This performance of Verdi's Requiem embraces a distinctly German character—from the soloist roster to the choral Latin pronunciation and the unexpected choice of Karl Richter, a Bach specialist with little operatic background, at the podium. What might sound incongruous on paper turns out to be surprisingly effective. Free of faux-Italianate affectations, the result is refreshingly direct and emotionally sincere. Ingrid Bjoner floats above the texture with an ethereal quality that adds a celestial glow to Verdi's solemn masterpiece.