My thoughts exactly ! His KZfaq performance of the St Matthew Passion is indeed stunningly beautiful. For those who never saw and heard it: check it out and witness perfection.

Mine as well together with Koopman.

I can quite agree!

Agree. I wish they'd reissue the Veldhoven B minor mass. It is almost impossible to find second hand. Ebay sellers are asking more than U.S. $500 for a copy!

Well that wasn't the music's fault, but the truth is that in a church setting it can be a punishment, for sure. Then again, what's a penitential Lutheran to do on Good Friday?

What about us, Roman Catholics?

I have it and enjoy it.

“Apart from the complex genesis of Brahms’ German Requiem several other components indicate that the composer had the urgent wish to create an extraordinary sound design that was based on much more than just historical composition techniques. In 1871, for instance, a version of the composition was performed in London for which Brahms had arranged the orchestral setting for piano four-hands that leaves much more scope for the dynamism of the choir. It seems that right from the start the composer had an elaborate sound design in mind that went far beyond the use of rather unusual instruments (the two harps, for example): it is especially the instrumental parts for contrabassoon and organ that Brahms regarded as essential, even though their parts have the indication ‘ad libitum’, i.e., Brahms left their actual execution to the interpreter’s discretion. That is why-up to now-both instruments have been left out in most performances and recordings. However, the new recording presented here features both instruments! The score of the first print does not include the parts of organ and contrabassoon. The organ part that Brahms had composed himself could already be heard in the Bremen ‘premiere’ but was just attached to the score. In the score of the first complete edition of Brahms’ works (1927 by Eusebius Mandyczewski), however, the organ part was integrated into the notation. Brahms’ personal copy of the score has the instruction to specifically highlight the contrabassoon part. This was put into practice in concerts in Vienna that Brahms conducted himself. Both contrabassoon and organ definitely featured in the performances at the Großer Musikvereinssaal on 28 February 1875, at the Vienna Hofoper on 2 November 1879 and most probably also in the concert repeated on 3 November 1879. In most of the movements-and specifically almost throughout movement I-it is essential that the pedal of the organ is used. The sometimes subtly notated chordal sections intensify the recurring passages and are thus (for example in movement II in connection with the words ‘For all flesh it is like grass’) strictly word-related. The fulltoned sound of the organ is also given a vital role in the colla parte accompaniment of the fugue in movement III (‘The righteous’ souls are in God’s hand …’); in movement V the organ remains completely silent. Apart from using the ‘king of instruments’ for intensifying the tone colours of the bass register, Brahms generally uses this instrument for cadenzas and the finale, which creates a ‘sacred aura’ and might therefore have been particularly important for Brahms. Also the contrabassoon (not featuring in movements IV and V) enormously contributes to intensifying the tone colours of the deep sound register. The fact that organ and contrabassoon enrich the instrumental setting and thus the expressiveness of the work’s tonal dimension is certainly an argument for not leaving out these two instruments.” (Naxos)

Thank you for your comments and suggestion. I attended a performance in Carnegie Hall of the new critical edition of the German Requiem, and I also have your new recording. I have to confess that the slow tempos alarm me a bit, but we shall see how well the performance sustains them. The proof is in the listening!

I hear exactly what you mean--that gaunt, scary gloom carried on a persistent string ostinato. I wouldn't allege that Pettersson was influenced ini any way, but the similarity is striking,

I will definitely do a talk on Ariodante--what a fabulous piece that is!

And of course thank you for the wonderful discussion and recommendations. Haven't heard most of them yet, I will try and correct that soon.

Suzuki is usually excellent.

I agree that Mortensen is the best with small forces. He’s a tremendous musician.

Pierlot does an excellent one-to-a-part Bach too, in my opinion. Especially in the early cantatas, which work best like that anyway.

Probably the one on Harmonia Mundi.

@@DavesClassicalGuide Thank you!

The herrwweghe is a class above all other interpretations of the work that I heard. It hovers above them like a celestial being. Everyone aspires to his level, I haven't heard a version that nailed it.

Um, let's not get carried away...

@@DavesClassicalGuide agreed that we need not be carried with anything. it's nice to hear a real operatic bass singing jesus. franz joseph selig has a stunning sound. it's beautifully sung across the board though.

I didn't think David picked Herreweghe for the St Matthew?!

@@bwpm1467 He comments on it as being one of the best ones before pivoting.