BACH
St Matthew Passion
Peter Pears (Evangelist)
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Jesus)
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Nicolai Gedda, Walter Berry, John
Carol Case, Otakar Kraus, Helen Watts, Geraint Evans, Wilfred Brown Boys
of Hampstead Parish Church Choir Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra/Otto
Klemperer
EMI CMS5 67538 2 (3CDs)
[74.27,76.35 & 72.56]
Crotchet
Amazon
UK
Amazon
US (US release not GROC)
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
