ME 189 Koussevitzky conducts Bach: St Matthew Passion Boston Symphony et al 1937 (live) (3 CDs)

Koussevitzky conducts Bach St Matthew Passion

Jeannette Freeland, soprano Kathryn Meisle, contralto John Priebe, tenor/ Evangelist Keith Faulkner, bass/ Jesus Frederick Lechner, bass Harvard Glee Club

Radcliffe Choral Society Boston Symphony Orchestra

sung in English

A fascinating step back in time, this – a live performance in Symphony Hall, Boston, on Good Friday 1937, with several refugees from Nazi Germany among the performers. Never mind the variable sound (generally, it’s more than acceptable), the RCA engineers performed miracles during a nerve-jangling, one-chance-only exercise. You would expect a more obviously reveren- tial performance than today’s practice, but while speeds are indeed achingly slow at times, and what we would hear as sentimen-

tality does show through (how Jeanette Vreeland scoops and swoops), there are fascinating glimpses of “modern” Bach style. For example, the choruses (as opposed to chorales, which crawl along) have plenty of bite and dramatic character; those that open and close the work have a surprisingly natural flow.

Credit the legendary Koussevitzky – most obviously associated with the contemporary music of his day – for apparently thinking plenty out afresh. And original instruments (praise be!) have a place, not least a harpsi- chord to accompany recitatives. John Priebe is strangely slow to warm up as the Evange- list, but gets there in the end. Katherine Meisle impresses, but the star performer is British baritone Keith Faulkner as Jesus. Rocklike sound allied to intelligence and personality.

Andrew Green

ME.189 (3CDs)
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