New AAM St Matthew Passion

[MickyD]

Does anyone else find the opening chorus rather too fast? I had the same criticism of the AAM's St John Passion when it came out...to my ears the emotion isn't really there and the chorus sounds curiously in front of the orchestra rather than behind.

[Black Swan]

MickyD

I missed this part as I had to go out. Do you have a better recommendation?

[MickyD]

Listen to it later on i-player, BS. I just found that it seemed as if it was being skated over...technically very fine, but no emotion. I still prefer boys' voices in the piece...the old Harnoncourt or Leonhardt are my favourites.

[Black Swan]

Micky D,

Cheers, hate to admit this but I do not have in my vast collection a recording of the Passions. I don't know why and want to rectify this. I too, would prefer boys voices. A great deal on the Loenhardt on Presto. Ordered.

Thanks for the info.

[kernelbogey]

AAM = ? please?

[Keraulophone]

Does anyone else find the opening chorus rather too fast?

Yes, a little, but the first chorale was taken at an unseemly lick, it seemed to me, with the conductor putting on the brakes towards the line-ends which felt unnatural and interventionist. I was thinking, during the opening chorus, that it might be a set worth investing in, but that chorale made me feel sea-sick: micro-management far worse than Rattle. Engrossing singing and playing, though. The all-male Leonhardt recording is my most-played CD version.

[Keraulophone]

AAM = ? please?

Academy of Ancient Music, 'ancient' taking on a somewhat loose meaning; they don't play much music from around the time of Stonehenge.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Academy of Ancient Music, 'ancient' taking on a somewhat loose meaning; they don't play much music from around the time of Stonehenge.

Just means "old", doesn't it? None of the Hymns Ancient & Modern were from the Stonehenge era, either?

The orchestra takes its name from an 18th Century Society of enthusiasts who wanted to play and hear Music written in the 17th Century - so the time gap between the repertoire of the current AAM and today is considerably more "ancient" than was that of the original band.

[kernelbogey]

Academy of Ancient Music,[...]

Thank you. I didn't recognise the abbreviation in the thread title, and thought perhaps others might not too.... I do know the band, however, and indeed have heard them play (not at Stonehenge on the solstice, however).

[MickyD]

Yes, a little, but the first chorale was taken at an unseemly lick, it seemed to me, with the conductor putting on the brakes towards the line-ends which felt unnatural and interventionist. I was thinking, during the opening chorus, that it might be a set worth investing in, but that chorale made me feel sea-sick: micro-management far worse than Rattle. Engrossing singing and playing, though. The all-male Leonhardt recording is my most-played CD version.

[ARBurton]

I found there were times when, if I had the volume loud enough to hear the accompaniment properly, I was almost deafened by the vocal soloist. Really rather disappointed, given its reviews.