Search - Klaus Mertens, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ton Koopman :: Bach: Mass in B minor

A superior, skillful performance which is almost unmatchable

Orthodox | Missouri | 10/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I do not believe that I have ever heard such a high quality performance of Bach's glorious mass anywhere else. Ton Koopman may possess the most skilled ensemble to ever perform works of J.S. Bach and this work is certainly no exception.



The only competetors who even come close to matching the pure skill of Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque are John Elliot Gardiner and Phillipe Herreweghe, who all have a very similar style and a similar number of performers. Another conductor who competes skillwise, yet is not in the same class in terms of ensemble strength is Andrew Parrott, who's one performer per part ensembles never cease to deliver clear, accurate, elegant music into the ears of the listener.



It certainly takes a dedicated Bach fan to appreciate Parrott's crystal clear rendering of the choral parts, while those fans new to the Bach circle are immediate push-overs to exposure to the grander sounding, full chorus and orchestra which types like Robert Shaw present. While Parrott is on one end of the spectrum of baroque styles in his clear rendering, while Shaw is on the other end with his triumphal, grand sound, there is a place in the middle of that spectrum which possesses the best qualities of both extremes. This is, I believe, the place where the types like Ton Koopman, John Eliot Gardiner, and Phillipe Herreweghe reside in their small, clear-sounding yet powerful ensembles.



I would rate all three of these conductor's recording with five stars if it were not for the fact that all three generally take Bach's tempos too fast as if they were rushing through it. Only Herreweghe takes the grand choruses of the mass with reasonable tempos, while both Koopman and Gardiner try to sprint to the finish line. It pains me to hear such skillful playing turned into a speed-reading pace when the music and note transitions could have been given their proper respect and attention; or in other words, each note given their proper time to shine.

However, despite the rapid tempos that these three conductors commonly use, especially in the excellent chorus parts, they should still be listened to and highly reguarded for their raw skill alone.



In my opinion, as one who admits to being a "push-over" leaning in favor of the grander style, yet still admiring the simpler style of Parrott, I would highly recommend this particular recording of Bach's mass by Ton Koopman. Of the three middle-grounders in that of Koopman, Gardiner, Herreweghe, and (don't forget Haroncourt)Koopman is superior because his performers carry out the clearest, purest sound than any mid-size ensemble I have ever heard. When I say clear and pure I mean that the sound which projects out Koopman's singers mouths is as clear as a spring and straight as an arrow. I may be going too far, but when I think of clarity, I think of purity; and when I think of straightness I think of an unwavering line stretching from a start point to the finish point without any crookedness or kinks in it whatsoever. The other extreme for this is vibrato in the voice, which may be symbolized as a wavering and crooked line. Yet, in Koopman's style, even the soloists perform clearly with not even a hint of vibrato.



It takes great dedication, practice and skill to sing as clearly and flawlessly as the Amsterdam singers perform, and one can tell that they do as they hear the purity of their singing. Not only do they sing clearly with presicion, but the music possesses a flowing quality; a quality of consistancy and steadiness just as a line is consistant in its straightness. While some conductors have their singers sing in a choppy, punctual manner as others sing in even in a romantic style, Koopman remains faithful to the Baroque style maintaining a flowing mood in a consistant, straight line.



Despite Koopman's desire to play certain pieces rapidly, this certainly should not stop me, nor anyone else from listening to such a skillful recording."