BaL 8.10.22 - Bach: St Matthew Passion

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 am
Building a Library
Joseph McHardy recommends a recording of JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion.

Bach’s St Matthew Passion is one of the most profound and popular choral works with many diverse interpretations of record to choose from.

Available versions:-

Barockorchester Stuttgart, Kammerchor Stuttgart, Frieder Bernius (SACD)
New York Philharmonic, Collegiate Chorale, Boys’ Choir of The Church of The Transfiguration
Leonard Bernstein *
Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Georg Christoph Biller
St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig & Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, St. Thomas Cantor Georg Christoph Biller (DVD/Blu-ray)
Wiener Sängerknaben, Wiener Symphoniker, Wiener Singverein, Karl Böhm
Netherlands Chamber Choir, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Frans Brüggen *
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Thomanerchor Leipzig & Thomanerchor Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly *
Academy of Ancient Music, Choir of King’s College Cambridge, King’s College School Choir, Stephen Cleobury (SACD)
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Regensburger Domspatzen, Concerto Köln, Peter Dijkstra
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Regensburger Domspatzen, Concerto Köln, Peter Dijkstra (DVD)
Dunedin Consort, John Butt
Academy of Ancient Music & Choir of the AAM, Richard Egarr
Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, Eric Ericson
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra & Netherlands Radio Choir & National Children’s Choir
Iván Fischer (DVD)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Fritz Wunderlich, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Karl Forster *
Wiener Singverein, Wiener Sangerknaben, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Trinity Boys Choir, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Sir John Eliot Gardiner
English Baroque Soloists, The Monteverdi Choir, The London Oratory Junior Choir, John Eliot Gardiner
Consortium musicum, Wolfgang Gönnenwein *
KlangVerwaltung Orchestra, Chorgemeinschaft Neubeuern, Enoch zu Guttenberg
Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Alan Harler *
Vienna Boys’ Choir, Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt (BaL Winner 2002)
Cantate Domino Schola Cantorum, Collegium Vocale & Collegium Vocale Orchestra, Philippe Herreweghe *
RIAS Kammerchor, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, René Jacobs *
Jacques Orchestra, Cantata Singers, Reginald Jacques
St.-Michaelis-Orchester, St.-Michaelis-Chor, Knabenchor Hannover & Knabenchor St. Michaelis, Günter Jena (DVD/Blu-ray)
St. Willibrord Boy’s Choir, Amsterdam, Netherlands Radio Choir, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Eugen Jochum *
Netherlands Radio Chorus, Boys’ Chorus of St. Willibrord’s, Amsterdam, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Eugen Jochum
Kathleen Ferrier, Walther Ludwig, Irmgard Seefried & Otto Edelmann, Vienna Singverein, Herbert von Karajan *
Wiener Singverein, Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin & Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Bruno Kittel Choir, Berlin Philharmonic, Bruno Kittel
Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Otto Klemperer
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, De Nederlandse Bachvereniging, The boys of the Sacramentskoor Breda, Ton Koopman
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir & Boys Choir of the Sacraments Choir, Breda, Ton Koopman (DVD)
La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken (SACD)
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Großer Chor des Berliner Rundfunks, Children’s Choir of St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, Fritz Lehmann
La Petite Bande, Männerchor von La Petite Bande, Tölzer Knabenchor, Gustav Leonhardt
Chor der J. S. Bach-Stiftung, Orchester der J. S. Bach-Stiftung, Rudolf Lutz *
Maîtrise du Conservatoire Populaire de Musique, Danse et Théâtre de Genève, Maîtrise Musique Ecole du Conservatoire de Lausanne, Petits Chanteurs de la Schola de Sion, Gli Angeli Genève
Stephan MacLeod
Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh *
La Grande Ecurie & La Chambre du Roy, Jean-Claude Malgoire
Orchestra of Radio Sofia, Choir of Radio Sofia, Ivan Marinov *
Dresdner Kreuzchor, Thomanerchor, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Erhard Mauersberger, Rudolf Mauersberger
Rheinische Kantorei, Das Kleine Konzert, Hermann Max
Amsterdam Toonkunst Choir, Zanglust Boys Choir, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Willem Mengelberg
Dresden Chamber Choir, Cologne Chamber Orchestra & Cologne Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Helmut Müller-Brühl
Hymnus Chorknaben Stuttgart, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Stuttgart Hymnus Boys Choir, Karl Münchinger *
Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Schola Cantorum of Oxford & Maîtrise de Paris, John Nelson (DVD/Blu-ray)
Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Festival Choir, Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir, Geza Oberfrank
Bachchor Mainz, Bachorchester Mainz, Ralf Otto
SKF Matsumoto Children’s Chorus, Tokyo Opera Singers, Saito Kinen Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa *
Pygmalion Ensemble, Raphaël Pichon
Gaechinger Cantorey, Hans-Christoph Rademann
Gaechinger Cantorey, Hans-Christoph Rademann (DVD)
Chor und Sinfonieorcheter des Hessischen Rundfunks, Günther Ramin *
Münchener Bach-Orchester, Münchener Bach-Chor, Die Regensburger Domspatzen, Karl Richter
Munich Bach Choir & Orchestra, Karl Richter
Münchener Bach-Chor & Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter (DVD)
Gächinger Kantorei, Stuttgart Choir, Stuttgart Bach Collegium Orchestra, Helmuth Rilling
Jeunesses Musicales Choir, Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, Budapest, Frigyes Sándor *
Orchestre De L’Opéra De Vienne, Akademie Kammerchor, Hermann Scherchen *
Dresdner Kapellknaben, Rundfunkchor Leipzig & Staatskapelle Dresden, Peter Schreier *
Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, Peter Seymour
Ex Cathedra Choir & Baroque Orchestra, Jeffrey Skidmore
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Sir Georg Solti
Chorus Musicus & Das Neue Orchester, Christoph Spering *
Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki
Benjamin Bruns, Carolyn Sampson, Aki Matsui, Damien Guillon, Clint van der Linde, Makato Sakurada, Zachary Wilder, Christian Immler, Toru Kaku, Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki
Netherlands Bach Society with Kampen Boys Choir, Jos van Veldhoven (SACD)
Concensus Vocalis, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Jan Willem de Vriend (SACD)
Bach Choir, Thames Chamber Orchestra, Sir David Willcocks *

