Bach: Mass in B Minor, Bwv 232 (live)

The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists are renowned of their spectacular performances of Bach’s epic masterpiece, which they have toured extensively.

The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists are renowned of their spectacular performances of Bach’s epic masterpiece, which they have toured extensively.

Günther Ramin heads the Bavarian State Orchestra and Teachers Choral Society of Munich in this live rendition of J.S. Bach's monumental Mass in B Minor, BWV 232.

San Francisco-based early music ensemble Cantata Collective continues its major series of J S Bach's choral works with the Mass in B Minor, a towering testament of sacred music and the composer's crowning achievement of his final years. With celebrated conductor Nicholas McGegan, four of today's most distinguished early music vocal soloists and a refined chamber choir, this live recording exudes a spontaneity that reveals the depth and passion of Bach's glorious affirmation of faith.

A composition as brilliant as it is protean - the earliest sections date back to 1724, others were written in 1733 in the hope of obtaining a post in Dresden - the Mass in B minor occupied Bach until the end of his life. The work, which is more ecumenical than strictly Catholic, offers a digest of his art at its expressive peak: a world in itself. It is an understatement to say that the performers on this recording were eager to revisit it, following their acclaimed interpretations of the two Passions and the Christmas Oratorio.

Véritable électron libre inclassable, ce chef d’orchestre et champion de la musique de son temps a bousculé les habitudes et défrayé la chronique par ses prises de position politiques et musicales hors de la routine et des idées communes. Son rôle fut déterminant pour le développement et la propagation de la musique d’avant-garde dodécaphonique et électroacoustique. Né à Berlin en 1891, Hermann Scherchen est un autodidacte dont l’instinct musical est très développé. Très jeune, à 16 ans, il est altiste de l’orchestre Blüthner avant d’entrer au Philharmonique de Berlin jusqu’à sa rencontre avec Arnold Schönberg, auprès duquel il fait ses premières armes de chef d’orchestre lors des répétitions du Pierrot lunaire en 1912.

Scherchen was born in Berlin. Originally a violist, he played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens. He conducted in Riga from 1914 to 1916 and in Königsberg from 1928 to 1933, after which he left Germany in protest of the new Nazi regime and worked in Switzerland.

Founded in 1212, the Thomanerchor Leipzig, or St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig, is an ensemble of male student vocalists, ranging in age from nine to 18 years old. Its most famous director, or Thomaskantor, was Johann Sebastian Bach, and his choral works are central to the choir's repertoire. The Thomanerchor performs Gregorian chants and other liturgical music at services in the Thomaskirche, and also gives concerts across Germany. The choir lives in the Thomasalumnat on Hiller Street, and attends courses at the Thomasschule, concentrating on music.

Michel Corboz recorded Bach’s Mass in B Minor no less than four times! This is the original version, made available again for the first time since the LP release.