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Favorite St. Matthew's Passion

82K views 281 replies 94 participants last post by  Juannareyes 
#1 ·
I have read everywhere how, along with his Mass in D Minor (which I love), St. Matthews is perhaps Bach's other greatest musical achievement and is considered by many to be the topper-most summit in all western music. Indeed a lofty statement! So I decided the time has come to imbibe in this fountain of musical majesty... but where to begin?

So Bach and music lovers the world over... harken! Put your digital quill pens to the web-paper and indulge me with your favorite St. M recordings. And don't be shy: Tell me why! :tiphat:

...if you don't mind.
 
#228 · (Edited)
My favorite St. Matthew is Herreweghe's first set on Harmonia Mundi - great drama, pacing and vocal contributions.
I'm listening to this one today - I haven't done so for at least fifteen years - and am reminded of just how great it is. Yes, it's HIP, but Herreweghe doesn't shortchange the drama and solemnity. While I normally dislike countertenors in this music, for some reason, I find Rene Jacobs less objectionable than most.

My only quibble is about production. Part One could have easily fit onto the first CD, and shouldn't have been broken up in the interest of making three roughly equal CD's timewise.

Highly recommended if you can find it. It seems to have been superceded by Herreweghe's second recording, which I don't like as much.
 
#13 ·
Which ever one you go for you should also obtain the historical recording of Willem Mengelberg,the Concertgebouw Orchestra with Karl Erb as the Evangelist. Erb was perhaps the greatest Evangelist of all time.
 
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#6 ·
You say 'slow', I say 'solemn'. The Passion isn't meant to airy and briskly paced because it detracts from the seriousness of the subject matter. If one is looking for light entertainment, the Passion is not it.
 
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#7 · (Edited)
I'm a big fan of Richter's interpretation. It's much slower than most and doesn't use period instruments, but it finds opportunities in the music for emotional exploration that you don't get with most other recordings. As an example of what I'm talking about, there's a two measure stretch in #73 that coincides with the death of Jesus. It's a beautiful moment that may be the climax of the piece musically as well as dramatically (although Erbarme Dich may be the most beautiful aria ever written). Richter draws it out for over a minute and gives the notes a moment to sink in and really overcome you, while more straight-laced recordings dawdle here for half that time or less.

Also, the 1959 Richter recording features Fischer-Dieskau as the baritone soloist - though he's also on the Klemperer recording - which is a huge plus. Very few have the lungs to make it through Mache Diche unscathed, but DFD is up to the task.

Whatever you choose, enjoy the Matthew Passion!
 
#9 ·
Hmmm

It looks like my recommendation has mainly the same virtues as the Klemperer, which I haven't listened to. I'm recommending Richter over Gardiner, Herreweghe, Koopman, and Harnoncourt. Has anyone else listened to Richter? Are there reasons to prefer Klemperer to it?
 
#10 · (Edited)
Richter's first is slow by modern standards but it is positively lively by the side of Klemperer! I have always had great respect for Richter 1 as I learned the piece through it. It has fervour and if you want the older approach it is pretty good, with Haeflinger and D F-D outstanding.
However, fashions change and now we view Bach differently. Klemperer is only for those who enjoy a dirge.
I've just got the new Jacobs and am considering it. There is a huge amount of fervour which is a definite plus.
Of the others I have, Gardiner is fabulously sung but a bit tight.
Herrewegh 1 is very satisfying.
Harnoncourt (his last one) is excellent.
But Jacobs may end up at the top, given time.
 
#16 · (Edited)
My favorite Matthäus?
I realized that, for most of ther times, it's the newest one I have listened to, possibly because I tend to discover new things that intrigue me.

So at the moment I'd say the recent Jacobs


I like Jacobs' sense of drama, and I find that the alternation of dramatic and meditative points is quite effective here.

Looking back at my past listening experience, I'd say that Harnoncourt (2nd) and Klemperer are those which I am fonder of, even if now I find the Klemperer one not having a Bach "sound" (sorry, I cannot find a better word) any more.
 
#22 ·
View attachment 34324

Karl Richter's 1958 Recording for me. While I love Klemperer, it's Richter who really is the only one who brings this dramatic work to "Life". For myself, no one else before or since has matched him for absolute love and passion of this work (and all things Bach for that matter) and the ability to convey and transcend that emotion back to me, the listener.
 
