Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.^
Unknowingly I choose a recording of Bach’s “St. Matthew’s Passion,” that when released, created a classical, choral controversy. Perhaps I am overstating things a touch. Still, through my reading I found contrasting opinions regarding the McCreesh “St. Matthew Passion” interpretation. Many think, play big, or go home. I definitely apply that principle when playing the card game Spades. On the flip side of this coin, some feel less is more. That certainly seems attractive as well. Regardless of which side of the fence you land on, McCreesh took the latter approach; think 1727 Johan Sebastian Bach unplugged.
Having not heard other “SMPs,” I have no means of comparison. Thus, I enjoyed the acoustic version of this big work without bias. Ignorance is bliss. What makes this version different from many of the other heavy hitting “SMPs,” is the use of One Voice Per Part (OVPP). Setting chapters 26 and 27 of the “Gospel of Matthew” to music, Bach wrote this revered oratorio for double choir and orchestra plus solo voices. Here, there is just eight voices in total; four for each choir. These singers not only sing the choruses as a single octet or quartet, they are the soloists as well. Yes, I would call this a bit scaled back. Even with this approach, the fewer instruments and voices can still feel grand.
What this work will never feel is short. This will more than likely be my lengthiest album of the day for the entire year. At two hours and forty minutes, it made for a long, long morning. Of course, it isn’t quite as long as the recent Best Picture Oscar nominated film, “The Wolf of Wall Street.” It felt like it though. I probably shouldn’t even mention a film about pure debauchery in the same paragraph as this masterpiece in classical sacred music about The Lord and Savior. Shame on me.
What I can stress is the breadth and beauty of this 287 year old composition continues to move the listener in deep ways. Yesterday I featured one of my favorite band’s records, Phish’s 1990 release, “Lawn Boy,” as the AOTD. I think I can safely say, and forgive me boys for doing so, that in 2277 people will not be remembering an American jam band from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. I would bet money, however, that people will still be singing Bach and celebrating the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Just saying.
*”St. Matthew Passion” BMV244 J.S. Bach. (1727)
Paul McCressh, conductor
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Chorus I: Soprano: Deoborah York; Mezzo-Soprano: Magdalena Kožená;
Tenor: Mark Padmore; Bass: Peter Harvey
Chorus II: Soprano: Julia Gooding; Mezzo-Soprano: Susan Bickly
Tenor: James Gilchrist; Bass: Stephen Loges
Soprano in ripieno: Ulla Munch
2003 DG Archiv label
^Mounds every day of the week and two times on Sunday; three on Easter Sunday.
365, Album of the Day 2014 