Three Choirs Festival: Bach - St Matthew Passion 14.09.15

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Listen live
Bach - St Matthew Passion
Radio 3 in Concert

The Three Choirs Festival celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2015 with a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion. Artistic Director of the festival Geraint Bowen conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Three Cathedral Choirs, with a line-up of soloists including James Oxley, Matthew Brook, Elizabeth Watts, William Towers, Anthony Gregory and Roderick Williams.

Bach's masterpiece was first performed on Good Friday in 1727, at the church of St Thomas in Leipzig. This was at a time when the Three Choirs Festival had already been in existence for over a decade. Nicola Heywood-Thomas presents this concert from Hereford Cathedral, recorded in July during the 2015 Three Choirs Festival, with interviews from three of the solo artists talking about their roles.

Johann Sebastian Bach: St Matthew Passion BWV 244

James Oxley (Evangelist), tenor
Matthew Brook (Christus), bass-baritone
Elizabeth Watts, soprano
William Towers, countertenor
Anthony Gregory, tenor
Roderick Williams, baritone
Three Cathedral Choirs
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Geraint Bowen, conductor

[zola]

I can't comment on the concert since I was not home last night to listen. However, I am curious at the lack of response. If there had been a prom performance of the Matthew Passion we would have been on the fourth page of comments by now. Is it because it was not live but recorded in July ? Or is it because it is not the famous Proms ? I'm just a bit puzzled by the overwhelming obsession each year with the Proms season when there is so much music throughout the rest of the year in the concert hall that is frequently superior.

[VodkaDilc]

I can't comment on the concert since I was not home last night to listen. However, I am curious at the lack of response. If there had been a prom performance of the Matthew Passion we would have been on the fourth page of comments by now. Is it because it was not live but recorded in July ? Or is it because it is not the famous Proms ? I'm just a bit puzzled by the overwhelming obsession each year with the Proms season when there is so much music throughout the rest of the year in the concert hall that is frequently superior.

I like nothing better than to settle down for the three hours or so needed and listen to a performance of the St Matthew Passion. The fact that I didn't last night is probably due to the timing. Is the Monday after the Proms season the best time? Certainly not for me.

Having said that, I strongly recommend the two Philharmonia concerts from the Edinburgh Festival which are due to be broadcast this week. Both were wonderful experiences in the Usher Hall - and the fact that Lang Lang was indisposed for one of them and was replaced by a far superior pianist was an added bonus. (My personal opinion, of course.)

[ardcarp]

If anyone finds a spare 3 hours, here's the performance:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b069x6kp

I wish it would still be available in Passiontide. I'm just going to dip into it. Quite keen to hear Will Towers......

[gradus]

Unfortunately I heard the first half hour only but wasn't much taken with it. I'm afraid I found the approach too brisk and matter of fact to appeal to me, preferring the old-fashioned performance practice of masters like Klemperer whose performances were not sentimental but revealed to me more emotional depth.