Customer Reviews

St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, in Full Score (Dover Miniature Scores)

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Of course you must have a full score of the St Matthew. But beware: while some more recent editions have made it readable to the modern amateur musician, this edition still uses clefs you might find difficult: the soprano clef, the tenor (not viola) clef ... and the clarity of printing leaves something to be desired. However, all the notes are there and much more legible than a pocket score.

First, a knock about Dover's cover and title page: the catalogue number of the "St. Matthew" is BWV 244, not 232 (which is the "Mass in B Minor")! That said, Dover has published a good-quality miniature score of this work from the "Bach-Gesellschaft" (19th century complete works) edition. I bought Dover's reprint as a replacement for a miniature score by another publisher (which also reprinted Bach-Gesellschaft), a particularly nasty piece of work with blotchy print, nearly illegible at many points--especially in the figured bass!--and much smaller than the present reprint. Dover does the job as it should be done, and up to its usual standard.

It is true, as another reviewer has noted, that the format of the "BG" score is somewhat antiquated, particularly with regard to the old-style clefs (i.e., soprano and tenor clefs rather than treble clefs) in the vocal parts. And since this score was originally published nearly a century and a half ago, no doubt there have been strides in Bach scholarship since that time which are not reflected in this volume. Nevertheless, this is a reliable and useful reproduction of what is unquestionably a significant and valuable edition.

Great score for those who miss the German version. Still have trouble listening to the English versions and this makes it easy.