Customer Reviews

Bach: Mass in B minor

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The review below this one is not accurate! This recording is not at all harsh! It is actually quite pleasant. I have many recordings of Mass in B minor and this is often the one I listen to when I want to relax. I much like all of the soloists (they are not annoying as they can be in some others). As far as the trumpet goes, it is actually my favorite thing about this recording! I wish I can hear the trumpet in others like I can in this one. It is played beautifully as well. I say, if for no other reason, get this actually BECAUSE of the trumpet! Yes, just the opposite of what the reviewer below wrote. Thus, I wrote this review to correct a terrible injustice. One spewed out against an excellent recording.

I recommend this highly. I bought it to brush up on my German Latin pronunciation and to remind myself of the notes in preparation for singing it with my choir. It is a great recording, in my opinion. Don't take my word for it though, do listen to it here on Amazon and hear for yourself.

I purchased this 2-CD set recently (before reading the Amazon customer reviews) and was very pleased with it. This is a superb recording. The Dresden Chamber choir and Cologne Chamber orchestra seem to be well balanced and the choir is easiy to hear -- the sound is crisp, not muddy.

Yes, there are a few passages where the trumpets sing out -- but Bach scored this for five trumpets, so what would one expect?

This digital recording is highly recommended, and at a buget price as well!

This is one of my favorite pieces.

I am quite fond of the Cologne Chamber Orchestra. Their other recordings of Bach work (e.g. Branderburg concertos, Orchestal suites) are quite pleasing (for the price), though not too inspiring. I wouldn't choose them as my favorites, but it is sometimes nice to pick up a fresh look at favorite pieces.

Unfortunately this was not the case with this recording.

I was barely able to listen to this CD past "Gloria In Excelsis Deo" (track #4). I was literally infuriated by the way the trumpets were allowed to play, so aggressively with no care to the rest of the ensemble. They just "flashed" in and out, with sparkly fanfare-like trills. No regard to the rest of the orcheatra, no regard to the total harmonic structure.

It is a shame becuase the musicians are more than able to play this piece, and though the style is of playing leans towards "on period instruments", they play on modern instruments. This could have been a very interesting recording since with modern instruments and the obvious flawless techinique of the members of this ensmble would differentiate it from the "traditional" period instruments recordings, where the period instruments sometime pose an evident challenge to the players.

With Herreweghe's outstanding recording, or the more recent Martin Perlman's with the Boston Baroque there is very little reason to buy this CD.