"Perhaps a tad slow in it's overall tempo, but nonetheless a moving performance. What other's may call lifeless I interpret it as Germanic protestant sobriety. Very well recorded."
Very fine indeed
morrow_jb | princeton, nj United States | 12/11/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I imagine this cd will please both the informed Bach scholar and the new listener. It was through this particular recording that I was first introduced to the piece. It conveys well all of the Matthew Passion's magic and power. Though I have heard other recordings (the Gardiner and Britten/Pears recordings, for instance) this cd is still my favorite, a real gem. Interpretation and performance are both of the highest quality. The singing is generally clean - always in tune. More often than not, vibrato is used tastefully as an embellishment, rather than by default. Koopman uses only period instruments at period tuning. The final bass aria "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein" is especially beautiful."
Excellent interpretation of a profound sacred work
Michael R. Natal | Connecticut, USA | 03/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The reviewer "marrow jb" is spot on. This is an excellent, cleanly sung, and expressive interpretation of one of Bach's greatest masterpieces. If this rendering is "unemotional" (see other reviews here), I could not imagine bearing through an "emotional" one. Bathetic, overly sentimental singing may make up for poorly composed music, but only detracts from extremely well-written compositions such as this one. Bach's delicate interweaving of text, melody, harmony, and instrumentation needs no exaggeration. Regarding tempo, this rendering is a tad slow but, after all, it is the Passion story. Of all the St. Matthew Passion's I've heard, this remains my favorite."
Jesus is a man because he is the Son of Man
Jacques COULARDEAU | OLLIERGUES France | 03/31/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The biggest of the four Passions by Bach, the most extensive and the one that requires two choruses. It is also the most artistic one in which arias and choruses are most present. This passion gives a vision of Jesus that is very human, insisting on his humanity, on his hesitations and at the same time on his resolution to obey his mission. This explains why Jesus is not rebellious in any way in this passion. He has to go through this mission to fulfill the prediction. The music is very varied and rich and Ton Koopman gives it a great lightness and brilliance. This passion has to be imagined the way it was performed and cannot be performed any more. The chorals were hymns and the assembly of worshippers joined in giving these choruses a mass effect that no choir, no matter how big, will ever give because the singing will not come from the floor of the nave and go up in the vault of the church, and we will not take part in the singing. Ton Koopman chooses to use a big orchestra and a big chorus, though it is a lot lighter and even enlightening to have two small orchestras and two small choruses, though in this dressing then we miss the power of the chorals, these hymns that have to be sung by hundred of faithfuls. Finally I will say that this passion is by far the one that contains the highest level of serenity, and even happiness and joy in the suffering itself. Suffering is transmuted into pure satisfaction and communion of the soul with the cosmic spirit that inhabits Christ during these twenty four hours. It is always a great and tremendous pleasure to listen to this passion in an abbey church or a cathedral even if we do not have the congregation singing the chorals. It provides us with peace and optimism about the fate and future of humanity, even if this peace and optimism is conquered through the blood and suffering of Christ.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU"
Track Listings (38) - Disc #1