* = download only

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Okay; I admit it. I chickened out of including the soloists as well

[richardfinegold]

Aren’t they doing reduced lists now? Can’t you limit yourself to the ones discussed instead of the whole litany? I for one will forgive you

[makropulos]

Well there's a tough choice! Thanks as always to EA for such a detailed and comprehensive list. One tiny addition to it: Herreweghe has made two different recordings, both for Harmonia Mundi –the first from 1984 and the second from 1998.

Of the ones sitting on my shelves, there are several that I'd really not want to be without, for one reason or another. They are:
Mengelberg/Amsterdam (Naxos)
Klemperer (EMI/Warner)
Jochum (Philips)
Münchinger (Decca)
Chailly (Decca)
McCreesh (Archiv)
Herreweghe (both recordings, but if pushed probably the second).

But as I type that list, I can think of three or four others that I find especially interesting or rewarding, including Christoph Springs recording of the Mendelssohn arrangement.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Aren’t they doing reduced lists now? Can’t you limit yourself to the ones discussed instead of the whole litany? I for one will forgive you

.

That would be a good thing, were the reviewers to publish their shortlist in advance.

[Bryn]

.

That would be a good thing, were the reviewers to publish their shortlist in advance.

It's also interesting to see which recordings, favoured by contributors here, do not come in for consideration by the reviewer.

[Mal]

I only have one:

Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Festival Choir, Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir, Geza Oberfrank (Naxos)

It was an early purchase, bought on a Penguin recommendation, before I did any comparative sampling, and I do like it. It's in good (1993) DDD sound, on modern instruments, but following authentic trends, with brisk speeds. Everyone seems on good form, and the evangelist is lithe & young-sounding. The soloists are fresh and clear. Wind players are attractive. The recording is spacious, full, and kind to voices. The booklet is very good, with a full translation keyed to the 68+ tracks on 3CDs.

[smittims]

'Diverse' is the word! From Mengelberg to goodness knows who's the most HIPP, it's a hard task to recommend one.

I knew a man for whom Mengelberg's was the only one. For me it's Furtwangler, in the complete issue done by Orfeo. I think he strikes a happy medium between Klemperer and Karajan.

Munchinger was much admired in my youth, some fine solo singing from Elly Ameling, Marga Hoffgen, Herman Prey and I think Fritz Wunderlich.

[Darloboy]

What's going on? It isn't Easter!

Previous BaL recommendations:

Nicholas Anderson (April 94): Koopman + Richter as mid-price choice

Simon Heighes (March 02): Harnoncourt's 2000 recording + Richter (mid-price modern instruments choice) + Koopman & Max (joint period instruments choices) + Vaughan Williams (historic recording choice)

Jeremy Summerly (April 12): Butt + honourable mentions to Willcocks (Elgar arr.)/Vaughan Williams/Richter + Suzuki's 1999 recording as a full choral recording + Harnoncourt's 1970 recording

[Darloboy]

I like the more recent Suzuki recording very much.

[richardfinegold]

.

That would be a good thing, were the reviewers to publish their shortlist in advance.

Is there a link you can refer to with the complete list and save all that Herculean effort?

[silvestrione]

There's a Simon Rattle DVD surely? Or is that no longer available. Though I admire Peter Sellers, I couldn't quite get on with whatever it was he was trying to do in that 'dramatised' version...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Is there a link you can refer to with the complete list and save all that Herculean effort?

The best one is the Presto website, but it's riddled with duplications and missing information.

[Bryn]

There's a Simon Rattle DVD surely? Or is that no longer available. Though I admire Peter Sellers, I couldn't quite get on with whatever it was he was trying to do in that 'dramatised' version...

https://www.berliner-philharmoniker-recordings.com/rattle-sellars-matthaeus-passion.html

[Mal]

Note, this work was reviewed in 2014, and you can listen to the podcast...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p01vrt5f

I might listen to this - worth getting two views on this piece, surely?