Customer Reviews

Bach: Sacred Masterpieces

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These recordings, absolutely without question, are among the most perfect performances of JS Bach you will ever hear, dating as they do from the heyday of the DGG Archiv Produktion in the late 1950's and early 60s. From every point of view, Karl Richter was a superlative Bach conductor, and the performances he achieved, orchestrally and vocally, are without equal. He understood exactly how this music was to be played, and then achieved the impossible. If this set of recordings does not "make the case" for any of the works included, absolutely no others will. Richter's orchestra performs on "modern instruments" - which, for 21st century ears is just fine. The music itself comes through gloriously. DGG's engineers have preserved the originals such that they sound absolutely magnificent. This was certainly a restoration of great love and care.

Even if you can't afford it, you should also spring for the DGG re-issue of Richter's 26 CD set (!) of the Cantatas as well. ..., it's an unbelievable bargin. The performances, there too, are superlative.

First of all, I don't own this box set but I do own each of the individual recordings it contains. The box would have been considerably cheaper and would take less precious space on my shelves.

However, for each of the works presented here, Richter's versions are my favourite, and I have 40+ recordings of the Mass alone (ten or fewer of the other compositions). These aren't period instruments HIP recordings, but neither are they over-indulgent romantic slop. What they are are *supremely* musical readings. Even some HIP purists keep these in their collection. The very successful HIP conductor Suzuki even sings their praises, and every now and then I'll spot a trait of Richter's popping up in a Suzuki recording.

Unless you really really need HIP performances and have already made up your mind against anything that isn't, this box is highly recommended.

In my opinion, this is THE BEST compilation of Richter's recordings of Bach's sacred works. With one exception, I think it has captured Richter's association with the Muenchener Bach-Orchester und Muenchener Bach-Chor and his long familiarity with the German tradition of Bach interpretation he learned in the center most associated with that great figure of German music-the Thomaskirche Leipzig-at its peak.

If I would change one thing in the recordings presented in this compilation, it would be to exchange the 1958 recording of the Matthaeus-Passion with that recorded in the 1970s.

I've owned all these recordings for years, first on the Archiv LPs - in fabric upholstered boxes with 4 x 6 library index cards enclosed - and the subsequent individual CD issuances. For those who have never heard them, I strongly advise you to seize the opportunity. I also have the cantata series mentioned in other postings, so my affection for Richter's achievement should be obvious.

To get the negatives out of the way first, the sound isn't state of the art, but who cares? The choral sopranos can take on a metallic edge at times, but those passing faults do not undermine the achievement of this well rehearsed ensemble. I'm still not entirely happy with Richter's slow motion treatment of the Christmas Oratorio's Part II "Schlafe, mein liebster" but it doesn't bother me so much any more.

Overall, Richter strikes a good balance between performance practice sensibilities and his personal interpretative point of view. With playing and singing of this quality, the absence of period instruments and the use of a medium sized choir doesn't bother me. Hearing these operatic soloists apply their well schooled vocal resources and emotional sensibilities to the music is a treat indeed.

While it would be nice to hear Richter's second St. Matthew again - the CD reissue has disappeared - I prefer the 1958 version. Haefliger's Evangelist is one of the great assumptions of the part. Seefried was outclassed by Mathis in the second version, but Engen's Jesus in the earlier version stands up very well indeed, as do Hertha Topper, Fischer-Dieskau and Haefligher in the tenor arias. The organ continuo of 1958 can get screechy at times but it's preferable to the harpsichord of the 1970s.

The St. John holds its own with the competition and is one of the few examples we have of Evelyn Lear singing Bach. In the Christmas Oratorio, Wunderlich's Evangelist is another example of our great loss in his untimely death. Janowitz, Ludwig and Crass complete an unbeatable solo quartet.

If you like your B-Minors "massive" this is the recording for you. It has a satisfyingly grand sound without being overblown. The soloists are again a distinguished group and Adolf Scherbaum leads the trumpets. Be prepared for the umlaut shift in latin words like "coeli". I don't think the Magnificat has held up quite as well after 45 years, but it's no clinker.

I am also very satisfied by more recent historically informed period instrument performances, but Richter was one of the last great representatives of an older performance tradition. Few conductors have done these works so well with such performing forces, particularly the vocal soloists.

The performance of the B-minor Mass in this set is NOT the famous one in the boxed set of LPs, contrary to what other reviewers have implied. Sorry, but it is not as good, plus it was recorded in front of a live audience, meaning coughs etc. Why would DGG do this? I feel duped.

The notion that to be "authentic," a Bach performance must be on period instruments and in precisely the style of the day makes as much sense as a claim that the Hammerklavier must be played only on Beethoven's Broadwood and not on a Bosendorfer.

This is not to say that the Romantic, ponderous, 19th-century performance style epitomized by Klemperer wasn't due for an overhaul by Gardiner, Harnoncourt, et al. But our 21st-century ears have heard the modern instruments, and we've heard the music that came after Bach. We can never truly hear his music exactly as the people of the 18th-century perceived it. And the people of the 22nd century will perceive it differently from the way we do.

So let's be glad we have the various interpretations, appreciate the insights they provide, and not worry about whether Professor Authentico would approve.

That being said, Richter's conception of these masterpieces is akin to that of Colin Davis in his 1966 "Messiah": hardly "authentic" in the narrow sense, but superbly authentic in that it conveys the music deep into the listener's heart and soul. This to me is the true gauge. I would add that, somewhat surprisingly, the polyphonic nature of the choruses is more evident with Richter than with any other conductor I have heard. Perhaps this was Richter's intent; perhaps it's just the recording. But repeated listenings have borne this out.

This 10-disc set costs less per disc than the "Greatest Hits" garbage on the no-label CDs in the $4.99 bin at Wal-Mart. I cannot imagine that anyone would ever regret purchasing it.

Years have passed since my first listening of Karl Richter's Bach St. Matthew Passion. I thought it was Bach's most beautiful and the most moving musical work then. And now I find it sounds with exactly the same purity and the freshness from this new compilation. It IS not old nor aged even a millesimal of time. Such a great representation of the music from great K.R. And the affordable price is also great. Thanks for all of you who have made this possible.

Just look at this set, you can't beat a set like this! All with the great Karl Richter! Thanks DG!

These CDs (there are 10 of them) are from Summer 1958 performances. The sound quality is, therefore, not what we are used to in high quality recordings. The label is not really the Deutsche Grammophon we are used to, but one of their "Archiv Produktion". It isn't really possible to see this in the CD cover because you can't blow it up online. The performance is very good, I just wish the sound were what I was expecting in choosing Deutsche Grammophon.