Bach's St. Matthew Passion

[mc ukrneal]

From the mammoth 107-disc box of tutto Furtwängler, 3 discs are devoted to his heavily cut SMP. Furtwängler often conducted the Passion, but never in its entirety. He is on record as saying that an uncut performance would try the patience of the modern listener...

Be that as it may, conduct it he did, and there are 3-4 performances of it on disc, the most famous and widely available being that from this set, originally an EMI release. Emanating from Viennese performances that took place in April 1954, it is quite probably one of the very last concerts given by Furtwängler before his death. It's not a studio recording, and the sound calls for much tolerance. Very little of the choirs' words can be heard, and the orchestra (Wiener Philharmoniker) is not flattered either.

What made me sit still and pay attention throughout was the unusial, almost schizophrenic mélange of extraordinary spirituality carried by the conductor, and the intensely dramatic, theatrical recreation of the drama by the soloists. It helps that the solo voices are very well and clearly caught, and are of uniformly splendid quality.

The drama is enacted with the utmost passion (no pun intended) by tenor Anton Dermota. A great favourite of  the Wiener Staatsoper in mozartian roles, his singing is a heady mix of tonal plangency and verbal intensity. Every single word is clearly heard, and the many recitatives that are the cement of this work acquire unusual prominence. Indeed, Dermota's contribution is the hallmark of this performance. I know of no other Evangelist that brings such hair-raising dramatic intensity to this role.

The other parts are taken by the dream cast of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Grümmer, Marga Höffgen and Otto Edelmann. The young DFD sings a noble, very healthy Jesus. He never sounds like he's in any kind of dire straits or about to face the Great Beyond. But what a voice! Bass Edelmann sings the bass arias (only one is heard here), and brings a frightening intensity to the parts of Pilatus, Peter, Judas. Sometimes it sounds like Klingsor has strayed onto the stage of the Passion. The women bring beautiful voices to the arias, but Grümmer's singing style is hopelessly passé with its intense vibrato that robs the tones of the necessary purity.

I sincerely did not expect to like the results, but the sheer intensity and extraordinary devotional character of the performance swayed my many reservations. I wish Furt would have reconsidered his jettisoning of so many numbers!

I found the beginning of it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNqH3XIEqGs. It didn't really excite me (at least the part I heard). Is this how the rest of it sounds?

[Lilas Pastia]

Any of this available outside of the Furt brick?

Yes, on a mid-price 2-disc EMI 'Références' set. Amazon.ca has it (new) under 12$. But really, this is for completists only. You can probably sample on internet, but it will not give you a fair idea.

[Lilas Pastia]

The end of that is very nice, from Am Abend Da Es Kühle War to the end of the whole passion. Furtwangler himself may have seen that he's pulled off  something worthwhile there since he asked for it to be played at his funeral.

What are the other 2-3 performances that you mention like, sound wise? And what are they? Apart from the one with Dermota I only know the one from Buenos Aires with Patzak.

I can't tell. Look at the Bach Cantata web site for details pf the performances. All of what we know comes from public performances from eons ago. The EMI is the most recent. Sound-wise I wouldn't expect much, and certainly no miracles.

[Lilas Pastia]

I found the beginning of it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNqH3XIEqGs. It didn't really excite me (at least the part I heard). Is this how the rest of it sounds?

Good point. You listened to the opening chorus, which didn't excite me one bit at first hearing. Coming to it unwarned and not expecting anything special, I found it greyish, bloated, with saturated sound. If you can find other excerpts, they will probably sound much better than this. This performance is mostly about the drama being enacted as if it was an actual event. Don't take my word for it, but do try to hear some of the recits and arias, as well as concluding section chorales - they form the work's 'pietist' POV, and are here especially slow, reverential but incredibly committed - no fake spirituality here: you either fall for it, or flee from it.

This view has not been generally espoused by modern interpreters, who tend to eschew emotions or place them in a 'musically meaningful' context. IOW it's more about how the instruments sounded, how the voices sounded (one to a part or not, placement of antiphonal choruses, "authentic" voice production and the like), and least of all about a spiritual journey arising from an intensely dramatic, human story. If you can make it that far, try to hear Peter's denial. And listen to the Evangelist's increasingly weary, defiant, desperate narration. Whether it's a musical, dramatic or spiritual experience is for any one to discover for himself. Not for everyday consumption then, and definitely a view from times bygone. Too bad we can only judge from such inadequate sources.

[Lilas Pastia]

Just finished listening to another SMP, this one originating from 1970. Originally issued by Deutsche Schallplatten, it is directed by the Mauersberger brothers (Rudolph, choirmaster and Erhard, conductor). Soloists are different for each part, so we have soloists in the arias, and different ones as Jesus, Caiaphas, Peter, etc. I have no idea what was the practice in Bach's time. The various arias and dramatic parts can be sung by just four soloists, as with Furtwängler or by as many as seventeen. There are fifteen named soloists in this production. Among those I see the names of Peter Schreier (Evangelist), Theo Adam (Jesus), Annelies Burmeister (the alto arias) and some lesser names as well as totally unknown ones. The prestigious choirs of the Dresdner Kreuzchor and the Leipzig Thomanerchor as well as the Gewandhausorchester, Leipzig complete the prestigious 'cast' of this realization. The score is presented complete.

