Matthäusassion und Richter
David G. Lebut Jr. | Gilbert, AZ USA | 07/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is by the best recording I have owned and/or heard of Richter conducting this ultimate representation of High Baroque Evangelical music. In particular, this is the best (and, as far as I know, the only) recording of the last performed version (that of 1742) of this work. Here Richter follows Bach's intentions at least in regards to text, music, and instrumentation. He still (like most recorded interpretations of this work) uses one orchestra and one choir split in two, and he still uses more than the amount of performers Bach would have used, but he does use a Harpsichord (as the 1742 version has a Harpsichord in it). I would put this recording up there with the one of the 1727/1729 version with Heinz Henning leading the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Knabenchor Hannover with two orchestras accompanying and the one led by the Mauersberger brothers (Erhard [Kantor of the Thomaskirche zu Leipzig and leading the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig] and Rudolf [Kantor of the Kreuzkirche zu Dresden and leading the Kreuzchor Dresden])."