Bach: St. Matthaus Passion (St. Matthew Passion) (complete)

On this CD:

1. Matthäuspassion (St. Matthew Passion), BWV 244
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by New Berlin Chamber Orchestra with Alison Browner, Wilfried Jochens, Angela Kazimierczuk, Peter Lika, Markus Schafer, Franz-Josef Selig, Cologne Chorus Musicus

Tracks:

Kommt, ihr Toechter, helft mir klagen
Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte
Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen
Da versammleten sich die Hohenpriester / Ja nicht auf das fest / Da nun Jesus war zu Bethanien / Wozu dienet dieser Unrat / Da das Jesus merkete
Du lieber Heiland du
Buss und Reu
Da ging hin der Zwoelfen einer
Blute nur, du liebes Herz
Aber am ersten Tage der suessen Brot / Wo willst du, dass wir dir bereiten / Er sprach: Gebet ihn in die Stadt / Un sie wurden sehr betrubt / Herr, bin ich's
Ich bin's, ich sollte buessen
Er antwortete und sprach:
Wiewohl mein Herz in Traenen schwimmt
Ich willdir mein Herze schenken
Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten
Erkenne mich, mein Hueter
Petrus aber antwortete
Ich will hier bei dir stehen
Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe
O Schmerz! hier zittert das gequaelte Herz
Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen
Und ging hin ein wenig
Der Heiland faellt vor seinem Vater nieder
Gerne will ich mich bequemen
Und er kam zu seinen Juengern
Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh' allzeit
Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend
So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen / Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken verschwunden
Und siehe, einer aus denen
O Mensch, bewein' dein Suende gross

Tracks:

Ach! nun ist mein Jesus hin
Die aber Jesum gegriffen hatten
Mir hat die Welt trueglich gericht't
Und wiewold viel falsche Zeugen herzutraten
Mein Jesus schweigt zu falschen Luegen stille
Geduld, Geduld!
Und der Hohepriester antwortete / Er ist des Todes schuldig / Da speieten sie aus in sein Angesicht / Weissage uns, Christe
Wer hat dich so geschlagen
Petrus aber sass draussen im Palast / Wahrlich, du bist auch einer von denen
Erbarme dich
Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen
Das Morgens aber heilten alle Hohenpriester / Was gehet uns das an / Und er warf die Silberlinge in den Tempel
Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder
Sie heilten aber einen Rat
Befiehl du deine Wege
Auf das Fest aber hatte der Landpfleger / Lass in kreuzigen!
Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diese Strafe
Der Landpfleger sagte
Er hat uns allen wohlgetan
Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben
Sie schrieen aber noch mehr / Lass in kreuzigen! / Da aber Pilatus sahe / Sein Blut komme uber uns / Da gab er ihnen Barrabam los
Erbarm es Gott
Koennen Traenen meiner Wangen

Tracks:

Da nahmen Kriegsknechte / Gegruesset seist du, Judenkoenig / Und speieten ihn an
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
Und da sie ihn verspottet hatten
Ja! freilich will in uns das Fleisch und Blut
Komm, suesses Kreuz
Und da sie an die Staette kamen / Der du den Tempel Gottes zerbrichst / Desgleichen auch die Hohenpreister / Andern hat er geholfen / Desgleichen schmaeheten ihn
Ach, Golgatha, unsel'ges Golgatha
Sehet Jesus hat die hand
Und von der sechsten Stunde / Der rufet dem Elias / Und bald lief einer unter ihnen / Halt, lass sehen / Aber Jesus schriee abermals laut
Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden
Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zerriss / Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen / Und es waren viel Weiber da
Am Abend da es kuehle war
Mache dich, mein Herze, rein
Und Joseph nahm den Leib / Herr, wir haben gedacht / Pilatus sprach zu ihnen
Nun ist der Herr zu Ruh gebracht
Wir setzen uns mit Traenen nieder

Amazon.com essential recording

The St. Matthew Passion, Bach's monumental retelling of the story of the Last Supper and the arrest and execution of Jesus, typically runs from two-and-a-half to three hours. Yet this performance makes the time... well, not exactly fly past (consider the subject matter), but it's not tedious for even a second. Much of the credit for this goes to the marvelous Evangelist, Ian Bostridge. He's an outstanding narrator: the clear tone and diction, skillful timing, and intense involvement with words that made him a famous lieder singer are all in evidence; his part consists of nothing but recitative, yet he holds your interest unfailingly. Franz-Josef Selig gives a more dramatic reading of Jesus than you usually hear these days--he may be a bit too "operatic" for some listeners, but he really communicates his character's very human anguish and sorrow. Similarly, soprano Sibylla Rubens, tenor Werner Güra, and bass Dietrich Henschel sometimes unleash a bit too much vibrato for some tastes, but their singing is full-throated and attractive and they're very sensitive to the nuances in the text and music. Superstar countertenor Andreas Scholl is the standout--he combines unearthly purity with very earthly feeling and blends beautifully with the baroque instruments. The real stars of the record, however, are Philippe Herreweghe and his remarkable choir and orchestra. This conductor and his musicians (especially his radiant choir, Collegium Vocale) have always been superb at conveying warmth, devotion, and contemplation, but intense joy, anguish, or anger have sometimes seemed beyond them. Not here: they cover the full emotional range of this work--from reverent reflection to anguished remorse to churning fury--without ever crossing the line into melodrama or sacrificing clarity.

On top of all this, you get a CD-ROM chock full of interesting and well-organized information (in English, German, and French): texts as well as an overview with a timeline of Bach's life, a discussion of how the work is put together, marvelous graphics, sound clips, and an extensive interview with Herreweghe himself. A superb accompaniment to a superb release. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-02-03

Do not hesitate for a moment to purchase this CD/CD ROM package. I researched thoroughly the many recordings of this work, and I am very pleased to have decided on this one. It is a gorgeous, moving recording.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-01-08

Bach (1685-1750), a Lutheran, was specifically asked by St. Thomas' Church, Leipzig, to supply a non-theatrical Passion. In this context passion stands for the act of passive suffering, of watching and occasonally empathising in the suffering of Christ, a development which began in the Middle Ages when the church took steps to popularise the Bible. When sung, the role of the Evangelist would be taken by a tenor and that of Jesus by a bass. As various instruments were added they began to be associated with certain roles and as with opera any dramatic action in the text occurred during the recitative. The chorus has two functions: to participate in the action and then to reflect upon it, such reflections provided by the chorales which were familiar Lutheran hymns.
The St. Matthew Passion was composed for the Good Friday service at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig in 1727. As time went on Bach revised and added other pieces and subsequently this Passion became the grandest and the largest of his works. He used a Double Chorus, included a third soprano group for the opening and close of Part One, two orchestras split so that they either accompanied the first or the second chorus, four soloists who carry specific parts and a number of other singers who have other roles. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 26 and 27 plus traditional Lutheran chorales and meditative poems (by Henrici also known as Picander) provide the text.The Evangelist narrates the action scene by scene.
Although the work as a whole is somewhat heavy and sombre there are some lighter moments to treasure, and none more delightful than the soprano aria in Part One "Ich will dir mein Herze schenken" (I will give my heart to Thee). Part two contains the best known and loved aria from the work "Erbarme dich,mein Gott" (Have mercy, my God) for alto and violin obligato and pizzicato bass. The death is terse but dramatic as is the earthquake following with the heartrending crying "Walrlich dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen" (Truly this was the Son of (God). It all ends with a Sarabande-like chorale bidding Jesus to rest in peace.
The packageing of this edition is outstanding; the booklet includes absolutely all the documentation that one may need to fully comprehend this monumental work of Bach's. In addition, the the 3 CD's, there is a CD-Rom that explains the entire procedure for the production of this recording (in 3 languages:French,English and German).
The performance itself is excellent and beyond reproach. Ian Bostridge is all that one would desire in a tenor Evangelist; a joy just to hear his voice. Andreas Scholl gives one of the most emotional performances I have ever heard from him; he tends to be somewhat 'laid-back' in some renditons, but not in this one. Just my opinion; all you Scholl fans, don't get excited!!!!!I suggest you allow yourself an entire day to explore this wonderful musical experience.

The True Drama of the St. Matthew Passion.......2006-04-11

There are gratefully many recordings of Bach's great St. Matthew Passion from which to choose, and the approaches to this long and mighty work of inspiration are varied. While this listener cut his teeth of the old Klemperer recording now re-mastered from the LP days to CD, this recording under the sensitive and commanding control of Philippe Herreweghe has become the recording most favored for return listenings, especially during the Holy Week. Herreweghe obviously knows the work from intense study, a fact that gives him all the stamina to make the overall Passion work both musically and dramatically.

Herreweghe draws sumptuous playing from his Collegium Vocale Orchestra and Chorus, keeping the period sound intact while adding the contemporary trend for finding the operatic aspects of the work in the lead of all the other recordings. Of course he has an extraordinary group of soloists who give definitive performances. The leading actor is the Evangelist who guides us through the arrest and assassination the Jesus according to the Gospel of Matthew: Ian Bostridge not only has a beautiful tenor voice, rich and warm, but he also offers perfect enunciation of the text and delivers his comments with the exact amount of propelling drama. The role of Jesus is strongly delivered by Franz-Josef Selig and matches his competition (Fischer-Dieskau, Quasthoff and Goerne included!) in conveying both the agony and the transcendence of Bach's lines.

Add to this strong matrix the exquisite singing of Andreas Scholl and the solo work by Sibylla Rubens, Werner G?ra, Dietrich Henschel, Dominik Worner, Elisabeth Hermans, Susan Hamilton and Frits Vanhulle and the beauty of the drama is perfect. This is truly the most dramatic performance of Bach's most dramatic Passion and one to cherish for years. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, April 06

My favorite too!.......2005-09-17

I own six different St. Matthew Passion recordings, and this is my favorite. Herrweghe gets it right. I am not a stickler for HIP, but prefer it. In my opinion this is the most balanced high quality HIP treatment of the St. Matthew available. Get it!

