Customer Reviews

St John Passion

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There is always a risk when you purchase something you have never heard of. I was looking for another piece of Feo after purchasing his Mass Missa Confitebor a 5. So when I saw the St John's Passion I jumped at it.

I am glad that I did. What a remarkable recording. The beauty and craftsmanship of this entire project is apparent when you open the booklet (CD Case). I can't find fault with this concert. The sound quality is top notch. Everyone on the technical side of this recording did an amazing job. One of the best sound stages I have heard. Intimate but not restrained. On a good stereo the voices and instruments fly. Anyone with 7-Channel Stereo Sound should try it that way, absolutely remarkable.

The Performances are of such a high calibre. The evangelist's amazingly flexible Alto voice steals the show. She can keep you on the edge of your seat. And the other soloists are a match, never letting the Alto completely walk away with the prize. The Instrumentalist do an excellent job of fusing with the voices. La Divina Armonia walking bass is superb, always entertaining and when it comes to the full instrumental interludes they outdo themselves each time. The Interlude when Jesus is arrested stopped me in my tracks; nothing existed at that moment except for the music.

As for Feo's Music..... Oh where to start.... Melodramatic but not hammy.... Amazingly balanced. A welcome addition to the Baroque canon. This recording reminds me why I love the Baroque Period so much. The innovation and experimentation with new sounds. It is always important to step away from Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Telemann and experience the Stolzel, Feo and Graupner.

Italian Passions are always interesting. Unlike the German Composers who were working this music into the liturgy, the Italians were producing passions for concerts and special services. The Roman Catholics did not have any real use for passions in the traditional church setting. German Passions are large and congregational affairs. Italian Passions are always much more personal and emotional affairs. Italian Passions have more in common with Handel's Oratorios than Bach's St Matthews Passion. This passion by Feo shows remarkable flow and modernism for the Baroque period. It borrows heavily from opera. This really is a Five Star Product.