herr, lehre doch mich”, drips with emotion. The characteristic depth of timbre, the awareness of the text he sings and the innate musicality are all there, supplemented by a keen awareness of occasion. He adds real presence to the penultimate movement, too, wherein he sings with almost transcendental beauty.

I guess opinion on Schwarzkopf will be forever divided. Her voice is instantly recognisable, her diction impeccable. She sings with purity, and is generally steady in her number, “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit”. I have to confess that if pressed to find a weakness in this performance, Frau Schwarzkopf would be it. But many will disagree, I am sure.

Of course, Karajan being Karajan, he recorded this work severally. He is joined by Tomowa-Sintow and van Dam - same choir, but BPO - on EMI; with Hendricks and van Dam - same choir, and orchestra - on DG; with Battle and van Dam on Sony DVD; and with Waechter and Janowitz: BPO, yellow label again. This 1947 recording remains however his supreme achievement in this marvellous score. There may be more clarity in the internal choral parts elsewhere, but nowhere is there the same spirit of hope and belief.

There are those, of course, who will prefer Klemperer’s more monumental approach - available as a GROC - but there is never at any point any doubting the greatness of Karajan’s achievement.

There is a balancing credit note in the form of Malcolm Walker’s exemplary notes. Obert-Thorn adds a small note of his own, citing British shellacs as the source.

This performance is forever recommended. That Naxos has provided a transfer at such price and quality zooms the recommendation in on this issue.