Excellent work - but problems with sound level.......2005-05-29

I have no complaints about the performance, with the exception of two points: (1) the bass can at times sound too sharp and loud; (2) there is a bit of showing off, desire to impress the listener. Otherwise the work is awesome, but I am irritated by the recording quality. I thought that I would get used to it, but as I continue to listen to it, it irritates me more and more. The sound level is unequal. It is either too low, or annoyingly too high. I simply cannot just turn on the CD and listen through without adjusting volume levels all the time. Music becomes too quiet, then it bursts into sudden loudness, sharp, unpleasant sounds, which is extremely vexing. This is the main reason for my not listening to this recording more often. To add insult to injury, the bonus CD does not work on my computer, but freezes and muddles up. If I knew about this, I wouldn't have bought these CDs. Fortunately, I have also Herreweghe I, which I prefer to this one. But my all time favourite is - HARNONCOURT.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
A Moving Performance In The Traditional Grand Manner
I listen to it every day
Incredibly moving
matthews pasion by bach

Bach: Matthäus-Passion

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 1.Chor
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 2.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 3.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 4.Rezitativ, 5.Chor - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 6.Rezitativ, 7.Chor - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 8. Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 9.Rezitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: Anointing In Bethany - 10.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 11.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Judas)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 12.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 13.Rezitativ, 14.Chor - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 15.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 16.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 17.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus) (Judas)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 18.Rezitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 19. Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 20.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 21.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 22.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Peter) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: The Lord's Supper: 23.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 24.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 25:Rezitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 26.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 27.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus_
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 28.Rezitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 29.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 30.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 31.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 32.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus) (Judas)

Tracks:

Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 33.Duett
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 34.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 1: In Gethsemane: 35.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: False Witness: 36.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: False Witness: 37.Recitativ - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: False Witness: 38.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: False Witness: 39.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (Second Witness) (High Priest)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: False Witness: 40.Recitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: False Witness: 41.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 42.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (High Priest) (Pilate) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 43.Recitativ (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 44.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 45.Recitativ, 46.Chor - (Evangelist) (First Maid) (Second Maid) (Peter)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 47.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 48.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 49.Recitativ, 50.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Judas) (Priests)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 51.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 52.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (Pilate) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Interrogation By Caiaphas And Pilate: 53.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 54.Rezitativ - (Evangelist) (Pilate)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 55.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 56.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (Pilate)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 57.Recitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 58.Arie

Tracks:

Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 59.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (Pilate)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 60.Recitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 61.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 62.Recitativ - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Jesus' Delivery And Flagellation: 63.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 64.Recitativ - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 65.Recitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 66.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 67.Recitativ - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 68.Recitativ - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 69.Recitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 70.Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 71.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (Jesus)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 72.Choral
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: Crucifixion: 73A.Recitativ , Part 2: The Interment: 73B.Recitativ - (Evangelist)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: The Interment: 74.Recitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: The Interment: 75Arie
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: The Interment: 76.Recitativ - (Evangelist) (Pilate)
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: The Interment: 77.Recitativ
Matthaus-Passion: Part 2: The Interment: 78.Chor

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-01-04

Thanks to Bach for this creation. Thanks to Director, Orchestra and Vocalists for the execution. Thanks to Internet and Amazon to allow me to find back this release I was hit from listening my father's vinil just 25 year ago.
Good experience to everybody.

A Moving Performance In The Traditional Grand Manner.......2006-11-08

Karajan's recording of Bach's St. Matthew Passion is definitely a competitor for the famous Klemperer version. Ultimately Klemperer prevails but that doesn't mean Karajan is far behind. This is a very moving, devotional approach to Johann Sebastian Bach which has been mostly lost in the period instrument and period style era. Karajan's tempos are somewhat faster than Klemperer, which is a good thing, although the sheer monumentality of Klemperer is also breathtaking. The cast on the Klemperer recording is even more impressive than Karajan's great cast. The choirs in both versions are well placed and trained, finally it falls on the conductor to make it work and Herbert von Karajan does Bach's great music proud.

This performance will most likely infuriate period instrument fans for sure and they will stick to their beloved John Eliot Gardiner and perhaps Philippe Herreweghe whose latest recording is probably better than Gardiner anyway. However, if you want a grand, moving approach but are somewhat annoyed by the lethargic tempos of the famous Otto Klemperer version, then you should investigate Herbert von Karajan's ideas about this supreme Bach creation. The packaging, notes and sound are all great.

I listen to it every day.......2004-11-15

I wanted to reply to the reviewer who said "The tenor sound tends to jump out of the choir, which does not blend well as a whole." In the track "O Mensh," I loved the way Karajan emphasized the inner tenor voice. It seemed to me that in that passage the tenors were singing very effectively, with intense energy. I am not an expert on singing; I am a brass and string player, so maybe I don't have the ears to discriminate perfect singing. Decide for yourself.

The same reviewer said, "There is little drama here. The opening movement is a case in point. It has neither the sheer monumentality of Klemperer, nor the urgency of Gardiner." I wondered if we were listening to the same recording.

I listen to it every day when driving to work. I recently bought a car whose stereo that had more bass than my old car, and even though the bass was on only half way, The first track's bass sounded louder outside the car than I expected!

Incredibly moving.......2004-07-14

I strongly encourage you to listen to this recording objectively, eliminating from mind any prejudices you might have against Karajan and the assumption that this music should only be played in a "period" style. If you do so, I hope (nay, expect) you will be as pleased with this recording as I was. I cannot listen to the closing chorus, or the chorale after the death of Jesus, without tears welling up in my eyes. With this recording, Karajan is the anti-Gardiner par excellence (though Gardiner hadn't come on the scene yet in 1973, my point is clear I hope). Occasionaly the execution is a bit on the muddy side (more due to the, at that time, somewhat less than ideal Wiener Singverein than anything else), but the devotion, the spirituality, and the sheer drama is always present. The soloists are excellent, both vocally and characterization-wise. Fischer-Dieskau is overpowering as Christ, conveying nobility and suffering as well as I can imagine. Schreier is wonderful as the Evangelist, deeply involved in the story, Janowitz and Ludwig are vocally beautiful as usual, Berry is deeply moving (if you are not affected by the divine peace of his "Mache dich mein Herze rein" your doctor should examine your heart to make sure it isn't a block of granite), and even the lesser known Leubenthal and Diakov acquit themselves very well. I have no hesitation in recommending this to those who are looking for their first St. Matthew Passion. I do admit that I have not yet listend to Klemperer's recording, which I suspect is even better, but if the Klemperer did not exist, I would be perfectly happy with this.

matthews pasion by bach.......2004-07-07

Absolutely magnificient recording. One of the most legendary recordings ever made.

Bach- St. Matthäus-Passion/Te Kanawa, von Otter, Rolfe-Johnson, Blochitz, Krause, Solti (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Brilliant
An ideal melding of music, vocalists, and conductor
A contender!

Bach- St. Matthäus-Passion/Te Kanawa, von Otter, Rolfe-Johnson, Blochitz, Krause, Solti (Highlights)
Kiri Te Kanawa , Anne Sofie von Otter , Chicago Symphony Orchestra , Tom Krause , and Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Otter, Anne Sophie von | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Te Kanawa, Kiri | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000041WG
Release Date: 1990-03-30

Tracks:

Matthaus-Passion: Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen (Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Wiewohl mein Herz in Tranen schwimmt (Soprano recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Ich will dir mein Herze schenken (Soprano aria)
Matthaus-Passion: O Schmerz! Hier zittert das gequalte Herz! (Tenor Recitative Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen (Tenor Aria And Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen (Soprano-Alto Duet And Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: O Mensch, bewein dein Sunde gross (Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Erbame dich, mien Gott (Contralto Aria)
Matthaus-Passion: Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen (Chorale)
Matthaus-Passion: Er hat uns allen wohlgetan (Soprano Recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben (Soprano Aria)
Matthaus-Passion: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (Chorale)
Matthaus-Passion: Ach, Golgatha, unsel'ges Golgatha! (Contralto Recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand (Contralto Aria And Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Am Abend, da es kuhle war (Bass Recitative)
Matthaus-Passion: Mache dich, mein Herze, rein (Bass Aria)
Matthaus-Passion: Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh' gebracht (Recitative: Soloists-Chorus)
Matthaus-Passion: Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder (Chorus)

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2005-09-03

A number of years ago, maybe 17, I had two seats at the Chicago Symphony with Sir Georg Solti the resident conductor emiritus and 2 floor seats to see Michael Jordon, Scottie Pippen and John Paxson at the Bulls. It was a heady season and I probably saw more of Jordon but only because I had more tickets.

Sir Georg was an institution, like Mazur and Bernstein. He lacked the flamboyance of the latter, and of course Kurt Mazur would on occassion address the orchestra pit with neither podium nor music sheets nor baton. That was pretty impressive too the first time I saw him (Fantasy Overture, NYP).

But it seems to me that Matthew Passion brings a need for unison between the conductor and the musicians and the chorus dare I say slightly more than other efforts and repeatedly, it seems that Solti's brilliance elevates him over others.

In the "Come, ye daughters" beginning we are both caught and mesmerized and anything else that could absorb our attention is discarded. And of course Kiri is as always, magnificent. The tenor, Mr. Johnson is equal to Bach's criteria.

Like other reviewers, I love this work and the beautiful timing between all. 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

An ideal melding of music, vocalists, and conductor.......2002-09-23

Johann Sebastian Bach's "St. Matthew Passion," one of his great choral works, is a meditation on the death of Christ. Here, Sit Georg Solti works with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to produce a superb rendition of the arias and choruses of this rich and contemplative work.

On the opening piece, "Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen" ("Come, ye daughters, share my mourning"), the chorus perfectly captures the combination of knowingness, sadness, and dazed disbelief regarding the crucifixion. The strings are especially fine here, providing a delicate, almost spiderweb-like underpinning for the choral verses. The tenor aria "Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen" ("I would beside my Lord be watching"), the chorus backs up tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson's supple, unshowy singing with an ghostly, almost otherworldly tone.

The soprano/alto duet of "So ist mein Jesu non gefangen" ("Behold, my Savior now is taken") features Kiri Te Kanawa and Anne Sophie van Otter, who are matched seamlessly in terms of volume, technique, and crystalline purity of tone. Their weary litany of sadnesses is punctuated vigorously with the choral vereses of "Last ihn, haltet, bindet nicht!" (Loose him, leave him, bind him not!"). It's a thrilling piece, especially when it transforms itself into the thundering waterfall of sound that forms "Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken vershwunden" ("Have lightnings and thunders their fury forgotten?"). The power in this piece alone is absolutely awe-inspiring.

I can't recommend this CD highly enough. It truly is a superlative recording of the "St. Matthew Passion" highlights, featuring as it does these great soloists, this talented conductor, and this amazingly on-the-ball chorus and symphony.

A contender!.......2001-07-26

There is no ideal "St. Matthew Passion." But this one ranks with the best of 'em. "Solti?," you ask? That's right: Solti. I've heard all of the other ones except for Klemperer's, and this one satisfies on a consistent level. Some of the others I only listen to one disc at a time; this one, all the way through. Not too fast, not too slow, not too solemn, not too sprightly. I guess Solti isn't known as a "Bach specialist," but the "Bach specialists" whose CDs I own could learn a thing or two about making a satisfying recording like this one.

