Exploring Bach's B Minor Mass

The Mass in B minor is one of the supreme peaks of Bach's music. Raphaël Pichon and his ensemble Pygmalion explore this universe which gives utterance to the mysteries of incarnation and death.

Among the 23 German documents included in UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” list, there are but two musical manuscripts: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor.

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.

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.

Mass in B Minor, conducted by Eugen Jochum, 1957. Mass in F conducted by Kurt Redel, 1965. This compilation 1993.

The Dunedin Consort's recording of Bach's "Mass in B Minor" revisits the spectacular individual virtuosity that made the Messiah recording so successful. This is the premiere recording of the work in the new Breitkopf edition, edited by Joshua Rifkin in 2006, a leading thinker in authentic period performance, who fully endorses John Butt's interpretation. This is undoubtedly his most spectacular choral work and the Dunedin Consort's soloist-led performance enables a level of clarity and expression that is not traditionally a feature of modern choral performance.

The Mass in B minor, one of the greatest musical legacies of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), was written from 1724 until two years before his death, and was not premiered until 1835. In addition to the Bavarian Radio Chorus, this live recording features renowned soloists and Concerto Köln, an ensemble celebrated for its historical performance practice and a longtime partner of the Chorus.