BACH MASS IN B MINOR VINYL LP RECORD SET

Rilling’s superb 1999 recording of the B minor Mass represents an ideal middle way between older, traditional performances and more recent HIP offerings. As is well known, traditional renderings (of which, for example, Klemperer, Jochum, Scherchen, Shaw, and Karajan are emblematic) usually work with massive choirs of 80-120 choristers and equally large orchestras. They also tend to be slow, lasting two hours or more (e.g., Scherchen 1959 = 134 minutes; Klemperer = 135 minutes), and feature soloists who sing with the sort of vibrato one associates with opera. At the other extreme, several HIP performances work with radically reduced numbers (with as few as four voices--or, increasingly, only one voice--per part) and are marked by much quicker tempos and a complete lack of vibrato on the part of both singers and instramentalists. This performance by Rilling features a medium-sized chamber orchestra of thirty-five musicians playing on modern instruments, accompanying a modest choir of thirty choristers. His tempos are moderate: he takes 112 minutes to get through the piece, as compared to the 107 minutes taken by Harnoncourt (1968), Gardiner, Herreweghe, Suzuki (1996), Biller (2006), Layton, and Funfgeld. Rilling’s soloists are allowed a tasteful amount of vibrato--what sounds natural to the human voice--and all four of them are glorious. (And, yes, the alto part is sung by a woman and not a countertenor.) Most important of all, with Rilling there are moments of real depth of feeling and spirituality. In short, this is a performance that ticks all of the boxes. I doubt there is any "perfect" performance of the B minor Mass out there, but Rilling 1999 comes very close.I am surprised this recording has received so few reviews on Amazon. Under another Amazon listing of this same recording, there is a perceptive in-house Amazon review by one Harriet Smith that bears quoting in full:"Here is an unerringly traditional view of Bach’s Mass in B Minor, using a big-sounding chorus (building, edifice-like in the "Gratias agimus tibi," rising magnificently in "Cum Sancto Spiritu," accompanied by bullish brass playing) and a modern-instrument orchestra securely underpinned by a bracing continuo line. Rilling’s soloists, too, are the antithesis of the androgynous, slightly anonymous voices so often encountered in period-instrument performances (witness the soprano duet in the “Christe,” where the two voices are clearly differentiated and they sound like female voices, not flutey trebles). Speeds tend to be unrushed (not unreasonable in a work of this gravitas), in some cases positively stately, and always avoiding the suspicion, sometimes encountered, that the instrumentalists can't quite keep up with the conductor. There is plenty of fine solo work from both singers and players, such as Andreas Schmidt's “Et in Spiritum Sanctum,” the solo violin in “Laudamus te,” or the oboe d’amore in "Qui sedes.” Altogether a worthwhile addition to the catalogue and sure to appeal to anyone wanting a recording of this work that is neither old-fashioned nor slavishly authentic." – Harriet Smith

This review relates to Kurt Redel's Mass and not to any on Naxos which Amazon have included in a mix-up! Kurt Redel (1918-2013) founded the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Munich in 1953 making numerous recordings of Baroque, Classical and later periods from then until the early 1980's. The background to this recording of BWV 232 is clouded in mystery. Although issued on Cirrus Classics CRSCD 227 in 1996 by Castle Communications Plc (founded in 1983 and acquired by American music distributor Alliance Entertainment in 1994) and again on Rondo Classics RON CD 227 distributed by THE, Total Home Entertainment (founded in 1972 and acquired by Woolworths Group in 2006 prior to their own demise in 2008/9), there seems to be little positive information as to the source of the recording.I have an idea that the performance dates from 1965, 30 years before 1995 as given by the distributors, but cannot remember my source for this and can find no reference to a previous incarnation on LP nor to a Brunswick-Hanover Bach Festival of that year, and yet here we have a rather good all round modern instrument interpretation, albeit with un-named vocal and instrumental soloists, with a rather acid treble bias that can easily be tamed whilst enhancing the bass.Instrumental detail of Bach's tortuous lines are effectively recorded and individual obbligato parts expertly played. The horn in Quoniam is most audible and fluent and the trumpets, where required, are given their heads to thrilling effect in much the same way as were those of Maurice Andre, Guy Touvron and Bernard Soustrot for Michel Corboz' youthful first recording for Erato in 1972 (still my favourite!).A footnote about the tracking numbers: Cirrus Classics present 1-4 from the opening Kyrie to closing Cum Sancto Spiritu on CD1, and 1-6 from Credo In Unum Deum to Dona Nobis Pacem on CD2, thus consolidating individual numbers. Rondo Classics go further, giving 1-3 only for CD1 and 1-4 for CD2 respectively. The printed inserts needed my amendment as they merely repeat the numbering given by Cirrus.All in all I have enjoyed revisiting this mystery interpretation under Kurt Redel and I would take one set to my desert island, if allowed, leaving the other safely at home in the event of catastrophic loss when marooned, whilst still hoping for rescue!