Average customer rating:

A Milestone In Bach Recording History
Integrity with emotional depth..
The first HIP St Matthew performance
A warm, light-textured, moving authentic account
Still the best

Bach: Matthäus-Passion

Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

J.S. Bach: Mass in B minor
Bach - Matthäus-Passion / Prégardien, Goerne, C. Schäfer, Röschmann, Fink, von Magnus, Schade, M. Schäfer, Henschel, Widmer, Harnoncourt [with Enhanced CD-ROM]

ASIN: B000000SBE
Release Date: 1994-04-05

Tracks:

St Matthew Passion: Part I: Chorus: Kommt, ihr Tochter helft mir klagen
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Choral: Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Da versammleten sich die Hohenpriester
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Chorus: Ja, nicht auf das Fest
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Da nun Jesus war zu Bethanien
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Chorus: Wozu dienet dieser Unrat
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Da das Jesus merkete, sprach er zu ihnen
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Recitativo: Du lieber Heiland du
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Aria: Buss und Reu
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Da ging hin der Zwolfen einer
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Aria: Blute nur, du liebes Herz
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Aber am ersten Tage der sussen Brot
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Chorus: Wo willst du, dass wir dir bereiten
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Er sprach
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Chorus: Herr, bin ich's?
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Choral: Ich bin's, ich sollte bussen
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Er antwortete und sprach
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Recitativo: Wiewohl mein Herz in Tranen schwimmt
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Aria: Ich will dir mein Herze schenken
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Choral: Erkenne mich, mein Huter
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Petrus aber antwortete
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Choral: Ich will hier bei dir stehen
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Recitativo: O Schmerz! (Chorus: Was ist die Ursach')
St Matthew Passion: Part I: Aria: Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen (Chorus: So schlafen unsere Sunden ein)

Tracks:

St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Und ging hin ein wenig
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Recitativo: Der Heiland fallt vor seinem Vater nieder
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Aria: Gerne will ich mich bequemen
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Und er kam zu seinen Jungern
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Choral: Was mein Gott will
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Aria: So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen (Chorus: Lasst ihn! bindet nicht!)
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Chorus: Sind Blitze, sind Donner
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Evangelista: Und siehe, einer aus denen
St. Matthew Passion: Part I: Choral: O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sunde gross
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Ach nun ist mein Jesus hin! (Chorus: Wo ist denn)
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Die aber Jesum gegriffen hatten
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Choral: Mir hat die Welt truglich gericht't
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und wiewohl viel falsche Zeugen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Recitativo: Mein Jesus schweigt zu falschen Lugen stille
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Geduld!
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und der Hohenpriester antwortete
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Er ist der Todes schuldig
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Da speieten sie aus
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Weissage uns, Christe
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Choral: Wer hat dich so geschlagen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Petrus aber sass draussen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Wahrlich, du bist auch einer von denen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Da hub er an sich zu verfluchen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Erbarme dich, mein Gott
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Choral: Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Des Morgens aber
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Was gehet und das an
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und er warf die Silberlinge
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder!
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Sie hielten aber einen Rat
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Choral: Befiehl du deine Wege

Tracks:

St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Auf das Fest aber
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Barrabam!
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Pilatus sprach zu ihnen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Lass ihn kreuzigen!
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Choral: Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diese Strafe!
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Der Landpfleger sagte
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Recitativo: Er hat uns allen wohlgetan
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Sie schrieen aber noch mehr
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Lass ihn kreuzigen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Da aber Pilatus sahe
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Sein Blut komme uber uns
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Da gab er ihnen Barrabam los
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Recitativo: Erbarm es Gott!
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Konnen Tranen meiner Wangen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Da nahmen die Kriegsknechte
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Gegrusset seist du, Judenkonig!
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Choral: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und da sie ihn verspottet hatten
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Recitativo: Ja! freilich will in uns das Fleisch
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Komm, susses Kreuz
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und da sie an die Statte kamen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Der du den Tempel Gottes zerbrichst
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Desgleichen auch die Hohenpriester
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Andern hat er geholfen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Desgleichen schmaheten ihn auch die Morder
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Recitativo: Ach, Golgatha
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand (Chorus: Wohin?)
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und von der sechsten Stunde an
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Der rufet dem Elias
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und bald lief einer unter ihnen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Halt, lass sehen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Choral: Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und es waren viel Weiber da
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Recitativo: Am Abend, da es kuhle war
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Aria: Mache dich, mein Herz, rein
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Und Joseph nahm den Leib
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Herr, wir haben gedacht
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Evangelista: Pilatus sprach zu ihnen
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Recitativo: Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh gebracht (Chorus: Mein Jesu, gute Nacht!)
St. Matthew Passion: Part II: Chorus: Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder

Customer Reviews:

A Milestone In Bach Recording History.......2002-06-26

This is certainly a milestone in the history of Bach on record. While there are many, new HIP (Historically Informed) recordings now (Gardiner, Koopman, Herreweghe, and even Harnoncourt's newest recording of the St. Matthew Passion) this present recording seems to be the most innovative, using an all male cast, whereas other HIP conductors use female sopranos and altos, a practice which was unheard of in Bach's day (in the Leipzig main churches anyway). After all, this could be considered the first Historically Informed Perfomance.

This is the kind of recording that forces you to truly reminisce about Bach's Leipzig and his choir, the Thomeranchor, the all-boys' chorus of St. Thomas Church. The boys were aged 6-19. It is known that women were forbidden to sing in church. Even more so, castrati. The soprano and alto solists that Bach would have utilized were actually prepubescent boy trebles and countertenors. These are the soloists that Harnoncourt used in this recording, an attempt that is found nowhere else, not even in the newest HIP recordings.

Now, Philippe Herreweghe mentions that the boys' choir of today probably did not have the adquate training to meet the standards of Bach's choir. This in part because the boys of the day were more disciplined and took the learning of musical technique very seriously. Most importantly, the boys of the day pubesced at a later age, meaning their voices broke at a later age, around 15 or 16 or even 17, therefore the treble soiloists and choristers would have had to been more powerful than those we hear today.

While Philippe Herreweghe is most definitely right with his rebuttal, Harnoncourt's recording is still a delight to hear, and probably no other recording, in my humble opinion, comes as close to replicating the sound of St. Thomas's Boys' Choir (with the exception of Herrweghe's record which actually attempts to replicate the stereophonics of the interior of St. Thomas' Church; and very successfuly). There is something very magical and unique about this recording, thanks to the boys' choir and innovative period instrument performers. Hearing "Sind Blitze, Sind Donner" sung with boy altos and sopranos in no way takes away from the drama of the number. It rather, adds to the beauty which has been hidden for years.

Not to mention that the soprano is a treble and the altos are actually countertenors. The countertenors are Paul Esswood and James Bowman, who is a pioneer in reviving the countertenor voice (someone that even Andreas Scholl admires). What a treat to hear James Bowman on the first HIP St. Matthew Passion! I was astounded to hear the soprano aria, "Aus Liebe" sung by a boy treble. As you'll hear, "Aus Liebe" is a challenging piece both technically and interpretively. And this young man's virtuosity is beyond belief. He should be applauded for his efforts which are beyond words.

Kurt Equiluz is a classic Evangelist and has superb storytelling abilites.

I would prefer much more relaxed tempos and instrumental playing, more to the liking of Herreweghe's second recording of the work. But it was nonetheless very good here.

Bach would have been proud. This is an old recording, but please don't let this deter you. The sound quality is excellent. This set of the St. Matthew Passion is definitely an Essential one. Don't hesitate.

Integrity with emotional depth.........2001-08-26

This was the very first Harnoncourt recording I heard-and how exciting that was! I recently heard bits of his more recent recording and I think that although impressive the later recording tends towards caricature in its striving towards theatricality. The earlier recording on the other hand has marvellous warmth and a naturalness that is heart rending. I have to say that no tenor that I have heard does a better job of the Evangelist part as does Kurt Equiliuz. His voice reminds me of a cello with gut strings and he never tries to grab attention away from the essential dramatic movement of the piece. He is emotional without being sentimental. The other soloists are marvellous aswell. Karl Ridderbusch as Christus has an amazing profundo voice with a sweetness that is beguiling. Paul Esswood is fantastic-his 'Erbarme dich' is a model of contained poignancy. One of the boy soloists has a maturity beyond belief in 'Aus liebe will mein Heiland sterben'. The Kings College men with the Regensburg Domchor are wonderfully mellow. Occasionally speeds are a little plodding in some of the arias although generally I prefer more relaxed tempos (often sorely missed in modern performances). So all in all-a performance to savour, and you really do get the impression in this pioneering recording of the excitement of removing layers of grime from a masterwork. My favourite St. Matthew!

The first HIP St Matthew performance.......2001-04-19

This is the first Historical Informed Practice performance of the work, with an all male team of chorus and soloists and with one of the smallest orchestras (although the size of the choir is rather larger than the necessary to bring enough clarity). I confess, I have a mixed reaction when I listen to it. It was a revolution when it was recorded. listen, for example, to the first and last choruses, where for the first time in history the rithm (almost like a dance)is wonderfully brought alive by Harnoncourt. And if you compare it with the modern instruments recordings of the time, it succeds triumphally (I haven't listened to Klemperer yet), with the exception of Richter 58'. Since the beggining of the HIP movement, you can admire the attack of the instruments, so uneven in the melodic line 8that's why the dance spirit is refreshed in the historicist recordings), so springly executed. But ... this artists have a great problem: they were the first pioneers, and so I would say that every performer is in much bfiner form to play and sing: At that time there was still very much of the older style to play Baroque. I would put 3 stars ; I decided to reduce them to one because an Amazon customer repeted his review

A warm, light-textured, moving authentic account.......2000-02-04

There is no single definitive performance of the St. MatthewPassion because it is such a universal work, subject to wonderfulinterpretations in large scale romantic and small original instrument modes. Most everyone would pick Klemperer's rendition as the classic "big" version, with an unbeatable set of soloists (a five star account for sure), massive in scale and emotion, and very slow-paced. The Harnoncourt is pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of scale, timing and texture. Of smaller scale "authentic" versions I have heard (Gardiner, Koopman, Herrewegge), Harnoncourt's has the sweetest, mellowest sound, particularly because of the beautiful wind instruments. The choruses (with boy singers) are also very beautiful, and Paul Esswood is great. His "Erbarme Dich" is the best sung, most moving male performance I've heard (although no one beats Schwarzkopf on the Klemperer set). The Harnoncourt is also a better price than the other original instrument versions (but older sound). If you like Harnoncourt's cantatas, this Passion has all the same virtues. Some may be put off by all the male voices and light texture. Here and there the rhythms are a little plodding, but generally the timings are about right. Personally I would want at least two St. Matthew Passions in my collection -- the Klemperer and the Harnoncourt. If I were to choose a single "compromise" set with the best of both worlds I might opt for the Gardiner -- authentic with larger forces. The Naxos set by Oberfrank is a good bargain with modern instruments and brisk rhythms, although not up to the very highest standard. (The recent Teldec Bach 2000 sampler has the final chorus by Harnoncourt, which convinced me to get the complete work. For comparison, you can hear Herreweghe's first version of the same chorus on the HM Bach sampler that recently came out.) END

Still the best.......2000-01-07

I have to admit the advances in Baroque music seem to make this recording seem less clear and shaped, but that is not necessarily the way the orchestra was heard back then. It was only with Beethoven that we heard the orchestra arranged as we know it, and he did it to give better clarity as he couldn't hear it. If we were to sit an orchestra as they were seated in Bach's day, the clarity we are accustomed to would disappear.

