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44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes you just have to splash out...., 17 Jan 2005
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?
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My opinion in brief , 15 Feb 2009
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.
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 perceding 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:
Jochum 9.7
Rilling 9.6
Herreweghe 9.1
Gardiner 9.0
Klemperer 8.8
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26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A monumental work in every respect., 22 Mar 2001
Never performed in Bach's lifetime the Mass in B minor is perhaps one of the greatest musical works ever written, indeed Bach never had at his disposal the number and quality of musicians needed to perform this work. Full of marvellous harmony and melody, its musical scope and dimension are hugh. If Bach himself was able to view this performance I believe he would pronounce himself to be well satisfied.
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~ Johann Sebastian Bach
~ Johann Sebastian Bach
~ Johann Sebastian Bach
