Munich Movie

Much as Steven Spielberg followed 1993's special-effects blockbuster Jurassic Park with a far more downbeat and personal project later the same year, Schindler's List, in 2005 after tearing up the box office with War of the Worlds the director closed out the year with a powerful and thoughtful drama about the human costs of international terrorism. The 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, were supposed to be a peaceful gathering of outstanding athletes from around the world, but on September 5, the games took a sinister turn when eight masked Palestinian terrorists invaded the Olympic village, killing two Israeli athletes and abducting nine others.

Conductor Sergiu Celibidache, who, in his lifetime, did not authorize recordings to be produced of his performances, had a rather unique perspective on tempo. (…) In the present case of Mozart's Requiem, Celibidache's choice of extremely ponderous tempos throughout may be instructive for a while in that listeners can truly appreciate all of the subtle suspensions, inner voices, and other nuances. But listening to the cumbersome pace quickly becomes tedious. Even movements that are traditionally slower, such as the Tuba mirum and Sanctus, are made even broader. The performance of orchestra, chorus, and soloists is quite clean and well in-tune; the sound quality of the recording is also satisfactory. The tempo choice alone makes this CD a questionable choice for listeners seeking to discover Mozart's Requiem. ~ Mike Brownell, All Music Guide