I still find this the best of the recordings for a few reasons. The countertenor of Paul Esswood is far better than all the new hot shots of today, and it has the proper depth to give an emotional depth to the reading. He is really a countertenor who is totally forgotten, yet so many of Bach's cantatas would never have come to light were it not for his singing.

I am suspect of the pitch in the more modern recordings. It seems the instruments are very shrill and lack colour. This recording was wise to put the pitch down to the level it was in Bach's day. The standard pitch of today ( A 440, which more often than not is now raised nearly to A 450 ) distorts the sound of old instruments which were not made to withstand the greater tension. No recording of this music is authentic, even if played on authentic instruments, if the pitch is too high to let the natural mellowness of these instruments come through. The loudness and brilliance of todays instruments were not possible on these older ones ( I have 2 violins and a viola di gamba from the early 1700's and have pitched them at the pitch of their day, and of our day -- todays pitch robs them of warmth, even if it gives the *clarity* were are used to ).

This said, for those who wish to hear Bach as he probably heard his music ( though we can never say for sure we are exactly correct ), this is the recording to buy. It brings one things so lacking in all the academically perfect recordings -- soul to the music of a man who dedicated all he did to God, and who tried to express his profound love of God in the works he wrote. I have never found that in any other recording of this work.

Bach - Matthäus-Passion / Prégardien, Goerne, C. Schäfer, Röschmann, Fink, von Magnus, Schade, M. Schäfer, Henschel, Widmer, Harnoncourt [with Enhanced CD-ROM]
Average customer rating:

Exceptional

Not faithful to the greatness of the work

Completly satisfied with this

Missing the mark, and rushing to do so

Harnoncourt gives the Matthaus Passion back to the church...

Bach - Matthäus-Passion / Prégardien, Goerne, C. Schäfer, Röschmann, Fink, von Magnus, Schade, M. Schäfer, Henschel, Widmer, Harnoncourt [with Enhanced CD-ROM]
Johann Sebastian Bach , Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Christine Schäfer , Bernarda Fink , Arnold Schoenberg Choir , Concentus Musicus Wien , Matthias Goerne , Dorothea Röschmann , Christoph Prégardien , Oliver Widmer , Dietrich Henschel , Michael Schade , Marcus Schäfer , and Elisabeth von Magnus
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach - St. Matthew Passion

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ASIN: B000050KFT
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

Prima Parte: Chor: Kommt, Ihr Tochter, Helft Mir Klagen - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Da Jesus Diese Rede Vollendet Hatte - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Chor: Herzliebster Jesu, Was Du Verbrochen - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Da Versammleten Sich Die Hohenpriester/Chor: Ja Nicht Auf Das Fest... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Recitativo: Du Lieber Heiland Du - Bernarda Fink
Prima Parte: Aria: Buss Und Reu - Bernarda Fink
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Da Ging Hin Der Zwolfen Einer - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Aria: Blute Nur, Du Liebes Herz - Dorothea Roschmann
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Aber Am Ersten Tage Der Sussen Brot/Chor: Wo Willst Du, Dass Wir Dir... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch
Prima Parte: Chor: Ich Bin's, Ich Sollte Bussen - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Er Antwortete Und Sprach - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Recitativo: Wiewohl Mein Herz In Tranen Schwimmt - Christine Schafer
Prima Parte: Aria: Ich Will Dir Mein Herze Schenken - Christine Schafer
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Und Da Sie Den Lobgesang Gesprochen Hatten - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Chor: Erkenne Mich, Main Huter - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Petrus Aber Antwortete - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Chor: Ich Will Hier Bei Dir Stehen - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Da Kam Jesus Mit Ihnen Zu Einem Hofe - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Recitativo: O Schmerz! - Michael Schade/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Aria: Ich Will Bei Meinem Jesu Wachen - Michael Schade/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Und Ging Hin Ein Wenig - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Recitativo: Der Heiland Fallt Vor Seinem Vater Nieder - Olivier Widmer
Prima Parte: Aria: Gerne Will Ich Mich Bequemen - Olivier Widmer
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Und Er Kam Zu Seinen Jungern - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Chor: Was Mein Gott Will - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Und Er Kam Und Fand Sie Aber Schlafend - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Aria: So Ist Mein Jesus Nun Gefangen (Chor: Lasst Ihn! Haltet! Bindet Nicht!)... - Christine Schafer/Bernarda Fink/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner/Wiener Sangerknaben...
Prima Parte: Evangelista: Und Siehe, Einer Aus Denen - Christoph Pregardien
Prima Parte: Chor: O Mensch, Bewein' Dein Sunde Gross - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner

Tracks:

Seconda Parte: Aria: Ach! Nun Ist Mein Jesus Hin! - Bernarda Fink/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Die Aber Jesum Gegriffen Hatten - Christoph Pregardien
Seconda Parte: Chor: Mir Hat Die Welt Truglich Gericht't - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Und Wiewohl Viel Falsche Zeugen - Christoph Pregardien
Seconda Parte: Recitativo: Mein Jesus Schweigt Zu Falschen Lugen Stille - Markus Schafer
Seconda Parte: Aria: Geduld! - Markus Schafer
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Und Der Hohepriester Antwortete/Chor: Er Ist Des Todes Schuldig!... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Chor: Wer Hat Dich So Geschlagen - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Petrus Aber Sass Draussen/Chor: Wahrlich, Du Bist Auch Einer Von Dehen.. - Christoph Pregardien/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Aria: Erbarme Dich Mein Gott - Bernarda Fink
Seconda Parte: Chor: Bin Ich Gleich Von Dir Gewichen - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Des Morgens Aber/Chor: Was Gehet Uns Das An?/Evangelista: Und Er Warf... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Aria: Gebt Mir Meinen Jesum Wieder! - Olivier Widmer
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Sie Hielten Aber Einen Rat - Christoph Pregardien
Seconda Parte: Chor: Befiehl Du Deine Wege - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Auf Das Fest Aber/Chor: Barabbam!/Evangelista: Pilatus Sprach Zu Ihnen.. - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Chor: Wie Wunderbarlich Ist Doch Diese Strafe! - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Der Landpfleger Sagte - Christoph Pregardien
Seconda Parte: Recitativo: Er Hat Uns Allen Wohlgetan - Christine Schafer
Seconda Parte: Aria: Aus Liebe Will Mein Heiland Sterben - Christine Schafer
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Sie Schrieen Aber Noch Mehr/Chor: Lass Ihn Kreuzigen/Evangelista... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Recitativo: Erbarm Es Gott! - Elisabeth Von Magnus
Seconda Parte: Aria: Konnen Tranen Meiner Wangen - Elisabeth Von Magnus
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Da Nahmen Die Kriegsknechte/Chor: Gegrusset Seist Du, Judenkonig!... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Chor: O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wunden - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Und Da Sie Ihn Verspottet Hatten - Christoph Pregardien
Seconda Parte: Recitativo: Ja! Freilich Will In Uns Das Fleisch - Dietrich Henschel
Seconda Parte: Aria: Komm, Susses Kreuz - Dietrich Henschel

Tracks:

Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Und Da Sie An Die Statte Kamen/Chor: Der Du Den Tempel Gottes... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Recitativo: Ach, Golgatha - Bernarda Fink
Seconda Parte: Aria: Sehet, Jesus Hat Die Hand (Chor: Wohin?) - Bernarda Fink/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Und Von Der Sechsten Stunde An/Chor: Der Rufet Dem Elias/Evangelista... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Chor: Wenn Ich Einmal Soll Scheiden - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Und Siehe Da, Der Vorhang Im Tempel/Chor: Wahrlich, Dieser Ist Gottes... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Recitativo: Am Abend Da Es Kuhle War - Dietrich Henschel
Seconda Parte: Aria: Mache Dich, Mein Herze, Rein - Dietrich Henschel
Seconda Parte: Evangelista: Und Joseph Nahm Den Leib/Chor: Herr, Wir Haben Gedacht/Evangelista... - Christoph Pregardien/Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Recitativo: Nun Ist Der Herr Zur Ruh Gebracht (Chor: Mein Jesu, Gute Nacht!) - Christine Schafer/Bernarda Fink/Michael Schade/Dietrich Henschel/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Seconda Parte: Chor: Wir Setzen Uns Mit Tranen Nieder - Wiener Sangerknaben/Norbert Balatsch/Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner

Customer Reviews:

Exceptional.......2005-02-07

The potential listeners should not be discouraged by some of the reviews posted here. After all, this recording won Gramophone Award in 2001 for best vocal baroque recording. And to quote from the "Gramophone" review: "This is another major recording [...]shining like a beacon in a fairly uniform era of recorded vocal Bach. [...]In short, this is the most culturally alert reading in years. A truly original and illuminating experience [...]"

Not faithful to the greatness of the work.......2003-09-28

Possibly interesting to the specialist, particularly in the treatment of dischord, but this is not a sincere rendition of the Matthew Passion. As mentioned by previous reviewers, tempos are too fast. What does it mean that to consider the initial chorus "Kommt, ihr Toechter, helft mir klagen" (come ye daughters, share my mourning) as a jig? Not what Bach meant! And this is an "authentic" performance! If you are looking for a "period" performance, I would advise Gardiner's, although I am sure there are others which also maintain due respect for the theme of the passion.

Completly satisfied with this.......2002-07-13

This one is a highly prised version (Grammy winner and classical magazine Grammophone winner as best baroque vocal for year 2001 records and also worth mention is that this disc is the most recommended version -EVER in that magazine) and it is easy too understand why when you listen to this fantastic disc.

