Search - Bach, Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir :: Bach: Famous Choruses (Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Christmas Oratorio, St. John Passion, etc)

A "Curate's egg" of a collection.

quia-nihil-sum | Inverness,Scotland. | 07/31/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I really don't think the wonderful Bach passions are done any service here with the "bleeding chunk" excerpts,as presented on this new CD.Yes,they are deserving of the title "famous" choruses,but surely it's best to hear them within the framework of the complete work;otherwise the emotional and spiritual impact is all but lost.And I'm not quite sure who will find this selection at all useful:beginners will be all at sea without the appropriate documentation,and seasoned Bach lovers will already own the Passions in their glorious entirety anyway.Also,who in their right mind would tolerate a butchered chorus from the miracle that is the B minor mass ? That is not just another listening experience - it's virtually a transfiguration through music,and heard under the right conditions may quite possibly change the course of you life forever.As for the cantata "cuts",I'm not a huge fan of Gardiner's stylistic interpretation of them as a general rule.I tend to gravitate towards the "old school" masters such as Karl Richter,who had a much more robust view of the genre,and his interpretation of the justly famous "Herz und Mund und tat und Leben",with that lovely chorale "Jesu,joy of man's desiring",has far more warmth and soul than the one we get here.So why buy this disc at all ? Well,one chorus that does survive excision from it's original source is the joyfully exuberant "Jauchzet frohlocket.." from the Christmas Oratorio.This is where the period instruments (especially the trumpets and timpani) really come to the fore,and the excellent Monteverdi Choir are clearly in their element,and sound quite wonderful in the crisp,clear recording.But over and above that,you MUST buy this CD if you have never heard the absolutely gorgeous motet,"O Jesu Christ,mein Lebens Licht" before.It used to appear on a full price disc with the also quite lovely "Actus tragicus",and if you can get hold of it still,I would strongly urge you to do so.But if this current record is the only available source of this most gorgeous piece of music,then waste no time in buying it right now.Believe me it's well worth the investment,and if you promise to skip over the amputated limbs from the Passions and Mass,then you have my blessing!"