Overall I found it immensely polished, but dramatically weak. it is very beautiful, but it's all too seamless and legatoish. Make no mistake, it is musically unimpeachable. Superbly sung and played, spaciously recorded. Can't ask for more. Except that as a musical drama it's DOA.

IIRC it's rather similar in outlook and outline to the Rilling recording (Hänssler). I haven't listened to it in at least three years, but if my ears tell me the truth, Rilling had more emphasis and sinew to bring to the score. Mauersberger is more contemplative (some of the congregation chorales are breathtakingly beautiful). But generally speaking they hail from the same tradition.

Next (whenever that is) will be the 1986 Harnoncourt Concentus Musicus version on Teldec. And that's it. I have no other SMP . At least for now. I'm tempted to invest in the Klemperer and Karajan versions. Not sure about a HIP one. My requirements are: beautiful voices for the arias, characterful ones for the dramatic parts, a strong chorus and a purposeful direction from the conductor. Lucid, clear recording a definite plus. Any suggestions?

[kishnevi]

Andre, I did a direct comparison of Rilling and Harnoncourt (Battle of the Boxsets, since I have both the Hanssler and Teldec Complete sets) this past Eastertide, and in general found myself preferring  Rilling.

My holdings in the SMP are not considerable--Enoch zu Guttenberg, on RCA--meh.  Gardiner--I liked his SMP, but then I like most of his performances.  At any rate, I think he meets most of your requirements, HIP or not.  And finally, Chailly/Gewandhaus,  which might also be of interest to you.

[Lilas Pastia]

Thanks, Jeffrey. I will seek the Chailly production. If I'm not mistaken he's quite the scholar when it comes to Bach. As long as you think a MI conductor can be considered a Bach scholar . . In any case, I yet have to find a Gardiner recording I've kept in my collection. I've bought a lot, sold as them all. In Gardiner's case the law of diminishing returns acquires a new significance.

[Mandryka]

Does anyone know this 1981 record from Harnoncourt?

[Marc]

Does anyone know this 1981 record from Harnoncourt?

On my mother's little mono radio/recorder I recorded this one from the Dutch radio, on Palm Sunday 1981.

It's almost the same interpretation as the Telefunken 1985 live recording which has been withdrawn from the catalogue, yet without a.o. Arleen Augér (which is really a pity).

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,4877.msg525017



From 1981, I do remember a better performance of f.i. 'O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß' and a more sensible tempo in 'Sehet Jesus hat die Hand' .... if my memory serves me well, because I have not listened to those mono tapes since I left my parent's house in 1985, I think.

Here's a possibility for a legal download, mp3, 320 kb/s, € 6,00:

http://www.opera-club.net/release.asp?rel=466

For those who missed the above mentioned withdrawn 1985 recording, this is a very good alternative!

[Marc]

Be cautious though.
I paid € 6,-- and got 128 kb/s mp3 format.
Just sent them an e-mail about that.
Will see what happens.

Sound quality is indeed not too good, but yours truly is digging into his youth, so it's a sentimental journey anyway!

(Keep on smiling. )

EDIT: my players say it's 128 and MediaInfo says it's 320.

I may probably receive a furious e-mail in return!

[Marc]

Does anyone know this 1981 record from Harnoncourt?

Overall: presumably not taken from the mastertape, too much noise and too many drop-outs in the sound. The amateur choir - just founded in that year - not too strong and some disappointing soloists (Gardow, Scharinger). Interpretation-wise almost the same as the above mentioned 1985 recording (OOP). Equiluz as good as ever, but that's not sufficient in the end.

Anyway, I enjoyed my sentimental journey for only € 6,--.

[DavidA]

I used to have the Richter 1958 version of the St Matthew on LP and have great affection for it today as I learned the work from it. It is somewhat slow and unhistorical but a really rapt performance.
Since the advent of CD I have the Gardiner and the latest Harnoncourt. I prefer the latter as just that bit more humane.

[knight66]

St Matthew Passion, Tilling, Kozena, Lehtipuu, Padmore, Quasthoff, Gerhaher, Berlin Radio Choir, Berlin Philharmonic, Rattle. Production Peter Sellars

This is not a staging, but sits half way between one and a concert performance. The quote from Sellars is that "it's not theatre. It is a prayer, it is a meditation." For me Sellars swings between angel and demon. I detest his Mozart da Ponte productions, vandalism that works against the music. In a house fire I would leap to save DVDs of his production of Theodora, which made a profound theatrical experience out of Handel's late oratorio.

He uses the Berlin concert platform as a 360 degree sacred space for the ritual. Soloists and choir move about with one exception and the players sit and occasionally some do move within the space. The two choirs and the two orchestras face one another and partake even when silenced.