Now we go to what I think of it...

A cast that has a better "line up" than this is hard to find because they are all among the best, especially from Germany/Austria as those people mostly come from, are high class singers -ALL of them.

Prégardien, Goerne, Christine Schäfer (very good on THIS one), Fink and Schade is at their best on this disc/version.

Music is SOMETIMES fast but I like it that way and it is NOT so "rushed" as some rewievers complains about in MY opinion...

It is def NOT fast/rushed at all more in that way than it depends on if you like slow interprets or to have it a bit quicker. This is def. NOT "rushed" but I can asure you that those times it is "rushed" it is good for the drama (yes it is also "slow" SOMETIMES as a drama effect)

I think Amazons review is QUITE good BUT about that so called some "sloppy engeering" at the last disc I MIGHT MAYBY hear that a LITTLE one or two times on the last disc but it is not anything worth complaining about -in my opinion- so I dont know if there is something wrong with that specific record the reviwer (and some others) own but mine is alright in that way and it is no interups att all worth mention.

I have not listen to St Matthews Passion for so long, I mean to call me an "expert" but as a relatively newcomber to this piece I am highly satisfied with this version and both chorus (Wiener Sängerknaben and Arnold Schoenberg choir) is great, absolutly fantastic on this -as the rest of the leading singers as I mentioned before.

Concentus musicus Wien play this LIVELY (not "rushed")and is not "sloppy" att all... they DARE and has the guts to feel the music, live in it.

Harnoncourt has done an excellent work and he understands this piece well I presume because it IS really something extra and he had recorded it three or four times before.

The sound is ABSOLUTLY STUNNING, great captured from a church so it was a good team working with soundengineering and a good idea too replace it where it belongs -to a church. Sound "breaths" and are crystal clear and warm.

Bonus is a beutiful book with paintings of Jesus, text to follow, insight of the story and the last disc is ALSO at your use as a CD-rom showing Bach:s notes.

At last... I am sick and tired about negative people about "definitive" versions and so on.. it is NO "definitive" version and I could asure that Harnoncourt CAN read notes. This is a drama MEANT to put "live", personal feeling in and in that way this is great.

Also good is Herreweghes, Suzukis and Gardiners versions but this is for ME the ABSOLUTLY BEST and you could def. NOT go wrong with this disc (and not with those mentioned either.. but I like this more than the others).

Enjoy.

Missing the mark, and rushing to do so.......2002-03-25

The "enhanced CD" part of this recording ironically underscores the problem with the performance. Look at the score, by all means! There, in red ink, is Bach's gripping engagement with this story of stories: this is not only music, it is a total intellectual, emotional and spiritual response to the meaning of the text that is set. To mis-interpret the obvious musical gestures that Bach uses to reinforce that meaning does both him and the listener a profound disservice. No one wants Mengelberg back - but can we at least go with what's on the page?

For example: when Bach sets the legato, tortuous threnody of "So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen" into motion, then shatters it with "Lasst ihn, haltet, bindet nicht!" how can the choir sound so languid and unconnected? Nor do the crowd's brutal shouts of "Barrabam" and "Lass ihn kreuzigen" have any real conviction. Again and again, the choir seems to be "just singing" - and their lack of connection with Bach's obvious dramatic intentions leaves the work half performed.

All of this is by way of contrast to the magnificent and convicted solo singing, especially that of Matthias Goerne, whose Jesus rings with vivid, masculine life. Simon Heighes' review hits the high (and lesser) points on the other soloists as well - many of these arias are extraordinarily well sung.

... However, it is in the area of tempo that I find Harnoncourt really adrift. The tempos are absurdly fast in places where the music cries for breath and breadth. This reaches unfortunate levels at the cross itself, with the sublime alto aria, "Sehet Jesus hat die Hand," moving so quickly that neither oboes nor choir can possibly sound their parts adequately. And the tempo of the fabulous bass aria, "Mache dich mein Herze rein" turns it into a jolly, oversung ditty - totally missing the mixture of resignation, joy and bitter pain conveyed by the major key, compound meter and rich scoring.

All these criticisms come together at what ought to the emotional climax of the piece, the penultimate "Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh gebracht", in which each soloist offers Jesus their personal farewell. The solos are fabulous - tender and resolute - but the choir flips it off: "Yeah, yeah, good night already." I don't know what Harnoncourt was thinking, but it's quite clear that Bach had something much more profound in mind.

All this begs the old question: to what extent can strictly historical understandings of performance practice dictate interpretation? The answer all to often these days is "totally" - and Bach's masterpiece suffers for it. Three stars for the soloists (especially Goerne) and the enhanced CD, but look elsewhere for the depths this work demands.

Harnoncourt gives the Matthaus Passion back to the church..........2001-08-14

The present recording seems to focus from beginning to end on the suffering of christ and the great sacrifice he made for mankinf when he died on the cross. Eventhough I am not a religious person, the power of this performance is self-evident. At many points the listener is forced to consider these things, and as a result one is left completely bare before oneself. I fail to understand how Harnoncourt is able tp do this. There are the usual pinters, of course, the excellent orchestra, the great choir and the refinement of their part. There is the unusual cast, with an evangelist that for once does not have a light and recitating voice, but borders on an baritone kind of timbre, the acoustics of the church where the recording was made, and so on. I submit though that most of all it is the intensity of Harnoncourts vision on music and what it should do, what it should invoke in an audience and how to achieve this that makes the difference here. The images of the cross are burned upon the mind as the story unfolds to the ultimate high of Christ`s sacrifice. It left me completely broken down at many points and wholly stunned at the end. I litterally could now move for several minutes at the end. Do not buy this set if you like easy listening or if you do not want to be confronted.

Bach: St Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion)

Average customer rating:

Flawless, clean, beauty in simplicity.
The Passion without the passion
Strong at story telling, but weak at scene setting
"If the Passion does not enchant you, it fails"
Fresh, energetic, and dramatic!

Bach: St Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion)
Johann Sebastian Bach , Gabrieli Consort , and Paul McCreesh
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Bach: St. John Passion; Mass in B Minor; Easter Oratorio; Ascension Oratorio
Bach: Magnificat/Easter Oratorio
The Essential Bach Choir
Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician
Russian Album

ASIN: B00008HCF1
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Customer Reviews:

Flawless, clean, beauty in simplicity........2006-12-02

I'm reading that many people find this performance to be lack-luster. Because there aren't extremes. Small choir, small orchestra, tempi. But all of these are precisely why I feel this is a fantastic recording, and better than most out there.

The best performances by Bach that I know of (on recording) are by Glenn Gould. Why? If you listen, Gould does not pull tempos forwards and back (though often times his tempi are quite radical - either slow or fast extremes), or make gross-romantic gestures. For instance, you could watch GG perform a complete keyboard concerto of JS Bach without the dampener pedal of the piano (that's the pedal on a piano that sustains the notes on a keyboard). He's extremely refined. He's extremely balanced. He's extremely clean. He's extremely measured. Few would argue Glenn Gould's elite authority on the Bach keyboard repertoire.

However, if you listen to some of Glenn Gould's Beethoven Sonatas - you might find him (GG) to be a second-rate pianist. This is because he is applying the techniques that so identify him with Bach to a radically different source - Beethoven.

Beethoven, who was born just 30 years after Bach's death, shares little in common with Bach - aside from nationality and their instrument of choice. The values on music of Bach day were form, structure, and measured sophistication. But when Beethoven came around, it was much more about expression, revolution, heroism, passion. And you better believe the way we performed music changed with those shifts in social order.

So from just an interpretation standpoint - we can't approach Bach like we would Beethoven. They are now A and B variables; not equal.

This is where I think a lot of current Bach recordings fall short - trying to put too much of todays emphasis on the music of Bach. This is also where I think this recording shines - it's a great interpretation.

Why should we try to recreate music exactly as it may have been heard in its day? Well quite honestly, that is a matter of your personal tastes and values. Are you more concerned with performing music the way you have always heard music to be performed - adapting it today - making it relevant - recreating it. Or are you more concerned with trying to recreate a piece of music with the composers intentions. Valuing the intimacy you find with that piece of music when you truly examine its every detail.

You see as a musician, I will tell you it's much easier to just sit down and play a piece the way I think it ought to go - but it much more satisfying to research the piece, study the composer, and try to perform the music exactly as specified, trying to recreate the time, the story, the passion, of the day. That always makes for a more satisfying performance for me, and that is what I feel that Paul McCreesh has done here.

Furthermore, we lose the characteristics of performing Bach's music that make it work when we don't consider the performance practices and limitations of the day. If we approach ornamentation with today's performance practices, they sound instinctively wrong.

And even more extreme, performing on period instruments:

We must admit - that there are major differences in the instruments that were used by Bach (or Beethoven, for that matter!), compared with the instruments used today.

Intonation is totally different (but let's not even open that can of worms), materials of the instruments are different (reeds, strings, bows, mouthpieces) are all very different today, as are the instruments themselves. Keyboard are different. Anyone could hear the difference between a sackbutt (a distant relative of the trombone) and a standard professional trombone made in the year 2006.

What also changes? Our ears have changed. Or should I say what happens around our ears change - our ears have adapted. But regardless of what way you prefer to word it, the standards of quality music are vastly different today then they were in 1727.

This may be the reason why hearing a performance of Bach done correctly according to the standards of the day sound blatantly and instinctively incorrect to our ears today. We are used to hearing highly romanticized Bach - found in Disney's Fantasia. Or done by Bernstein or Stokowski. And we are used to hearing Bach on modern instruments - with modern interpretation.

I would encourage listeners to have another listen to this recording. Research the music a little more - and more importantly, research the period music.

On a personal note, I like the fact that the instrumental obligatos are raised to the level and volume of the solo voice. Because if you study the counterpoint that Bach uses (Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen, i.e.) between the solo instrument and the voice, you will find that they are actually in many places of equal importance. It's incredible counterpoint that puts chills on my arms every time I see it. So I would encourage other skeptical listeners, to listen to the two voices as a duet, and less of a voice solo. I think you will appreciate very much in that light.

I recommend this recording whole-heartedly.

The Passion without the passion.......2005-11-27

I love OVPP performances. They bring out the complexity and flavor of Bach's contrapunctal thought with a clarity and beauty that full choruses never have and never will. Bach himself stated that the ideal piece of music is one in which the instruments participate equally in perfect conversation; and it is hard to have a conversation when there is a bench full of breathless sopranos demanding their say.

But OVPP isn't its own ticket to success, as McCreesh soundly proves.

