BaL 7.04.12 - Bach's St Matthew Passion

[Rowan Tree]

I have the 1st Herreweghe which I love and the 2003 Gabrieli/ McCreesh------ which I don't love in the slightest!!

[BBMmk2]

Hmmm, I didn't agree with the result of Summerley's review of JSB's St Matthew Passion.

[pilamenon]

Excellent edition. Informative, engaging, decent chunks played. Oddly enough, didn't like the second Dunedin Consort extract as much as some of the others, but enjoyed the old school versions and the 1970 Harnoncourt very much.

Not sure about playing it on Easter Monday, though - isn't it meant to be for Holy Week?

[BBMmk2]

I have the firtst Herregjhe to, plus JEG's as well. I wasn't pleased by the outcome of Jeremy Summerley's review at all

[Don Basilio]

I was touched to hear Ralph Vaughan Williams conducting SMP in a church hall in Dorking just before his death with a piano accompanying the Evangelist. (Summerley made a point that the piano was played very sensitively.)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Hmmm, I didn't agree with the result of Summerley's review of JSB's St Matthew Passion.

Oh, I did, Bbm: not so keen on what I heard of his "historical" choice ("Historical"?! NONSENSE: it was recorded in my lifetime! ) - but I was fascinated by the RVW. It brought out the similarities with Pilgrim's Progress, I thought.

Now that would make an interesting Passiontide broadcast - the St Matthew conducted by RVW and the St John conducted by Britten.

[vinteuil]

It was interesting how much time Jeremy devoted to various 'historically interesting' interpretations, such as that of Vaughan Wms; for a moment I was worried that he was going to choose a Huddersfield gargantuan performance...
It was, yes, moving to hear the RVW and some of the other takes on this work that are now desperately unfashionable 'period pieces', and to hear them treated with affectionate respect.
But it was a relief to feel Jeremy progressing with more convinced enthusiasm to the 'period performance' of Harnoncourt 1970, Kuijken, and Suzuki.
I very much liked his final choice of John Butt and the 'one voice to a part' Dunedin; and also his firm statement that the idea of 'one' choice here wd be absurd.
I wd have liked to hear his views on the two Herreweghes, the McCreesh, the Cleobury King's College - but he had spent so much time on the versions from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s that there was no room. Pity...

[LeMartinPecheur]

I enjoyed the programme despite its mentioning, certainly illustrating, only a few versions out of the many available. I have only the JEG, bought IIRC mainly for my wife. Not sure I shall rush to get another: the Harnoncourt, Summerly's 'historic choice' impressed me (but will we soon routinely have the BaL 'historic HIPP' choice?) and I was waiting eagerly for his final recommendation which he'd already said would be OVPP.

But I was left feeling unsure about the Dunedin Consort when he illustrated it: the closeish and very equal balance of voices came over as wiping out our usual way of hearing polyphonic writing, i.e. with some special extra emphasis - even if only a small one - on the top line.

It all seemed to lack linear connection so it didn't matter which polyphonic line I followed. Indeed almost from beat to beat different voices seemed to to catch my attention in kaleidoscopic rather than a truly polyphonic fashion. Maybe a full hearing - or indeed several - would restore the unity of the lines, and the normal 'top-down' hierarchy of parts?

Am I talking rubbish please?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

the more i hear of by and about RVW the more inspiring ii find him ...

what a nostalgic joy to hear Richter and the munich outfit!
whereof we learned our Bach

i am now convinced i do not want a recording of this work but i would appreciate a half dozen performances per annum ... [except for the counter tenor and Mrs Harnoncourt]

stimulating and enjoyable BAL

[Pabmusic]

I was touched to hear Ralph Vaughan Williams conducting SMP in a church hall in Dorking just before his death with a piano accompanying the Evangelist. (Summerley made a point that the piano was played very sensitively.)

RVW always insisted on a piano (and clarinets!) - that point was made in The Passions of Vaughan Williams, that excellent John Bridcut documentary.

[austin]

My first and only recording is on vinyl - Klemperer, the Philharmonia, Pears, Fischer-Dieskau, Schwarzkopf, Ludwig, Gedda, Berry. Not fashionable now, but perfectly valid. It's still available on CD. I don't collect recordings (of anything), but hear any performances I can, and I have sung in the chorus (in rather less exalted company) very many times.

My first also but not only. Christa Ludwig singing, 'Erbarme dich, mein Gott' still my benchmark.

[VodkaDilc]

A very enjoyable BAL - in the traditional manner.

I agree that one performance will never be enough. I have VW, Harnoncourt (1st rec), Richter, Munchinger, McCreesh, Kuijken and Veldhoven - and was pleased to hear Kuijken as an 'almost' first choice. I remember hearing the review of the VW when it was released on CD and immediately ordering it; its sincerity transcends any consideration of performance styles.

[Nick Armstrong]

It was interesting how much time Jeremy devoted to various 'historically interesting' interpretations, such as that of Vaughan Wms; for a moment I was worried that he was going to choose a Huddersfield gargantuan performance...
It was, yes, moving to hear the RVW and some of the other takes on this work that are now desperately unfashionable 'period pieces', and to hear them treated with affectionate respect.
But it was a relief to feel Jeremy progressing with more convinced enthusiasm to the 'period performance' of Harnoncourt 1970, Kuijken, and Suzuki.
I very much liked his final choice of John Butt and the 'one voice to a part' Dunedin; and also his firm statement that the idea of 'one' choice here wd be absurd.
I wd have liked to hear his views on the two Herreweghes, the McCreesh, the Cleobury King's College - but he had spent so much time on the versions from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s that there was no room. Pity...

I enjoyed the BAL and couldn't put my more detailed reactions any better than that, vindemesse I was thinking it was one of those BALs that could have done with the full hour sometimes accorded, to allow for consideration of Herreweghe et al.

[BBMmk2]

That RVW recording. I couldn't find it on amazon. Is it still availabale?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That RVW recording. I couldn't find it on amazon. Is it still availabale?

Not directly from the River folk, Bbm, but through their "Links":

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Matthew-Passion-Festival-Williams/dp/B00004R8MD