Customer Reviews

Bach: Matthäus-Passion

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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 Thomanerchor, 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 soloists 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 soloists 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.

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.

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!

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

It seems odd to describe a recording as 'historical' when it only dates from 1970, but in the performance of baroque music 30 years is a long time. Back then Harnoncourt's approach was revolutionary - using instruments and playing techniques Bach would have recognised rather than the romantic/classical Victorian performance practices which had been the rule prior. Harnoncourt's performance still stands but has in some respects - clarity, tempo - been eclipsed by more recent recordings such as those by Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi) and Gardiner (Archiv). Another take on the St. Matthew Passion which takes the Harnoncourt 'authentic' agenda full circle is Spering's reconstruction of the original 1841 rediscovery performance by Mendelssohn in Leipzig (Opus 111). But this almost a different piece of music.

Preferences for recordings of the Matthäus-Passion are always a personal thing. Perhaps I love this recording best because it's the one I heard first. I have listened to many recordings since, but it is this one that gives the most satisfaction overall. Other sets have 'stars' (Fritz Wunderlich and Tom Krause in the Münchinger recording, for instance), but I find that this set is the best all-rounder. Particularly fine are Kurt Equiluz and Karl Ridderbusch. But for me the outstanding singer here is Paul Esswood. The voice is beautiful and moving - who would believe that the male voice could produce sounds like this?

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