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#23 ·
I have the 2nd Herreweghe recording, the Rilling recording on Hanssler, and excerpts of Suzuki's on BIS. I have also heard the Harnoncourt (2001) recording, Gardiner's, and Klemperer's. Of these, I love the Herreweghe. I do think there is a solemnity to the music, but I don't think it should be extremely so, for, as any Christian recognizes, while the suffering and death of the Savior were tragic things, there is also the wonderful gift that it brought to man, so in a weird way, for me, I like a little more optimism in my solemnity.

I still mean to add the Klemperer to my collection. I have heard it and greatly enjoyed it, and, after all, it is Klemperer!
 
#24 ·
i have the 2nd herreweghe recording, the rilling recording on hanssler, and excerpts of suzuki's on bis. I have also heard the harnoncourt (2001) recording, gardiner's, and klemperer's. of these, i love the herreweghe. i do think there is a solemnity to the music, but i don't think it should be extremely so, for, as any christian recognizes, while the suffering and death of the savior were tragic things, there is also the wonderful gift that it brought to man, so in a weird way, for me, i like a little more optimism in my solemnity.

I still mean to add the klemperer to my collection. I have heard it and greatly enjoyed it, and, after all, it is klemperer!
yessssssssssss :)
 
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#25 ·
Butt.

I like it because of the responsiveness of the singers, because it's not monumental, and because it's so transparent. I like OVPP very much in Bach just on aesthetic grounds.

From older recordings there are two special ones for me -- Mengelberg and Scherchen. Scherchen is interesting because of the relationship between Christ and the Evangelist -- though personally I'm not a great fan of Cuenod. I am a great fan of Erb's voice though, and for me he makes Mengelberg's St Matthew Passion very special.
 
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#33 ·
I like some of Karajan's recordings. I like his 60's Beethoven symphony cycle, his recording of the Mozart horn concertos with Dennis Brain, his Dvorak cello concerto with Rostropovich. But I have not always been enamored by his recordings of religious choral works. There was a recording of his of the Mozart Requiem that kind of turned me off the work for a while.
 
#34 ·
Amazing how different recordings speak to different ears. Is it not? I find myself being drawn to starting with the Klemperer for first listen and then going from there. Sometimes experiencing a rich piece of music at a more relaxed tempo for initial listening seems to work for me. Perhaps it's because it doesn't fly by so fast... easier to take in.

It's been fun sitting back and reading everyone's passions about The Passion! Thx all!
 
#36 · (Edited)
I stated on another thread recently that my personal faves for SMP are Richter's first and Herreweghe's second, concurring, I'm happy to note, with a number of posts here. But the talk of Klemperer reminded me that its been many years since I've heard it.

So: for the last 3 hours and 44 minutes I've played all nine sides, and its been wonderful hearing it again. And while the chorales, including the opening one, are quite remarkably slower than usual, the set as a whole never felt slow to me - I'd instead use the word that EDaddy chose: relaxed - I was quite happy to load up the next side when each one finished. In fact I was half expecting when half way through and I looked up comparative running times on the Bach-Cantatas site to find this was standard length, or maybe just a wee bit over.

Still not my favorite and perhaps not for everyday use but a timeless document with a dream team of soloists.

I think the closing comments in the Third Ear Guide put it best: "Klemperer distilled the essence of the "romantic" approach at its best into a performance that neutralizes any musicological reservations and invites the listener to share in its eternal vision. No Bach collector, from arch-reactionary to unforgiving purists should overlook it."

 
#38 · (Edited)
The best modern evangelist I've heard is Rufus MĂĽller. There's a production of the passion which Jonathan Miller did for the BBC on youtube which is well worth hearing.

Re Erb, his voice is characterful, and I can imagine some people are repelled, just as some people are repelled by Pears and Vickers. Mengelberg is also very prayerful, and that may not suit everyone. This is, after all, an opera.
 
#40 ·
I want my Bach in small ensembles, more authentic to the baroque performance tradition. I have two favourites, one is favourite as the best recording (overall: sound, orchestra, singers, ensemble, tempi), that one is the one by John Butt and his Dunedin Consort:

Poster Publication Font Art Illustration


And I am also very fond Herreweghe's 1998 recording, especially for the soloists (Andreas Scholl!)

Chin Jaw Publication Font Art
 
#55 ·
I want my Bach in small ensembles, more authentic to the baroque performance tradition. I have two favourites, one is favourite as the best recording (overall: sound, orchestra, singers, ensemble, tempi), that one is the one by John Butt and his Dunedin Consort:

View attachment 34417

And I am also very fond Herreweghe's 1998 recording, especially for the soloists (Andreas Scholl!)

View attachment 34418
Indeed-those are excellent recordings of Matthew.
 
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