I would recommend this recording only as a second set for those looking for a very different performance. It has its moments but by in large, McCreesh fails to bring passion to this music. The depth is missing and it is not because of his choice to use one voice per part. One need only compare McCreesh to Bach performances by Junghanel (Mass in b) or Poppen (Morimur) or Parrott (Heart's Solace).

McCreesh's rationale for racing (and "racing" is the right word) through the opening chorus sounds, well, sophomoric. He explains that the speed of the performance reflects the excitement that comes with the passion's telling. Using this reasoning one wonders why there are any slow movements at all.

The best performance, to my ears, remains Gardiner's.

Strong at story telling, but weak at scene setting.......2005-02-15

I'm very interesting on who "dare" to apply OVPP over this momentous work. Parrott demonstrated the execution of b minor Mass is quite effective. But the Passion, do we really believe it will work?

Upon listening, it shows the pros and cons. When at the story telling mode, it is very effective; but when in the scene setting mode, it is just the opposite side.

I wonder if we use the ripienists should improve the situation. Hope Parrott could give it a try.

"If the Passion does not enchant you, it fails".......2005-02-08

I read that if one is not won by emotion when one listens to SMP, it fails. And that is what happens here. Really I expected very much this recording. On the first listening I realized Mccreesh gives something more than OVPP. Yes, it is true. Gives flowing tempos and drama. And contrasts between the arias. Add some organ prominence that made me remember at that time Karl Richter's baroque continuos (great organ chorales). What fool I was! I agree with what people say: it is basically sterile.
Please, I don't want to support or detract OVPP. I think it is one of the valid ways of playing Bachs works. Bach needs balance payed attention to, and that can be achieved by OVPP or by carefull traditional approaches. cantus coln made a wonderful recording of B minor mass, so OVPP really can be valid and, most important, artistically satisfaying. So is Herreweghe II or Bruggen. Even recordings like St John Passion by Karl Richter are equally impressive. All of them give you something: a feeling of spiritual fulfillness, which is lacking here.
To the people who say voices lacks choruses strength, this is wrong: see the turba choruses. Sometimes (yes, ONLY sometimes),listening to individual soloists instead of a chorus makes you think "this is real people". But turn to a good choral recording and you wont be disappointed. Another tip: first chorus. Super fast, yes, and should be played a bit slower, but here is evident the contrast of the anxiety of the voices and the long, quiet notes of the chorale. It made me thinking: what despair, can the soul have peace at the end? It is supposed to answer yes, after the last chorus (it is not coincidence it is like a song to make babies go to sleep).But not here. It is difficult to say why, it is just an impression. perhaps is the sum of several negative points. First is the awfull balance. Too much soprano, perhaps. Second, as Mccreesh admits, it is more difficult to sing just with soloists. An here fails. They cant match each other. Look at the wide vibratos all around, except the perfect sopranos. This approach (OVPP) is very, very risky. If you want to win the race you must have the best horse, there is no room to second places. Without a ensamble sound, OVPP doesn't work. I think Mccreesh knows that, but his big ego, feeded by years of excellent (and deserved) reviews for his "neo-liturgical" work, prompted him to be the first in history books in recording OVPP the glorious SMP, before Parrott or Cantus Colln. And there is of course Archiv interest, too. So you, DG, "carpe diem" before others make a better recording. Another point that bothers to me is the organ. Too prominent. Lacks subtle colours sometimes. Sometimes it is too big that hides orchestra, I think. "Clarity":where? yes, there is no chorus sound, but the delicious flute parts one guesses behind the chorus in the turba sections are also hidden here by organ (not least because they play it so softly).
The Evangelist is good but he screams too much. One of the main reasons is that Mccreesh lacks a spiritual vision of the work, that must be combined with a sense of theatre to make it work. Few instances as an example: when Christ dies, look at continuo. The same happens after Peter third denial: the continuo does not stretches the phrase, as it should: this would "make a point" at key moments and strengthten the spiritual "road of the soul" to the Golgotha. Instead is all the same. This strict phrasing is what helps this recording to be sterile. I think the only moment that gave me a good impression (Evangelist speaking) is when he tells that Pilate wondered at his silence: one sees Pilate walking around Jesus with his eyes wide opened, not knowing what to do. Other point: the famous passion chorale, when it is sung two times (in the flagellation I think). I always thought it should be played with strenght. Not here. A pity, for the precedent recitative is played with high and appopiate dramma.
The orchestra is good, but surely in other recordings there are better playing. I read in a review this shorcomings, praising Leonhardt recording. Yes, it is better, but also more boring. Leonhardt is not a safe choice, unless you like going to church to pray after listening to SMP. They are better versions, more intense but at the same time entertaining (yes, entertaining, because unless you listen yo it as a paying act, you are looking to something that attracts attention). In this context I find Leonhardt spiritually fulfulling, but a bit boring, while the opposite is true about Mccreesh.
To sum up, an uneven cats supported by an energy - driven but spiritual insensitive conducting is not the best way to give us an unforgetable recording. To the other companies: listen carefully, learn from Mccreesh limitations and make a better OVPP. Cantus colln could do that with Mass in B. But please, think and don't rush.
Mcreesh, thank you for bringing OVPP to life in SMP. But please don't cry: your only recording value is to give competition the "what not to do" list about OVPP. I think it is improbable this may be one of the great recordings. Do really Rifkin recording of Mass in B is one of the best? They say it is not. But he brought us the seed. I think the same will hapen to this historical (at least a positive point!) recording.

Fresh, energetic, and dramatic!.......2003-08-31

So this recording is apparently one to be chalked up with those that folks either love or hate. I love it. Fire, tenderness, high drama, piety, pathos...they're all here, big time.
Everyone who has encountered the now-famous "Rifkin Proposal" (or "heresy," in some circles) probably has had an initial moment of shock or dismay (McCreesh admits as much about himself!), but this take on the St. Matthew Passion shows -- more than shows -- that the one-to-a-part theory holds water quite well. Chopping the huge traditional Mahlerian-Klempererian forces down to a smart, sharp baroque ensemble allows the music, in the more-than-capable hands of McCreesh and his band, to carry its own messages and emotion more poignantly and straightforwardly.
I have to disagree with the reviewer who places McCreesh in a "lower tier" of performance-practice conductors: his work consistently ranks in my book among the best-researched and most beautifully-executed in the field ("Venetian Vespers," the "Duke of Lerma" album, and his recordings of the Morales and Victoria Requiem masses are constantly in my player...and his "Messiah" is nothing short of revelatory).
From the opening chorus of this take on St. Matthew, I knew I was in for a profound treatment of Bach's masterpiece. McCreesh is the first to admit (in a wonderful liner-note interview) that his approach is a bit iconoclastic, but at least in the ears (and heart) of this particular listener, it's completely convincing. The vocalists are nothing short of astounding, as are the instrumentalists (the continuo, refreshingly aided by a full-size baroque church organ in lieu of those annoying box chamber instruments, is top-notch; the strings are crisp; the flutes sublime..). The singers' text delivery is dead-on, and their interaction with the instruments is ideal.
This recording is a perfect shelf companion/character foil for the wonderful (second) Herreweghe recording of the Passion (whose countertenor soloist in "Erbarme dich" powerfully brings me to tears), but I honestly find McCreesh's take on the giant to finally be more convincing from a (yes, subjective) theological standpoint.

Bach: Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion)

Average customer rating:

Bach: Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion)

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000057EI
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Tracks:

Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 1. Chor: Kommt, ihr Tochter helft mir klagen/mit Choral: O Lamm... - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 2. Rezitativ: Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 3. Choral: Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 4. Rezitativ: Da versammleten sich die Hohenpriester - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 5. Chor: Ja nicht auf das Fest - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 6. Rezitativ: Da nun Jesus war zu Bethanien - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 7. Chor: Wozu dienet dieser Unrat? - Munich Bach Chor/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 8. Rezitativ: Da das Jesus merkete - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 9. Rezitativ: Du lieber Heiland du - Hertha Topper/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Salbung in Bethanien: 10. Arie: Buund Reu - Hertha Topper/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 11. Rezitativ: Da ging hin der Zwolfen einer - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 12. Arie: Blute nur, du liebes Herz! - Irmgard Seefried/Munchener Chorknaben
Part One: Abendmahl: 13. Rezitativ: Aber am ersten Tage der sun Brot - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 14. Chor: Wo willst du, dawir dir bereiten - Munich Bach Chor/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Abendmahl: 15. Rezitativ: Er sprach: Gehet hin in die Stadt - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 16. Choral: Ich bin's, ich sollte bun - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Abendmahl: 17. Rezitativ: Er antwortete und sprach - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Max Probestl/Munich Bach Cor
Part One: Abendmahl: 18. Rezitativ: Wiewohl mein Herz in Tranen schwimmt - Irmgard Seefried/Antonia Fahberg/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 19. Arie: Ich will dir mein Herze schenken - Irmgard Seefried/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 20. Rezitativ: Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 21. Choral: Erkenne mich, mein Huter - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Abendmahl: 22. Rezitativ: Petrus aber antwortete und sprach zu ihm - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Abendmahl: 23. Choral: Ich will hier bei dir stehen - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Am Olberg: 24. Rezitativ: Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Am Olberg: 25. Rezitativ: O Schmerz! Hier zittert das gequalte Herz/mit Choral... - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part One: Am Olberg: 26. Arie: Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen/mit Chor: So schlafen unsre... - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part One: Am Olberg: 27. Rezitativ: Und ging hin ein wenig - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Am Olberg: 28. Rezitativ: Der Heiland fallt vor seinem Vater nieder - Kieth Engen/Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Max Proebstl/Munchener Chorknaben
Part One: Am Olberg: 29. Arie: Gerne will ich mich bequemen - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Munchener Chorknaben

Tracks:

