Bach's St. Matthew Passion

Started by Bogey, December 10, 2007, 05:56:01 PM

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Mandryka

Re Mengelberg and that sort of thing. I find Karl Erb's voice a bit hard to take. Thomas Mann mentions him in Doktor Faustus -- saying he sounds like a castrato. That's not fair I think, but there is something a bit shrill about his voice.

Erb, by the way , was the first Palestrina in Pfitzner's opera.

I prefer HIP, but my favourite of the old skool Matthew Passions is Herman Scherchen's with Hugues Cuenod. It's hard to get from the usual channels, but it is out of copyright and you can download it from musicouverte.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

rubio

Quote from: Mandryka on December 30, 2009, 08:41:39 AM
I prefer HIP, but my favourite of the old skool Matthew Passions is Herman Scherchen's with Hugues Cuenod. It's hard to get from the usual channels, but it is out of copyright and you can download it from musicouverte.

What is the web address for musicouverte?

"One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain" Bob Marley

Mandryka

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

KevinP


Antoine Marchand

Quote from: KevinP on January 03, 2010, 04:28:41 PM
That link doesn't work for me.

If you select the option "par artiste" and then write "Scherchen" and press enter, it works out perfectly.  :)

KevinP

Yeah, figured that out 30 seconds after posting. :-)

The new erato

Seems like there's a new Kuijken OVPP version being released on Challenge Classics.

DavidRoss

Just yesterday listened to Harnoncourt's SMP.  Loved it.  Again.  Had it been my first on CD I might not have bought another.
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

Que

Quote from: DavidRoss on January 12, 2010, 07:47:39 AM
Just yesterday listened to Harnoncourt's SMP.  Loved it.  Again.  Had it been my first on CD I might not have bought another.

Would that be Harnoncourt's 2nd one? A grand recording! :)

Q

Marc

[Splitting hairs, but only in a whisper:]
Q, his 2nd is already OOP for 15 years (Concertgebouw live); my guess is you refer to his 3rd.

Que

Quote from: Marc on January 12, 2010, 11:19:32 AM
[Splitting hairs, but only in a whisper:]
Q, his 2nd is already OOP for 15 years (Concertgebouw live); my guess is you refer to his 3rd.

Yes, indeed. Although - was that recording complete? :)

Q

Marc

Quote from: Que on January 12, 2010, 12:09:49 PM
Yes, indeed. Although - was that recording complete? :)

Yes, indeed. ;)

It was meant to stimulate the restoration of the Concertgebouw financially. But after the restoration was finished, the boxset was still part of the Teldec catalogue. Harnoncourt didn't want that. And around mid-90's Teldec withdrew it.
To me, that must have been H.'s worst decision ever. I was just a studento povero and when I finally was able to buy the recording, the shoplady told me it was OOP. And the library copy I got was severely damaged.
Not the best SMP in the world, but with a very good Kurt Equiluz. Thanks to his grown experience, he was in better shape than f.i. during Harnoncourt's first SMP.
And, of course, I also wanted to buy it for sentimental reasons. I mean: I was brought up with semolina and lard, and with Harnoncourt's Passions at Palm Sunday. :)


DavidRoss

Yes, Harnoncourt's 3rd, with Goerne, Fink, et al.  To me this seems to have it all: beauty, drama, poignancy, transparency, and well-judged tempos that never flag but help sustain my interest throughout.
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

knight66

It's that time of year and sure enough, a new recording comes along. But it is from an unexpected source:Chailly and Leipzig. There are samples here.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-J-S-St-Matthew-Passion/dp/B0032SK6T2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267868066&sr=1-1

It seems to be on two discs, though stated to be on one and in an advert I saw it claimed to be on three. If the speed of the opening chorus is anything to go by at 5.39, (Richter is funerial in his second recording at 11.26), then perhaps it is on one disc.  >:D

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Bogey

I am purposely bypassing Bach's Matthew Passion this year and focusing in on his St. John's.  We are studying John's Gospel in one of the Bible studies I attend, and I did the same last year with Bach's Matthew when we studied that gospel during this season.
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

Coopmv

Quote from: Bogey on March 06, 2010, 05:43:44 AM
I am purposely bypassing Bach's Matthew Passion this year and focusing in on his St. John's.  We are studying John's Gospel in one of the Bible studies I attend, and I did the same last year with Bach's Matthew when we studied that gospel during this season.

Morning Bill.

I hope to get the St John Passion by Philippe Herreweghe and Jos van Veldhoven later this year to beef up my collection in this work.

knight66

Quote from: Bogey on March 06, 2010, 05:43:44 AM
I am purposely bypassing Bach's Matthew Passion this year and focusing in on his St. John's.  We are studying John's Gospel in one of the Bible studies I attend, and I did the same last year with Bach's Matthew when we studied that gospel during this season.

Nice to see some churches actually pay attention to the calendar!

I will be Harnoncourting through Lent (Pregadien, Gorne etc.) and going to a live St M on the 20th.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.

Bulldog

Quote from: knight on March 06, 2010, 12:43:07 AM
It's that time of year and sure enough, a new recording comes along. But it is from an unexpected source:Chailly and Leipzig. There are samples here.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-J-S-St-Matthew-Passion/dp/B0032SK6T2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267868066&sr=1-1

It seems to be on two discs, though stated to be on one and in an advert I saw it claimed to be on three. If the speed of the opening chorus is anything to go by at 5.39, (Richter is funerial in his second recording at 11.26), then perhaps it is on one disc.  >:D

Mike

I was pleasantly surprised by the samples although the opening chorus is too fast and emotionally light.

Marc

#198
Quote from: knight on March 06, 2010, 12:43:07 AM
It's that time of year and sure enough, a new recording comes along. But it is from an unexpected source:Chailly and Leipzig. There are samples here.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-J-S-St-Matthew-Passion/dp/B0032SK6T2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267868066&sr=1-1

It seems to be on two discs, though stated to be on one and in an advert I saw it claimed to be on three. If the speed of the opening chorus is anything to go by at 5.39, (Richter is funerial in his second recording at 11.26), then perhaps it is on one disc.  >:D

Mike
Chailly absolutely adores the Matthäus!
He had so much respect for the score that he waited a long time to conduct it himself.
He did one live at the Concertgebouw in 1997, 100 years after Mengelberg started the Amsterdam Bach-Passion tradition.
The performance got fiercely battered in the (HIP calvinistic ;)) Dutch press (too 'large' and old-fashioned), but it wasn't all that bad IMO. Nevertheless Chailly decided not to do another one in the Netherlands again.

From the broadcast, I remember mainly that Prégardien (Evangelist) wasn't in good shape, which was a pity of course.

knight66

I should think that whatever Chailly does, it is of a high quality. I don't think I am in the market for a new St M this year.

Somehow, I don't think I want more of the heavier textures or darker colours of the modern orchestra in this piece. But since I have swung from Klemperer to McCreesh in 40 years, if I live long enough, I may swing back again. I still enjoy the likes of Richter 1, but don't feel the need to get more traditional performances, but speeded up.

Mike
DavidW: Yeah Mike doesn't get angry, he gets even.
I wasted time: and time wasted me.