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4.0étoiles sur 5
No longer as accurate, but nevertheless compelling, Mars 7 2004
The name of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, relatively unknown until the 1980's, has entered a practically household status with music lovers after his milestone recording of Claudio Monteverdi's "Vespro della beata vergine" (otherwise known as the 1610 Vespers). Since then, Gardiner has established himself as an early music scholar of great renown, producing a multitude of recordings of early, Classical, and Romantic masterworks -- some better than others, many would argue. With his recording of the Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) by Johann Sebastian Bach, the tradition of Gardiner's musical excellence continues, though not in the vein some connoisseurs of Baroque music would expect.First and foremost, it is absolutely necessary to mention that no matter how good it is, this recording is outdated. This is not meant as a value judgement against the recording; it is simply the statement of a fact. Bach scholarship has advanced significantly in the last ten to fifteen years, and conductors such as Andrew Parrott have made great strides in discovering new facts about Bach's works, as well as new ways to perform them (for instance, instead of a mixed choir of over sixteen individuals, Bach apparently utilized only four). So, in that respect, this recording most definitely shows its age, and will not live up to the musicological expectations of most of today's Bach scholars. It is also imperative, however, that you ask yourself as a potential purchaser of this recording: "What is more important to me? Musicological accuracy and an obsessive adherence to minutia, or beautiful music-making?" If you are an individual who favors the latter parameter more, you will find plenty to enjoy in this recording. Not only does Gardiner revitalize the piece proper, he also infuses it with the kind of spark and "joie de vivre" that so frequently lacks from other interpretations of this piece. Under Gardiner's baton, the music showcases a varied spectrum of emotions, from the noble exultation of the "Gloria in excelsis" to the agonizing despair of the "Crucifixus", with the orchestra and choir responding to the score not only as musicians, but -- perhaps more importantly -- as listeners. The soloists put their best foot forward in this recording, and are exceptionally well-coached, both as solitary singers and small enseble singers (the first "Kyrie" and the subsequent "Christe Eleison" provide ample evidence of this), and the overall integration and balance of the sound is superb. To this end, the recording's overall sound quality cannot be overlooked, as it is by far one of the cleanest performances committed to CD. Every syllable of every word, every note on each instrument can be heard, and this recording will truly shine on a better-than-average stereo system. A true enjoyment of the music can be derived from hearing it both performed and recorded this well. The recording, however, is not without its musical problems. Issues of musicological accuracy aside, the recording does suffer from a few rough spots. I found a few of the tempi to be objectionable -- the "Credo," in my opinion dragged too much, while the final "Dona Nobis Pacem" was moving ahead too fast, without giving the listener a chance to fully enjoy the sonority. On at least three occasions, I found that the orchestra was too quiet, leaving the singers exposed, while at other times, it unmercifully cut through the chorus, completely burying them in noise. Both of these extremes can be observed in the "Et Resurrexit," which is, usually very easy to overplay or undersing, due to its tremendous technical requirements. Lastly, while I'm generally not opposed to the utilisation of countertenors in Baroque music (it is accurate, after all), the timbre of Michael Chance's voice did not sit well with me within the parameters of this piece. A few other glitches exist, but they are so insignificant that they are prectically not worth mentioning. Overall, the extent of any listener's affinity for this recording boils down to how willing he or she is to enjoy this piece strictly for what it is. There are many fine recordings out there which possess a greater degree of musicological consistency and accuracy than Gardiner's (for instance, Andrew Parrott's rendition - Emi Records [All429] - #561998), but Gardiner managed to create such an iridescent halo around Bach's masterpiece that few casual listeners will remained untouched by its pulchritude. Overall, a highly recommended purchase.
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