Part One: Am Olberg: 30. Rezitativ: Und er kam zu seinen Jungern - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munchener Chorknaben
Part One: Am Olberg: 31. Choral: Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part One: Am Olberg: 32. Rezitativ: Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Am Olberg: 33. Duett mit Chor: So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen/La ihn, haltet, bindet... - Irmgard Seefried/Hertha Topper/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part One: Am Olberg: 34. Rezitativ: Und siehe, einer aus denen, die mit Jesu waren - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part One: Am Olberg: 35. Choral: O Mensch, bewein dein Sunde gro- Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Falsches Zeugnis: 36. Arie: Ach, nun ist mein Jesus hin!/mit Chor: Wo ist denn dein... - Hertha Topper/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Falsches Zeugnis: 37. Rezitativ: Die aber Jesum gegriffen hatten - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Falsches Zeugnis: 38. Choral: Mir hat die Welt truglich gericht - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Falsches Zeugnis: 39. Rezitativ: Und wiewohl viel falsche Zeugen herzutraten - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Falsches Zeugnis: 40. Rezitativ: Mein Jesus schweight zu falschen Lugen stille - Ernst Haefliger/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Falsches Zeugnis: 41. Arie: Geduld, wenn mich falsche Zungen stechen! - Ernst Haefliger/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 42. Rezitativ: Und der Hohepriester antwortete - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 43. Rezitativ: Da speieten sie aus - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 44. Choral: Wer hat dich so geschlagen - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 45. Rezitativ: Petrus aber sadraun - Ernst Haefliger/Antonia Fahberg/Hertha Topper/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 46. Chor: Wahrlich, du bist auch einer von denen - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 47. Arie: Erbarme dich, mein Gott - Hertha Topper/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 48. Choral: Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 49. Rezitativ: Des Morgens aber hielten alle... - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 50. Rezitativ: Und er warf die Silberlinge in den Tempel - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 51. Arie: Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder - Dietrich Fischer-Diesskau/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 52. Rezitativ: Sie hielten aber einen Rat - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 53. Choral: Befiehl du deine Wege - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 54. Rezitativ: Auf das Fest aber hatte der Landpfleger - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 55. Choral: Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diest Strafe! - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 56. Rezitativ: Der Landpfleger sagte - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 57. Rezitativ: Er hat uns allen wohlgetan - Antonia Fahberg/Munich Bach Chor

Tracks:

Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 58. Arie: Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben - Irmgard Seefried/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 59. Rezitativ: Sie schreien aber noch mehr - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 60. Rezitativ: Erbarm es Gott! - Hertha Topper/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 61. Arie: Konnen Tranen meiner Wangen - Hertha Topper/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 62. Rezitativ: Da nahmen die Kriegsknechte - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Verhor vor Kaiphas und Pilatus: 63. Choral: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 64. Rezitativ: Und da sie ihn verspottet hatten - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 65. Rezitativ: Ja freilich will in uns das Fleisch und Blut - Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 66. Arie: Komm sus Kreuz - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 67. Rezitativ: Und da sie an die Statte kamen - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 68. Rezitativ: Desgleichen schmaheten ihn auch die Morder - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 69. Rezitativ: Ach, Golgatha - Hertha Topper/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 70. Arie: Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand/mit Chor: Wohin? - Hertha Topper/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 71. Rezitativ: Und von der sechsten Stunde an - Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 72. Choral: Wenn ich einmal soll schieden - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh
Part Two: Kreuzigung: 73a. Rezitativ: Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zerri- Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Grablegung: 73b. Rezitativ: Und es waren viel Weiber da - Ernst Haefliger/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Grablegung: 74. Rezitativ: Am Abend, da es kuhle war - Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Grablegung: 75. Arie: Mache dich, mein Herze, rein - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Grablegung: 76. Rezitativ: Und Joseph nahm den Leib - Ernst Haefliger/Max Proebstl/Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben
Part Two: Grablegung: 77. Rezitativ: Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh gebracht/mit Chor: Mein Jesu... - Antonia Habherg/Hertha Topper/Ernst Haefliger/Kieth Engen/Munich Bach Chor
Part Two: Grablegung: 78. Chor: Wir setzen uns mit Tranen nieder - Munich Bach Chor/Munchener Chorknaben/Fritz Rothschuh

Bach: Johannes-Passion; Matthäus-Passion

Average customer rating:

St. Matt? None better than this one
Some of Bach's Best

Bach: Johannes-Passion; Matthäus-Passion

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Bach: Cantatas, Vol 20 (184, 173, 59, 44) /Bach Collegium Japan * Suzuki
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ASIN: B00008ZL63
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Customer Reviews:

St. Matt? None better than this one.......2007-03-30

Much to my horror, I inadverdently left this recording's CDs in an airplane back seat pocket a couple of years ago. I had enjoyed a mini-retreat listening to this melifluous performance of Bach's Magnificent St. Matthew Passion by the Collegium of Japan, and was eager to continue listing at home. No problem, I thought. I'll buck up and buy another copy. Lo, and behold, none was available, even on Amazon.com! Herrweghe's recording showed up on a search, however. Good. I smiled. I respect his work and have heard his group on numerous recordings and in live concerts. Surely it would be top drawer. I was surprisingly disappointed in it. Nonetheless, I continued to hope that someday I'd get hold of Masusaka's. Voila! Here it is bundled with the St. John Passion (which I don't need, but will be curious to hear).

What does Japan Collegium do that is so remarkable? Like any musical performance, it is the synergy of countless nuances and subtleties of expression that captivate Bach's rhetorical and musical message. The soloists and period instrumentalists seem to have a clear grasp of German Lutheran piety and draw the listner in to its cosmos. It is a technically flawless rendering, free of anxious tempi and full of luscious sonorities. I am thrilled to be ordering it again, and highly recommend it.

Some of Bach's Best .......2006-10-18

This Box Set brings together Two of Bach's finest works. The St, John Passion and the St. Matthew Passion and at a wonderful price. These performances by the Bach Collegium Japan under Masaaki Suzuki are some of his best performances of Bach. Gerd Turk especially delivers some moving and beautiful singing. The other soloists aquit themselves quite well. If you own any of the recordings of the Suziki, BCJ Bach Cantata series this
box set is a must have. The BIS label as usual delivers excellent sound. This set is a bargin considering that a good recording of the St. Matthew
Passon can run you at least $40 - $50. Highly Recommended.

Average customer rating:

A new 'old' approach to a familiar work
Not just a curiosity
A Must-Have Recording

Bach: Matthaüs-Passion

Manufacturer: Tete-a-Tete
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Passions | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000067FFP
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Customer Reviews:

A new 'old' approach to a familiar work.......2005-09-12

I purchased this recording largely out of curiosity, not really knowing what to expect. It has become de rigeur for any recording of this work (or any Bach work for that matter) to adhere to what is understood by the conductor to be proper (Historically Informed) performance practice (probably the last major release of this work on modern instruments was that led by Raymond Leppard in the early 80s, which, incidentally, is very fine). This recording makes use of Felix Mendelssohn's edition which he created in 1829 for the revival of the work. There was no such thing as an historically informed performance practice ethos then; in fact, such an effort would have been, at best, mystifying to performers and audience alike, if not greeted with outright hostility. Mendelssohn adapted the score as he saw necessary, most evidently in the choice of divided violas and cellos to accompany the Evangelist and other soloists (thankfully he did not employ the piano to realize the figured bass). The one exception is the 'earthquake recit' where Mendelssohn used the full string section to back up the Evangelist. Jesus is accompanied as originally written, with full string sections playing (save for the moment he cries out "Eli, Eli, lama asabtani?"). Some re-writing of the Evangelist's part is also in evidence, mostly in avoidance of high notes (which, as we know now, were really sung about a 1/2 step lower than our modern pitch).
Some of Bach's instrumental choices, like viola da gamba and oboe d'amore, were already old-fashioned and becoming scarce in his time, and of course had competely vanished by the 19th c. The movements using gamba obbligatto are missing entirely and clarinets substitute for the more exotic varieties of oboe Bach calls for.
Also missing are many of the graces that Bach wrote into the score, and there is virtually no improvised ornamentation. The missing graces are very noticeable to one familiar with the work in the movement 'So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen.' I have to admit however, that I really enjoyed the raw power that the mdern instruments and mixed choir bring to 'Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken verschwunden?' which immediately follows.
In general, the conductor has made good tempo choices, not succumbing to the recent trend of faster and faster performances of early music (a couple of HIP recordings of this work give an almost gigue-like character to the opening movement, "Kommt Ihr Töchter;" in the words of one critic, "Jesus jogging to Golgotha, pumping his cross the whole way.") . Some of the chorales wallow a bit much, and there are some surprising dynamic fluctuations. It is not clear to me however if those are conductor choices, or directions Mendelssohn added to his score.
Mendelssohn's re-scoring of the 'earthquake recit' ("Und siehe da, der Vorhang in Tempel zeriß") with full strings sections rumbling along will likely bring a smile to the lips of the hearer familiar with the work in its original guise but there's no denying the inherent drama of the performance.
Nowadays it is very easy to be dismissive of these early efforts at performance of pre-Classical (Haydn-Mozart-Beethoven) music, but I found myself very attracted to this effort. The changes Mendelssohn made mainly reflected the realities he faced: no harpsichord, and probably no organ in the space used for the 1829 performance, certainly no gamba or oboe d'amore players (or viole da gamba or oboi da'more for that matter), and no boy sopranos. But he made it possible for a brand new audience to hear this music for the first time in 3 generations, and he started an interest in the music of Bach that grew to encompass the music of Bach's contemporaries and predecessors, an interest that became an enthusiasm that continues today, 175 years later. The edition and the performance on this recording reflect genuine admiration and affection for the material. It's a good addition to the collection of the cognoscente, and for those just learning Bach, it might be more to your liking-- at least initially-- than some of the more hard-core HIP versions by Leonhardt et al.

Not just a curiosity.......2003-06-17

I purchased this recording for purely academic purposes, as there is no other way to hear the Mendelssohn arrangement of the St. Matthew Passion. While listening and taking notes of obvious differences, I decided that I rather like the recording for artistic reasons and that it is more than a worthwhile listen.

There are cuts, only a few in the first part (the soprano recitative and aria "Ich will dir mein Herze schenken" and the bass recitative aria "Gerne will ich mich bequemen" are omitted, along with the chorale "Ich will heir bei dir stehen." The second part cuts 10 different sections, shortens a couple of recitatives and eliminates the B section and da capo of "Mache dich mein Herze rein." It is interesting to note that two of the movements cut from the second part are the tenor and bass arias with viola da gamba obligato; perhaps Mendelssohn wasn't sure what to do with the instrument. The aria "Erbarme dich" is also incorrectly marked on the package as being for soprano; it should read "alto."

The instrumentation is of interest, but there are not a lot of drastic changes. Rather than utilize a continuo keyboard, Mendelssohn substitutes chords on the lower strings (reserving the high violins for Jesus' halos). The oboes d'amore and oboes da caccia become clarinets. Presumably this was for convenience rather than artistic reasons as the transposition for oboe d'amore and A clarinet is the same; English horns were not readily available to replace the oboes da caccia, especially not in pairs. The recorder/oboe da caccia combination in "O Schmerz" probably loses the most to this change, becoming more pointed and less hollow that the original instrumentation.

