Johann Sebastian Bach - St. Matthew Passion (Otto Klemperer)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

CD1:

• (01-31) Matthäus-Passion, BWV 244: Part I (a)

CD2:

• (01-04) Matthäus-Passion, BWV 244: Part I (b)
• (05-27) Matthäus-Passion, BWV 244: Part II (a)

CD3:

• (01-20) Matthäus-Passion, BWV 244: Part II (b)

Peter Pears; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf; Christa Ludwig; Nikolai Gedda; Walter Berry
Wilfred Brown; John Carol Case; Geraint Evans; Otakar Kraus; Helen Watts

Boys of Hampstead Parish Church Choir
Philharmonia Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Otto Klemperer, conductor

Date: 1962
Label: EMI

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Review

This may not be the most authentic of Bach performances but EMI have quite rightly included it in their 'Great Recordings of the Century' series. The 1962 recording has come brilliantly to life, with great impact and abundant atmosphere, while the orchestral playing, with the Philharmonia on top form, is of the highest possible quality.

The nature of the experience is apparent from the first bar, as Klemperer's magisterial slow tempo sets in for the opening chorus. Too slow, one might be tempted to think, but the concentration is such that doubts recede as the vision takes hold. The chorales too are particularly broad, and occasionally they do seem mannered, although the textures, beautifully separated by the clear recording, are always full of interest. The contributions of the Hampstead Boys Choir are distinguished and add an extra finesse to all the numbers in which they participate.

Then there are the soloists, and if one seeks a reason to invest in this performance, it surely lies here. They are magnificent, both individually and as a team. The role of Evangelist particularly suits Peter Pears, for his voice is strongly characterised and seems just right for the role, while he is superbly complemented by Fischer-Dieskau, a great Bach singer, as Christ. The other roles are less central, but the artists are the leading singers of the day, and it shows.

Klemperer holds the whole performance under his magisterial spell, and as a result the concentration and the vision build stage by stage, making the experience thoroughly compelling. Of course the latest scholarship and performance practice calls his concept into question, but doubters should listen beyond the appearance offered by the opening bars and experience what this truly is: one of the great recordings of the century. Bach remains the most indestructible of composers, and there are different ways of performing his music. The tradition represented by Klemperer has much to tell us about this music.

-- Terry Barfoot, MusicWeb International

More reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Matth%C3%A4us-Passion-St-Matthew-Passion/dp/B000002S0T
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-St-Matthew-Passion-3cd/dp/B000058UST

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Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from Italy and France. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

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Otto Klemperer (14 May 1885 – 6 July 1973) was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of the 20th century. Klemperer met Gustav Mahler while conducting the off-stage brass at a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 2, and later assisted Mahler in the premiere of Mahler's Symphony No. 8. He became the first principal conductor of the Philharmonia in 1959, subsequently made many recordings for EMI that have become classics. While adopting slower tempi as he aged, Klemperer's performances often maintain great intensity, and are richly detailed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Klemperer

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