BaL 2.04.11 Bach: St John Passion

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30am Building a Library: Bach St John Passion. Simon Heighes recommends a recording.

An appropriate BaL, with Easter not far away.

Bach Choir - Willcocks
Taverner Consort and Players - Parrott
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra - Munchinger
Ricercare Consort - Pierlot
Cappella Amsterdam & Orchestra of 18th Century - Bruggen
Leipzig Rundfankchor, Staatskappelle Dresden - Shreier
Choir of King's Colleg, Cambridge, Brandenburg Consort - Cleobury
Yorkshire Baroque Soloists - Seymour
Netherlands Bach Society - Veldhoven
La Chapelle Rhenane - Haller
Concentus Musicus, Wein - Harnoncourt
Concerto d'Amsterdam, La Furia - Meel
Joe Littlewood (treble), James Bowman (alto), James Gilchrist (Evangelist), Matthew Beale (tenor), Eamonn Dougan (Pilate), Colin Baldy (bass)Choir of New College Oxford & Collegium Novum, Edward Higginbottom
English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir - Gardiner
Ensemble Vanitas, Coro delaa Radio Suizzera - Fasolis
English Chamber Orchestra - Britten
Collegium Vocale Gent - Herrewghe
Kolner Kammerchor, Collegium Cartusianum - Newmann
Ensemble Vocal et Instrumental de Lausanne - Corboz
Chorus und Symphonique des Bayerischen Runfunks - Jochum
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Singakademie - Lehmann
arr. Schumann Rheinishe Kantorei, Das Kleine Konzert - Max
Kolner Kantorei, JC Bach Akademie - Hempfling
Stuttgart Bach Collegium - Rilling
Leipzig Thomaner Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra - Ramin
Wandsworth School Choir, London Bach Society, Steinitz Bach Players - Steinitz
Bach Collegium Japan - Suzuki (*review was confined to recent releases only)
The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra - Christophers
Halle Madrigal Singers, Virtuosi Saxoniae - Guttler
Colon Theatre Orchestra and Chorus - Kleiber
Leipzig St Thomas Church Choir, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Schreier - Rotzsch

[VodkaDilc]

Simon Heighes is always excellent. Let's hope he's allowed to do a 'traditional' format BAL, without patronising chitchat with the host!
My particular favourite: Veldhoven - (with Munchinger in reserve for when I feel like a more traditional performance.)

[BBMmk2]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say Jeggers! :) Although I didn't realise that New College Oxford had made a recording??

[tantris]

Gardiner is the most perfect performance for me. But my secret love is the Forster Berlin recording, with Grummer, Ludwig. Wunderlich. Fischer-Dieskau etc. Stunning.

[Rupert P Matley]

Looking forward to this as well, but Dunedin Consort? I know they have a St. Matthew Passion released on Linn, but wasn't aware of a St. John. Is this a new recording?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Looking forward to this as well, but Dunedin Consort? I know they have a St. Matthew Passion released on Linn, but wasn't aware of a St. John. Is this a new recording?

A mistake on my part, I'm afraid. I'll delete this (and the RVW version) from the list

[Rupert P Matley]

Shame. I would have gone out and bought it!

I have Gardiner and Christophers on CD and Suzuki on DVD. Happy with all three!

[gurnemanz]

I have only one version (not listed above) and would recommend it. Bach's own choir, the Thomaner, the Gewandhausorchester and Schreier marvellous as the Evangelist.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-John-Passion-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00002556J

I may be biassed. I taught English in Leipzig for four years and among the delights of living there was to attend choral performances at the Thomaskirche ........and meeting my future wife. We heard the St John a couple of times under Rotzsch.

[MickyD]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say Jeggers! :) Although I didn't realise that New College Oxford had made a recording??

I find the New College Oxford recording very satisfying indeed.

[verismissimo]

I've had Harnoncourt for years and acquired Parrott last year. Really love the latter - with Rogers Covey-Crump and David Thomas.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I have only one version (not listed above) and would recommend it. Bach's own choir, the Thomaner, the Gewandhausorchester and Schreier marvellous as the Evangelist.

It's listed now. Thanks for that.

[ardcarp]

Looking at the list of versions being reviewed, I think to myself 'what an impossible task'. The reviewer will presumably be seeking something that approaches an intangible perfection, but how can he be sure his own own preferences (eg boys' voices, women's voices, period instruments, big choirs, big orchestras, small ditto ditto, fast tempi, slow tempi, etc, etc)) do not hold sway? I suppose the only honest way is to sweep aside the whole 'performance practice' thing and just go for what touches his heart. It's bound to be a very personal thing, especially perhaps for the St John, and I predict some interesting debate whatever the final choice.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Looking at the list of versions being reviewed, I think to myself 'what an impossible task'.

This is always the case, but the older the work, the greater the problem. In the end, it all comes back to one person's view, which is why I continue to have doubts about the single review BaL.

[DoctorT]

I still prefer the single-presenter BaL. I don't always agree with the 'winner,' but provided the presenter gives the reasons for his/her choice, I generally find it worth listening to. Looking forward to Saturday!

[BBMmk2]

Shame. I would have gone out and bought it!

I have Gardiner and Christophers on CD and Suzuki on DVD. Happy with all three!

Suzuki on DVD?