Britten: War Requiem; Sinfonia da Requiem; Ballad of Heroes

While not quite the equal of Britten's own performance, Richard Hickox's version is so good that it's pointless to quibble about this or that detail. It also has two big advantages over the composer's own recording: stunning digital sound and two spectacularly performed couplings that are related in subject and mood to the main work. In fact, if you have room for only one Britten disc in you collection, this should be it. You get a comprehensive overview of the issues that concerned this most compassionate of composers: the horror of war, the corruption of innocence, and the firm belief in the power of hope. --David Hurwitz