Topic: Music for Passiontide & Easter

[DavidW]

I'll probably listen to Bach's Easter Oratorio, not sure which recording yet.

[Florestan]

I deleted my messages.

I deleted mine too.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Ehhh...which work do you mean exactly?

Oh, sorry lol!  I had meant Penderecki's Passio Secundum Lucam. 

PD

[pjme]

Afaik, this is the fist commercial recording & it is still very impressive.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/bIaGM8xvf10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/bIaGM8xvf10</a>

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020)

Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi secundum Lucam
(1965)

Stefania Woytowicz - soprán / soprano
Andrzej Hiolski - baryton / baritone
Bernard Ładysz - bas / basso
Leszek Herdegen - recitace / recitation
Chlapecký a Smíšený sbor Krakowské filharmonie 
Boys and Mixed Choir of Krakow Philharmonic
sbormistři / choirmasters Janusz Przybyski a Józef Suwara
Orchestr Krakowské filharmonie
Orchestra of Krakow Philharmonic
řídí / conducting Henryk Czyż[/flash]

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Afaik, this is the fist commercial recording & it is still very impressive.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/bIaGM8xvf10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/bIaGM8xvf10</a>

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 - 2020)

Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi secundum Lucam
(1965)

Stefania Woytowicz - soprán / soprano
Andrzej Hiolski - baryton / baritone
Bernard Ładysz - bas / basso
Leszek Herdegen - recitace / recitation
Chlapecký a Smíšený sbor Krakowské filharmonie 
Boys and Mixed Choir of Krakow Philharmonic
sbormistři / choirmasters Janusz Przybyski a Józef Suwara
Orchestr Krakowské filharmonie
Orchestra of Krakow Philharmonic
řídí / conducting Henryk Czyż[/flash]

Thank you! Will add that to today's play list. 

PD

[aligreto]

JS Bach: St. Matthew Passion [Leppard]





This performance would not necessarily be a top recommendation. It is of its time and would be typical of Leppard [for those who know his interpretations]. However, I enjoy it [as I do Leppard presentations]. Leppard basically provides the requisite forward momentum and rhythmic integrity for a good JSB interpretation. The solo female vocals can tend towards the operatic at times but not excessively so but the male vocalists are robust and are sympathetic to the music. The choral singing is robust and also quite sensitive to the spirit of the music. I also like the presentation of the woodwinds in this performance.

[aligreto]

Poulenc Stabat Mater from the Poulenc big box.





This is a wonderful, heartfelt and very powerful work. The musical language is straightforward and it is enhanced by lyricism, drama and tension at various stages. The harmonies are wonderfully appealing and the choral singing is very atmospheric. It is a very fine work.

[Que]

Any recommendations on Händel's Brockes-Passion? 

The field used to be monopolised by McGegan (Hungaroton), but nowadays there is a wealth of choice:

A new recording by Jonathan Cohen with Sandrine Piau et al. (Alpha)
Richard Egarr (AAM Records)
Lars Ulrik Mortensen (cpo)
Laurence Cummings (Accent)
Hans Peter Neumann (Carus)

Q

[amw]

Currently listening to some versions of the 1725 version of Bach's St. John Passion. I have these two at the moment:




The Neumann is preferable, at least from a technical instrumental and vocal perspective. The van der Meel sounds more "historically informed" though.

What other recordings of this version should I look for?

edit: Found three more on streaming services, have listened to this one so far. Good, modern instruments, but generally on the slow side, and none of the soloists struck me as really exceptional. Other two are Herreweghe & Wunderkammer which I am saving for tomorrow.

[DavidW]

Any recommendations on Händel's Brockes-Passion? 

The field used to be monopolised by McGegan (Hungaroton), but nowadays there is a wealth of choice:

A new recording by Jonathan Cohen with Sandrine Piau et al. (Alpha)
Richard Egarr (AAM Records)
Lars Ulrik Mortensen (cpo)
Laurence Cummings (Accent)
Hans Peter Neumann (Carus)

Q

I've listened to the new recording and it is pretty good.  But I haven't heard the others so I have nothing to compare to.  I usually like Christie in Handel, but he hasn't recorded it.

[amw]

Currently listening to some versions of the 1725 version of Bach's St. John Passion. I have these two at the moment:




The Neumann is preferable, at least from a technical instrumental and vocal perspective. The van der Meel sounds more "historically informed" though.

What other recordings of this version should I look for?

edit: Found three more on streaming services, have listened to this one so far. Good, modern instruments, but generally on the slow side, and none of the soloists struck me as really exceptional. Other two are Herreweghe & Wunderkammer which I am saving for tomorrow.

Second one is one voice per part, and is also my preference out of this pair, somewhat to my surprise; I've never heard of any of the singers, but they're all excellent (some of them seem to have participated in the Carus Schütz integral which is also excellent, so that's not surprising), and the energy of the recording outpaces the somewhat sedate Herreweghe. Released last year, apparently.

[The new erato]

Any recommendations on Händel's Brockes-Passion? 

The field used to be monopolised by McGegan (Hungaroton), but nowadays there is a wealth of choice:

A new recording by Jonathan Cohen with Sandrine Piau et al. (Alpha)
Richard Egarr (AAM Records)
Lars Ulrik Mortensen (cpo)
Laurence Cummings (Accent)
Hans Peter Neumann (Carus)

Q

I have the Egarr and found no particular fault with it when I listened to it a year ago, but it is my only encounter with this work.

[André]

I normally observe obvious signposts of the season such as Christmas and Easter with the appropriate musical fare, but not this year. It seems the pandemic has upended my reaction to the passing of time, as if my internal clock was frozen in pre-covid time...

[DavidW]

I normally observe obvious signposts of the season such as Christmas and Easter with the appropriate musical fare, but not this year. It seems the pandemic has upended my reaction to the passing of time, as if my internal clock was frozen in pre-covid time...

Quartet for the End of Time then? 

All kidding aside I understand.  I kind of went the other way.  Holidays I never cared out I now look forward to celebrating as excuses to get my head out of the grey fog.