The singing is all of very high quality, as is the playing. One of the problems in judging the soloists is the competition that any singer of the St. Matthew Passion is up against; few sopranos will ever measure up to Janowitz, Schwarzkopf, Barbara Bonney, or Edith Mathis. The Evangelist is good, although he doesn't give the same feeling to the part as Rolfe-Johnson, Schreier or Pears. (He also noticeably avoids the high B at "und ging heraus" in No. 38. Given how some other tenors sing this, it may have been a wise choice). The bass soloist is my favorite of the six, the baritone doesn't give as emotionally charged a version of Jesus as I might like. The also is quite good, although the aria by which I typically judge a performance ("Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand") is cut. (It is also of note that the alto sings the corrected B-double-flat in "Ach Golgatha" which was printed as a B-flat in every edition until the Bärenreiter Neue Bach Ausgabe, so this recording was probably influenced by the new scholarship as well as the Mendelssohn revision as well). The aria tenor is not particularly remarkable, but the quartet functions well.

As I said at the beginning, I initially thought this recording would be a curiosity from the scholarly standpoint, and it certainly is and bears a look from anyone who has multiple recordings of St. Matthew Passion. As it has cuts, I would not recommend that it be your only copy, but it is far more than a novelty.

A Must-Have Recording.......2003-01-16

In Bach's life he was not famous as a composer. Rather, he was famous for his improvisitory skill at the organ. After his death in 1750, he was a forgotten man.

Still, his successors (Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, etc.) were the few to recognize his genius for almost a century.

In either 1727 or 1729, Bach composed the St. Matthew Passion- arguably the most perfect music in Western culture, and after the death of the master, the St. Matthew Passion, too, was forgotted.

Felix Mendelssohn, as a child, had recieved a copy of the St. Matthew Passion sheet music from an older relative. It's unique double chorus setting and Bach's heartfelt music to Picander's richly sybolic poetry captivated the young Mendelssohn, but it wasn't until 1829, the centennial of the composition, that the merely 20-year-old Felix Mendelssohn revived the work and the world again became awakened to the miracle of Bach's genius. This recording is a must have (highly recommended to newcomers to Bach's works) because it offers a new vision of a timelessly popular work.

Mendelssohn's audience, of course, was different than Bach's. And so Mendelssohn had to make revisions to the work to make it more in tune to the trends of his time. For instance: the Evangelist is accompanied by full strings instead of just an organ continuo. The chorale "O Lamm Gottes Unschuldig" is sung by Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, and Basses, rather than just Sopranos. Many arias are shortened (for instance, instead of using ABA form [da capo form] in the aria "Buss und Reu" he uses the AB form.) Many arias are omitted (such as "Sehet Jesus hat die Hand.") The note values for the chorales are lengthened and the the last chorale sung immediately following Christ's death ("Wenn ich einmall soll Scheiden") is approached in a beautiful a capella. The chorus Mendelssohn used was much, MUCH larger than that used by Bach. Mendelssohn's choir reached well over a hundred, whereas Bach used only 12 singers total: 4 solo voices for each choir and 4 more for occasional lines. There are also many more changes to list.

These are not bad aspects at all, and rather, it helps make the St. Matthew Passion more dramatic. Mendelssohn knew which were key dramatic elements in the text and shortened the music to emphasize them. The result is thoroughly exciting.

Christoph Spering's conducting here is first rate. He demonstrates that he knows how to keep the drama flowing.

The Orchestra helps add atmosphere to this Bach-Mendelssohn work while adding an authentic, historically informed rendition keeping in mind Baroque and Romantic practices. The soloists are all excellent. The Evangelist is simply amazing and, in my opinion, ranks second only to the likes of classic St. Matthew Passion Evangelists such as Anthony Rolfe-Johnson and Ian Bostridge.

This recording does not come with a libretto and the liner notes span only a page, but they are available at the record label's website.

Spering's present recording is of the 1841 version of the Mendelssohn-Bach St. Matthew Passion. This is the only recording of the Mendelssohn arrangement available on record.

Tracks:

1 Chorus I & II
2 Evangelista, Jesus
3 Choral
4a Evangelista/4b Chorus I & II/4c Evangelista/4d Chorus I/4e Evangelista, Jesus
5 Recitativo (Alt)
6 Aria (Alt)
7 Evangelista, Judas
8 Aria (Sopran)
9a Evangelista/9b Chorus I/9c Evangelista, Jesus/9d Evangelista/9e Chorus I
10 Choral
11 Evangelistsa, Jesus, Judas
12 Recitativo (Sopran)
13 Aria (Sopran)
14 Evangelista, Jesus
15 Choral
16 Evangelista, Pretus, Jesus
17 Choral
18 Evangelista, Jesus
19 Recitativo A Doi Cori (Tenor)
20 Aria A Doi Cori
21 Evangelista, Jesus
22 Recitativo (Bass)
Aria (Bass)

Tracks:

24 Evangelista, Jesus
25 Choral
26 Evangelista, Jesus, Judas
27a Aria A Doi Cori (Sopran, Alt)/27b Chorus I & II
28 Evangelista, Jesus
29 Choral
30 Aria (Alt. Chorus I & II)
Evangelista
32 Choral
33 Evang., Testis I & II, Pontifex
34 Recitativo (Tenor)
35 Aria (Tenor)
36a Evangelista, Pontifex, Jesus/36b Chorus I & II/36c Evangelista/36d Chorus I & II
37 Choral
38a Evang, Ancilla I & II, Petrus/38b Chorus II-Evang., Petrus
39 Aria (Alt)
40 Choral
41a Evangelista, Judas/41b Chorus I & II/41c Evangelista, Pontifex I & II
42 Aria (Bass)
43 Evangelista, Pilatus, Jesus
44 Choral
45a Evangeilsta, Pilatus Uxor Pilati, Chorus I & II/45b Chorus I & II
46 Choral
47 Evangelista, Pilatus

Tracks:

48 Recitativo (Sopran)
49 Aria (Sopran)
50a Evangelista/50b Chorus I & II/50c Evangelista, Pilatus/50d Chorus I & II/50e Evangelista
51 Recitativo (Alt)
52 Aria (Alt)
53a Evangelista/53b Chorus I & II/53c Evangelista
54 Choral
55 Evangelista
56 Recitativo (Bass)
57 Aria (Bass)
58a Evangelista/58b Chorus I & II/58c Evnagelista/58d Chorus I & II/58e Evangelista
59 Recitativo (Alt)
60 Aria (Alt, Chorus II)
61a Evangelista, Jesus/61b Chorus I/61c Evangelista/61d Chorus II/61e Evangelista
62 Choral
63a Evangelista/63b Chorus I & II
64 Recitativo (Bass)
65 Aria (Bass)
66a Evangelista/66b Chorus I & II/66c Evangelista, Pilatus
67 Recitativo (SATB, Chorus I & II)
68 Chorus I & II

Customer Reviews:

TRUE Religious Music, Re-Released After 18 Years.......2003-06-14

Philippe Herreweghe seems to be taking the path of his mentor Mr. Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Both are very reputable conductors of early music ensembles, and both seem to release a new interpretation of J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion every decade or so.

Harmonia Mundi's 1999 release of Herreweghe's new reading of the St. Matthew Passion was met with unanimously excellent reviews (see how overjoyed I was in my review of Herreweghe's 1999 release) and to this day it still drawing much attention. There is much to be loved about it: Ian Bostridge's Evangelist, the Collegium Vocale's excellent and uniform singing, the list goes on.

It's hard to believe that Herreweghe also recorded St. Matthew Passion in 1985, this time with Barbara Schlick, Rene Jacobs, and Howard Crook as evangelist. Much of Herreweghe's interpretation has changed during these years. His first stab at the "Great Passion" is re-released here.

When I first heard that the 1985 recording would be re-released and re-packaged I was overjoyed since my original set (which I acquired in 1985 after the original release) was so old and scratched up that it was unusable in a CD player. So I had not listened to this, one of my favorite renditions, in seventeen or eighteen years.

The choirs in the 1985 recording is much larger. Herreweghe even summons his other choir, La Chapelle Royale, to take the part of the first choir while the Collegium Vocale is assigned to the second choir. The sound is rather large in this 1985 recording, which, I guess, is a minus in the light of more recent musicological research favoring smaller choruses (even one-voice-per-part choruses. And remember how small the choruses in the 1999 version are-- smaller choruses are more praised nowadays in performing Bach). And the orchestra does not play with the legato that graces Herreweghe's newer recording so perfectly (if you listend to Herreweghe's interview on the CD-Rom that accompanies the newer St. Matthew release, he addresses the legato issue.) So while the sound of the already-classic 1999 release is so unique, the 1985 seems rather usual in comparison, sounding more like other period instrument perfomances by Brueggen or Gardiner.

Howard Crook is an excellent evangelist. I would not compare him to Ian Bostridge on the 1999 reocording because they take very different approaches. I appreciate hearing Barbara Schlick here, but Sybilla Ruben's charming, almost boyish soprano is to be missed. Love him or hate him, Rene Jacobs is also on the older recording's roster. Andreas Scholl is a definite plus over Jacobs, as some people Jacob's voice rather squaky (I find it just fine on select recordings)

Herreweghe's tempi were MUCH slower in 1985. So virtuosic arias such as "Gebt mir meinem Jesum wieder" lose their sparkle. Yet the gravity of the slower tempi are far more contemplative. And yes, while the older record lacks some in drama, it is a record thatf forces you into the mindset of the subject matter. This is TRUE religious music.

Herreweghe's newer recording tops my list of favorite St. Matthew Passions. While Harnoncourt's 2001 release steals second place, Herreweghe's older recording, presented here in a re-release, has third-place hands down. I appreciate this approach more than I do Gardiner's release, which I am not too crazy about. Gardiner's sound engineers tried to create too much of the stereophony of the St. Thomas Church when they made one choir more audible than the other, therefore making Gardiner's record lose some points in drama (the second choir sounds like it's whispering and the soloists seem like the scattered about random places inside the recording venue.)

Herreweghe's older recording has that "dark" atmosphere which I find particularly irresitible considering the subject matter. This dark atmosphere is unique to this recording and doesn't seem to manifest itself even in the new recording of 1999. The 1985 one sound also more archaic, which many people will also find as a benifit.

Both old and new recordings by Herreweghe are great although I prefer the newer one, obviously. But this is, nonetheless, a must have recording- a collector's item, given the low price and considering that this release was pulled from record store shelves and Harmonia Mundi put it out of print for several years. Harmonia Mundi's and Philippe Herreweghe's 1985 St. Matthew Passion is a recording worthy of more recognition- the kind of great recognition it got nearly two decades ago after it's first release.

Buy this Box Set. It will be something you will want to return to often.

Music Track: