Bach, J.S.: Mass In B Minor BWV 232

There are some pieces you can get away with getting cheap recordings of, but when it comes to the monolothic Mass in B Minor I think it's well worth spending a few extra quid to get a good recording - or in this case, a near flawless one.

This massive, complex and enormously inflential work commands so much respect, it must be terrifying to perform it, but Gardiner's team certainly pulls it off brilliantly. Don't be put off by the authentic instruments aspect of this recording - Gardiner doesn't fall into the trap that so many other authentic instrument conductors seem to fall into: taking the pieces at breakneck speed. The speeds certainly aren't slow, but never feel rushed either. Also, despite being quite a small choir the Monteverdi's sound is very impressive.

Finally, the all-important solo and duet arias are all executed flawlessly - especially my particular favourites the almost unbearably melancholy Agnus Dei and strangely bittersweet Domine Deus. Seriously bordering on perfection here!

This CD set also comes with some very in-depth and insightful liner notes, useful to set the work in context and explain its idiosyncracies etc.

So, yes, it may be quite expensive, but with a work of art like this, why settle for anything less?

It's a shame - we have one of the greatest masterpieces of all time, a renowned conductor - but we are given a reading of this majestic work that sounds as though Gardiner was simply going through the motions. For sure there is some very sensitive singing and some very tight and almost exciting choral work, but, overall, the performance seems strangely devoid of life. I was surprised at some very odd tempo fluctuations which really disturbed the natural 'line' of the music. I feel that Gardiner has allowed ego to interfere here over the true purity and soul of the work - fine if you are Karajan or Andrew Parrott, they pull it off, but Gardiner seems to lack imagination in this CD, and his vision of the work is not on a par with other recordings.

Yes, the 'purist' angle can be argued again and again - original instruments, no vibrato, and all that - but was Gardiner not aware that his players were, at times, making horrific sounds? One cannot imagine that Bach would have approved of such 'noises'. Surely the art of performing Bach (and so many other composers) is to try and relay the fundamental message and intention - in this case a glorious Mass, one of the great works of all time - so therefore it is the 'duty' of conductors to think of the enjoyment and satisfaction of listeners and to pose the question: 'Am I giving my best and will the real message of the music come through'. I feel that perhaps Gardiner ought to start asking these questions and listening, objectively, to the often unacceptable sounds his players produce.

Overall then, not a great listening experience, but it's surprising that, despite the negative comments I've written above, there were sections of this performance that were satisfying. I feel that Gardiner can hit the mark if he wants - alas he didn't here.

The Choral singing is stunning and glorious, unfortunately the soloists are not at the same level (sometimes unbelievably the quality is without real feeling or technical perfection or good tone color, in the soloist parts). The overall feeling of this recording is one of icy silvery clarity without intimate warmth and sometimes almost amateurish solo singing. Buy it for the choral singing with period instruments.
The situation concerning the existing recordings of Bach's B Minor Mass is according to me as follows:
Gardiner (ARCHIV): Period instruments version: Choral singing glorious and stunning soloists of much lesser quality and overall feeling very icy and cold.
Herreweghe (HARMONIA MUNDI): Period instrument version. Choral singing is sometimes weak and without great emotional envolvement. Solo singing often of exceptional intense feeling, especially the duet 'Et in unum dominum' (Zomer /Scholl) and the Agnes Dei (Scholl). Often bright brisk tempi,counterpuntal lines clearly demarcated although the back and forth dynamics between the counterpuntal lines it not well done. The overall feeling of this recording is of a warm meditative almost monastic medieval quality, which is not appropriate in my opinion to this great late Baroque work, but which is all the same very pleasing and beautiful and will put you in a state of contemplative rest,an example of how great this Bach work is that it can support so many various interpretations. Buy it for the solo singing especially Scholl who is exceptional and unmatched in any other recording of this work.
Klemperer (EMI): Modern instruments. Very slow tempi, often grave and oftentimes too solemn, interpretated as a liturgical work, that is as a mass, which it really is not. (The work as a whole was never labeled as a Mass by Bach, only the earlier Kyrie and Gloria parts were.) The title Mass is a later 19th century publisher's addition since he saw that it was written to the words of the mass. This work is more like a sacred opera, a glorious final statement by Bach praising God and a synthesis of his whole life and of the many preceding periods of musical history. Janet Baker is excellent especially in the Agnes Dei, also the Benedictus is splendid. Buy it if you want a liturgical prayerful intrepretation
Jochum (EMI): Modern instruments.Choral singing splendid at or above the level of the Gardiner recording, all soloists are of exceptional quality, and sing with great warmth and feeling. There are moments when it makes your spine tingle. Performed by a man of great Christian faith and it shows in this interpretation. All things considered it is the best version available, if you can overlook the slightly fussy feeling (but ever so slightly) that the modern instruments create. Buy it if you want one almost perfect modern instrument version.
Rilling (HANNSLER): Modern instruments. It's a toss up between the Jochim version and this splendid version, which one to consider the best. Here the advantage over the Jochum version is that although it's a modern instrument version it is performed by a Bach expert who well knows the differences between a modern instrument version and a period performance and the instuments sound very much like period instruments at the right moments, at musically graphic points and like modern ones at the moments which require fuller tone color. The soloists are a slight notch down compared with the Jochum version. The overall sound is clearer and more transparent than the Jochum version. Buy it if you want one almost perfect modern/period version, with minor flaws in the solo singing.
The Bach B minor Mass is probably the greatest work of music ever written by one of the greatest musicians of Western music and therefore no one version can do this masterpiece justice. It is extremely complex and difficult chorally and architecturally. Here however is on a Scale of 1 to 10 how I would rate the situation:

Rilling 9.7 Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 (Edition Bachakademie Vol 70) /Rilling

Jochum 9.6 Bach: Mass in B minor

Herreweghe 9.1Bach: Mass in B minorBach: Mass in B minor /Herreweghe

Gardiner 9.0
Klemperer 8.8

(P.S. I recently heard parts of René Jacobs' version, a limited edition on Berlin Classics and I think it's excellent.Mass in B Minor (Jacobs) [Limited Edition]