Performer: Carolyn Sampson, Rachel Nicholls, Gerd Turk
Orchestra: Bach Collegium Japan Orchestra
Conductor: Masaaki Suzuki
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Bis
Size: 513 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
01. I. Kyrie: Kyrie eleison
02. II. Kyrie: Christe eleison
03. III. Kyrie: Kyrie eleison (II)
04. IV. Gloria: Gloria in excelsis Deo
05. V. Gloria: Et in terra pax
06. VI. Gloria: Laudamus te
07. VII. Gloria: Gratias agimus tibi
08. VIII. Gloria: Domine Deus
09. IX. Gloria: Qui tollis peccata mundi
10. X. Gloria: Qui sedes ad dextram Patris
11. XI. Gloria: Quoniam tu solus sanctus
12. XII. Gloria: Cum Sancto Spiritu
CD 02
01. XIII. Credo: Credo in unum Deum
02. XIV. Credo: Patrem omnipotentem
03. XV. Credo: Et in unum Dominum
04. XVI. Credo: Et incarnatus est
05. XVII. Credo: Crucifixus
06. XVIII. Credo: Et resurrexit
07. XIX. Credo: Et in Spiritum sanctum
08. XX. Credo: Confiteor unum baptisma
09. XXI. Credo: Et exspecto
10. XXII. Sanctus
11. XXIII. Osanna in excelsis
12. XXIV. Benedictus
13. XXV. Osanna in excelsis
14. XXVI. Agnus Dei
15. XXVII. Dona nobis pacem
An Unexpected Pearl
This is a very winsome performance and recording. Not to be missed because it is inexpensive!
There is a beautiful calm directness about the performance. Nothing, it seems, has been done merely for ‘show’ or to ‘impress’. The entire project comes across as possessing a genuine spirit of devotion. Not to imply that it is in anyway dull or un-involving. On the contrary, the playing, where appropriate, is lively, the rhythms are attractively pointed and sprung; the orchestral playing is alert and, at times, genuinely exciting. Instrumental soloists are without exception excellent. So too the solo singing. Here are some particularly delightful voices, none are disappointing.
Overall the recorded balance is fine, maybe the choir at times is placed a little too far back, but the acustic is natural with the spacious ambience of the location well captured by the recording.
We are blessed with an embarrassingly large number of excellent recordings of this majestic masterpiece, of all styles and approaches. We, perhaps, all have our favourites; I certainly have. But this version has an honest attractiveness and sincerity (I use this hackneyed word deliberately here!) that has endeared it to me and has moved me to place it next to some deeply loved and long-lived-with versions. A fine piece of work by all concerned. Strongly recommended!
Beautiful! Many thanks.