Philippe Herreweghe and La Chapelle Royale Collegium Vocale is my favorite interpretation. It's a period performance and has a lot of raw energy and passion behind it. If you enjoy vocals, Herreweghe does an amazing job with his performers.



http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Requiem-K-626-Kyrie-K-341/dp/B0000007BI

FWIW, one of the reviewers also suggests:

• von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker (impressive, but very slow, and the audio quality is lacking)
• von Karajan, Wiener Philharmoniker
• Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
• Sir Colin Davis, BBC symphony orchestra
• Karl Bohm, Wiener Philharmoniker

I've had good experiences with St. Martin in the Fields recordings.

Yeah, I've had that same issue with both Hogwood and Gardiner period recordings. They sometimes use a really fast tempo to fit the period, too, which further aggravates the issue.

Edited my post above to include a YT link to the recording. Doesn't sound as nice as the CD, of course, but is a good indication of the style.

The Herreweghe recording of Bach's Mass in b minor is breathtaking. It's Collegium Vocale, and most Harmonia Mundi releases are really good.

Mozart specified faster tempos than what how his stuff is typically played today. Because of the romantic movement, a lot of Mozart tends to be slowed down. The Brits tend to do this artfully. The Germans awfully. There are exceptions of course.

Is the period known for faster tempos?

The fast movements were slightly slower, but the slow movements were much faster. Actually, all periods were overall faster. Harold Schonberg called post-Golden-Age performance "The Ice Age" because of the glacial tempi. He contended that young performers think slower = profounder. Have a listen to Hofmann's Chopin concerti and you'll see what he means. I've read that Brahms' 2d Piano Concerto should be 35 minutes and is currently 50. That said, I'm all for taking liberties with the score provided that they're beautiful.