Johann Sebastian Bach

After the successful ‘collectors item’ releases of the Christmas Oratorio (2003), St. John Passion (2005) and B minor Mass (2007) performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, Channel Classics now releases a new and very special recording of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

Once again, the recording has been made in collaboration with the Catharijne convent Museum of Utrecht, so that this edition of the St. Matthew Passion is accompanied by a richly illustrated text book. This enables the listener to experience the Passion both in music and images. The illustrations are drawn from the unique collection of the Catharijneconvent Museum, which possesses the largest collection of liturgical art in the Netherlands.

According to conductor Jos van Veldhoven ‘there are reasons enough to look at the score in another way than the traditional symmetrical structure. (...) It could very well be a single choir passion based on hierarchy, rather than equality or symmetry (...) I decided to create a spatial arrangement by having a separate stage for each group of musicians, placed some ten metres apart. Some members of the audience even sat between the two choirs, experiencing the dialogue in a very special manner.

The recording was produced during live concerts in April 2010.

A generous and adventurous collection of piano concertos played by the Russian Giant of the Keyboard, Sviatoslav Richter.

Next to standard concert repertoire some novelties, like the Franck, Britten, Berg and Hindemith works.

Famous conductors like Evgeny Svetlanov, Kyril Kondrashin and the recently deceased Rudolf Barshai (his favourite conductor).

One of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, Sviatoslav Richter was also one of the most self contained, enigmatic and elusive artists of the time.A fierce self-critic he seldom was happy with the results of his recordings. His criticism often embraced conductors, producers and sound engineers.

These recordings capture him a wide range of concertos from Bach to Britten, via his beloved Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (though he only recorded his concertos 1&3 and the Triple Concerto) and Brahms. Many of the recordings date from prior to the commercial releases. The Dvorak here is from 1966 and conducted by Kondrashin. The famous EMI LP with Kleiber appeared in the 1970s – Richter claimed that neither he nor Kleiber were in the best form. In the case of the Britten concerto with the composer conducting, the recording here is from 3 years earlier than the famous Decca LP. Richter was unhappy with this as Britten was apparently ill and ‘a shadow of himself’. The Brahms 2 and the Schumann are from private tapes owned by conductor George Georgescu who is at the helm in both concertos. A good example of Richter’s self - criticism can be found in his comment on his later RCA Chicago Symphony/Leinsdorf recording ‘one of my worst records…I can’t bear it’. It won a Grammy! This set also includes some of the lesser known works Richter championed - Les Djinns by Franck and the Dvorak Piano Concerto which he played more than 25 times from the 1960s to the 80s. He did more than any pianist to restore this work to the repertoire.

Bach’s suites and concertos have long been part of concert repertoires. It is however interesting to mentally replace their first executions in the context of the time, so different from what we see on present day stages. Apart from at the courts, whatever their size, there were no permanent orchestras in Bach’s time and age. Café Zimmermann has brilliantly recreated the spirit of these orchestras, allowing each musician (chosen among the best on the European baroque scene) to express himself. Penultimate opus in this outstanding series, this is the first time we hear Café Zimmermann in such a large formation. This in no way harms the characteristic energy of the ensemble and we discover a Bach more alive than ever.

For long out of the catalogue, Marriner’s (Philips) recording of Bach’s B Minor Mass, with an array of splendid soloists, returns to circulation. Its coupling is the first release on CD of this recording of the deeply moving Cantata BWV 56 ‘Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen’. It was one of two (extant) Bach cantatas for bass voice alone (the other being BWV 82 ‘Ich habe genug’: Shirley-Quirk’s recording with Marriner appears on Decca Eloquence 476 2684). The two items were recorded thirteen years apart, the Cantata in April 1964 and the Mass in June-July 1977. The partnership of Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is possibly the most recorded of all partnerships in recorded classical music. This pioneering 2CD set is issued in celebration of the Academy’s 50th anniversary this year and these recordings form part of a series of Marriner reissues on Eloquence.

Marriner’s glorious recording of Bach’s Mass in B minor returns to the catalogue – at budget price for the first time.

The Cantata BWV 56 receives its first release on CD.

Forms part of a series of recordings with Marriner and the Academy.

In addition to recording the Bach Violin Concertos with Henryk Szeryng, Neville Marriner and the Academy also recorded two LPs of arrangements (made by Christopher Hogwood) of harpsichord concertos. These colourful arrangements are for oboe, flute and violin in various combinations. They were issued originally on two Argo LPs to great critical acclaim and are here reissued collectively on a 2CD set for the first time in celebration of the Academy’s 50th anniversary this year, these recordings are reissued as part of a series of reissues on Eloquence. Christopher Hogwood’s illuminating notes are included.

First collective reissue of a much-requested set of concertos on CD

A year-long Eloquence celebration of Marriner and the Academy’s recordings for Decca and Philips.

This is volume 13 of this edition and celebrates Easter with Oster-Oratorium BWV 249 and the Cantata for Easter Monday. "His vocal soloists sing with disarming simplicity and ease in arias and blend superbly in ensemble. A rare treat, Kuijken - and Bach - at their very best." BBC Music Magazine.