St Matthew Passion

[Flosshilde]

(An argument could be made that it's become fogeyishly fashionable to admire performances like Klemperer's and denigrate HIPP. As with Mark Berry's blog http://boulezian.blogspot.co.uk/2011...ven-missa.html; http://boulezian.blogspot.co.uk/2012...strauss-7.html).

There will always be a multitude of ways in which this work may be performed, even if we leave aside – with relief – the non-question concerning the instrument. Sir Thomas Beecham's celebrated description made the harpsichord sound more interesting than it is; those of us without antiquarian fetishes welcome the modern piano with open arms and ears. http://boulezian.blogspot.co.uk/2013...ariations.html

Etc.

Could it be that admiration of perfromances by Beecham or Klemperer is more the antiquarian fetish now?

[Julien Sorel]

Could it be that admiration of perfromances by Beecham or Klemperer is more the antiquarian fetish now?

Yes, I think it could. It's strange how Mark Berry and others shift between claims about the timelessness of the music to the argument that Bach would have used the latest musical resources available to him (odd in Bach's case, who had a taste for archaic instruments): but their idea of the latest musical resources seems to revolve around a 1950s / 60s symphony orchestra playing mid to late C19 / early C20 music (that's not entirely true in Berry's case; or his interests in contemporary music are wider than the general fogey ). He is, I'm sure, setting out to provoke, but it doesn't half lead him to write some guff (like that passage about the harpsichord).

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

When St Matthew Passion was last reviewed on R3's BaL, the critic(name escapes me), played an excerpt conducted by RVW, and instead of a harpsichord he used a piano!!

That RVW recording is my favourite "Choral Society" performance of the (albeit considerably abridged) work - far more incisive than Klemperer or Karajan.

[BBMmk2]

That RVW recording is my favourite "Choral Society" performance of the (albeit considerably abridged) work - far more incisive than Klemperer or Karajan.

Although quite non-HIPP by far it did have a certain atmosphere to it as well.

[Roehre]

When St Matthew Passion was last reviewed on R3's BaL, the critic(name escapes me), played an excerpt conducted by RVW, and instead of a harpsichord he used a piano!!

That's what Mahler did, as well as Mengelberg (re-introducing the Matthew with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and performing the work every Palm Sunday between 1899 and 1940).
The Mengelberg version (he made an abridged one, lastin some two hours) has been re-issued on the Philips label, and should be still available in one way or another.
It's this tradition in which Jochum made his (1964?) recording with the Concertgebouw (he didn't leave out anything, btw).

[BBMmk2]

Ah well worth searching for, by the sounds of it.i am thinking about buying the Rattle DVD reocrding direct from The Philhamonie. looks rather good?