Sellars certainly made me understand elements of the piece in a new way. We are accustomed to how Bach often provided an obligato instrument to duet with a singer, but here the two are brought into very close proximity when for example a violinist stands over the sitting Quasthoff and they gaze into one another's eyes and bring utter concentration and intensity to what is being performed. The meditations are brought to intense life in a way I have never heard. Kozena has sometimes seemed cool to me, but here she is like molten amber, the sound prompting thought of stained glass windows, rich and ultra expressive. She is like a whirlwind, a dervish and completely convincing. Padmore is the ever present thread who leads us through the piece singing magnificantly, but also living the drama as a personification of Christ as the story unfolds. Jesus is physically separated from everyone else and he stands and sings his pieces in a dignified yet slightly detached way. I felt that Gerhaher was just a bit chilly here and would have liked him and Quasthoff to have swapped places. But this is a near final opportunity to hear Quasthoff live and to be cherished and therefore apt that he sings to us as much as is possible within the piece.

This is growing to be a long review and rather like the performance, it is a bit of a mosaic.  I don't think quite everything works. The opening chorus looks a mess with confusing blocking, but after that you get drawn into a remarkable journey. Rattle is quoted as saying this is the most significant work they have done together in Berlin. It was his first attempt at the piece and he had held it off for decades. For me it is the performance of his that I am most likely to return to often. As is stated on the Extras documentary here the players come fresh to a cornerstone of the repertoire at last reclaiming it from the exclusive ownership of the authentic performance groups. Of course other large orchestras are also tipping toes into the stream once again. At no point did I feel the sound was overbearing. It is a well paced and well scaled approach. The soloists all provide beautiful and committed performances. All the singers sing from memory and that encourages the direct communication, communion, with one another. Although it sounds indulgent that they basically ignore the audience, in fact the audience is somehow an important celebrant, not a passive receiver.

This is a musical experience like no other, Sellars speaks at length about his approach and it is riveting stuff. He has been steeped almost daily in Bach for decades and has a profound understanding of the aims of the music. His interview is full of insights and very honest about the difficulties and set backs of developing the performance. Rattle is not interviewed, though he has elsewhere explained the profound effect the lengthy preparation and the short series of performances had on him. Unusually, he used a score, but also I felt it was interesting to glimpse him sitting down trusting whole arias on occasion to the soloist and obligato partner. The other soloists were all excellent, Tilling, very heavily pregnant and barefoot, Lehtipuu a warmer voice than Padmore, committed and moving.

But I end with Padmore, the personification of a suffering Christ and the physical object of the soloists as they poured their fears and passions into and through him. Remarkable. The audience's extended silence a tribute to the experience they were involved in, one of the audience wrote saying she was so involved she almost sang the final chorus with the performers.

This disc is not generally available, for instance, it cannot be found on Amazon. But is most reliably obtained from the Berlin Phil site. I have seen it advertised on one other music site.....but I cannot recall which.

Mike

[Wendell_E]

St Matthew Passion, Tilling, Kozena, Lehtipuu, Padmore, Quasthoff, Gerhaher, Berlin Radio Choir, Berlin Philharmonic, Rattle. Production Peter Sellars

Sounds fascinating, Mike.  I was really thinking I needed a St Matthew Passion on DVD, but I might have to get this.

I did find it at the UK and German amazon sites.  I just searched on Bach Rattle Sellars since I wasn't sure whether it'd be listed as "Matthew" or "Matthäus".  Only one overpriced copy from a seller at the U.S. amazon site so far.

[knight66]

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Berliner%2BPhilharmoniker/BPH120012

Not sure if this is a help but I have found it for sale at Presto Classical. I know you are in the US and this is a UK seller, but it seems to cost less than buying from the Berlin Phil.

Mike

[Wendell_E]

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Berliner%2BPhilharmoniker/BPH120012

Not sure if this is a help but I have found it for sale at Presto Classical. I know you are in the US and this is a UK seller, but it seems to cost less than buying from the Berlin Phil.

Mike

Indeed cheaper than the amazon sites as well, even with shipping.  Even cheaper for the regular DVD (I don't have Blu-ray).  Thanks!

[knight66]

Do let me know how you find it.

Mike

[Wendell_E]

Do let me know how you find it.

Mike

I'll try to remember to do that.  I may wait a while, and see if I can "buy American".  And then there are all those discs I've got that haven't gotten a first hearing/viewing yet...

[KevinP]

I used to have the Richter 1958 version of the St Matthew on LP and have great affection for it today as I learned the work from it. It is somewhat slow and unhistorical but a really rapt performance.

That's still my go-to recording. It's not the only one I enjoy, but it's the one I reach for when I haven't listened to any recording in a while.

[jochanaan]

I found the beginning of it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNqH3XIEqGs. It didn't really excite me (at least the part I heard). Is this how the rest of it sounds?

I found it lovely!  But I enjoy historical performances.