St Matthew Passion, Johann Sebastian Bach, Gardiner, 2016.
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I have ten recordings of the St Matthew Passion, but just two of the St John Passion. And that is because of this performance - I’ve not yet found another that matches it for sheer conviction.
Cheers
EJ
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This. Ripped from a DVD-A disc I bought more than 20 years ago.
Although, as this is the last day of Passover and I was a Bar Mitzvah boy (60 years ago next week), I feel like I should be listening to this:
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Piotr Anderszewski’s deeply considered Schumann Fantasie must be one of the work’s greatest recordings.
Cheers
EJ
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Many thanks for this recommendation! Much appreciated…
I’m organising a performance of Bruckner’s Christus Factus Est next year.
I live in a small town but we do have some good singers.
Tonight one of these was visiting my house and she didn’t know the piece. It was interesting to see how her face changed listening to this music. It is such a brilliant composition!
How great would it be if I can get 8 people or so to sing this locally?
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Monteverdi’s Poppea easily belongs on my desert island list. I grew up on Gardiner’s fantastic recording with Sylvia McNair as Poppea. Christie’s 2018 recording is almost as good, with a great cast headed up by Sonya Yoncheva as a beautiful Poppea (if not quite as seductive as McNair) and Kate Lindsey as a nicely contrasting Nerone, and from an instrumental perspective, a bit livelier. Like Gardiner, Christie was recorded live in exemplary sound, but pity that Harmonia Mundi left in the applause at the end.
Cheers
EJ
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One of my favorite choral pieces, and one I have sung many times, dating back to my college years. I wish I could sing it with you!
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Julien Libeer and colleagues in a long Mozart recital - musically superb but I am especially happy with having successfully burned an 82 min audio CD-R from the download.
Cheers
EJ
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If you could manage that, I will show up!
I have his even earlier version with the Philharmonia. Must do a comparison between them some time.
Roger
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For those that buy downloads it might be worth noting that Presto have a half-price offer on Chandos running until 14 May. There’s quite a few really excellent releases. Some of the albums by John Wilson with the Sinfonia of London are particularly good IMO and typically have first class sound.
Roger
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I actually picked up a handful of Reference Recordings, also at half price.
Strauss’ Alpine Symphony has often tended to get mixed reviews and my own experience with it ( Haitink on CD) was ‘good in parts’, but not a regular listen. This performance/recording has changed that view. A performance that flows better than Haitink and thereby makes more sense of the score. It’s beautifully played in a fine acoustic and the Minshull/Lock recording is miraculous, even by the exalted standards of that period Decca. I had to remember to breathe at times!
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Opera on a Saturday afternoon.
Actually I own a set including his recordings of Figaro and Don Giovanni.
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When was the recording made?