Munchener Bach-Chor, Munchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – Bach, J.S.: St. John Passion, BWV 245 (1964/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Munchener Bach-Chor, Munchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – Bach, J.S.: St. John Passion, BWV 245 (1964/2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 02:08:47 minutes | 4,85 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Deutsche Grammophon/Archiv Produktion

In his day, Karl Richter was considered a Bach ‘specialist.’ We accord that title nowadays, if at all, to purveyors of period performance practice–and rightly so. But there’s something to be gained by appreciating earlier conceptions of how this music should go. If you favor a more ‘traditional’ approach to Bach’s sacred music, featuring a large chorus, modern instruments and ‘operatic’-style singers, then you can’t do better than Richter’s 1964 account of the St. John Passion.

There are few Bach performances on record as compelling as this. Richter’s direction evinces a profound understanding of how Bach’s theological convictions informed his musico-dramatic treatment of the Passion story. He paces the sacred drama to perfection, particularly in the great trial scene that constitutes the central panel of Part II, in which he allows the intensity to build inexorably as the principal ‘characters’ (the turba being one of them) act out their preordained roles, as in a Greek tragedy. I know of no other conductor who highlights Bach’s text-painting so insightfully in such sections as the turba ‘Wir haben keinen König,’ the chorale ‘In meinen Herzens Gründen’ or the chorus of Roman centurians casting lots for Jesus’ robe (to cite just three among many such instances). Richter’s most impressive moment, however, comes at the very end of the piece, with his gradually intensifying, then near-apocalyptic account of ‘Ach, Herr, lass’ dein lieb’ Engelein.’ Once heard, never forgotten.

Richter’s noble conception of this work would be ineffectual if he didn’t have first-rate musicians to work with. But he does. The Munich Bach Choir, as usual, cover themselves in glory. For such a large group their rhythmic articulation and diction are phenomenal, as is their capacity for realizing the contrasting ‘affects’ inscribed in the various chorale settings interspersed throughout the work. The instrumental ensemble responds with extraordinary precision and élan to Richter’s often challenging tempos and careful highlighting of textural detail; obbligati are rendered with expressive phrasing and considerable virtuosity. Among the vocal soloists, Haefliger is a rivetingly dramatic narrator and Herman Prey a warmly human (if occasionally stentorian) Christus. If Lear and Töpper are less than idiomatic Bach singers, they project the texts of their arias with passionate conviction, and that counts for more, in the end, than stylistic accuracy. In the Bass arias, Keith Engen sings expressively, if a bit heavily; ‘Eilt, ihr angefocht’nen Seelen’ is particularly eloquent. (Johannes Climacus)

“Another historical performance, this one from Karl Richter, offers a marked contrast to modern, sparer accounts; it may not pass muster as an ‘authentic’ Passion but it’s a committed and engaging one, not lightly to be dismissed.”

Tracklist:

01. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 1. Chorus: ‘Herr, unser Herrscher’ (11:09)
02. Ernst Haefliger, Hermann Prey, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 2.-6. Recitative And Chorus: ‘Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern’ / ‘Jesum von Nazareth’ / ‘Jesus spricht zu ihnen’ / ‘Jesum von Nazareth’ / ‘Jesus antwortete’ (03:24)
03. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 7. Choral: ‘O grosse Lieb’ (01:18)
04. Hermann Prey, Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 8. Recitative: ‘Auf dass das Wort erfüllet würde’ (01:28)
05. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 9. Choral: ‘Dein Will geschehe’ (01:03)
06. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 10. Recitative: ‘Die Schar aber’ (00:53)
07. Hertha Töpper, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 11. Aria: ‘Von den Stricken meiner Sünde’ (04:56)
08. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 12. Recitative: ‘Simon Petrus aber folgete Jesu nach’ (00:20)
09. Evelyn Lear, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 13. Aria: ‘Ich folge dir gleichfalls’ (03:51)
10. Hermann Prey, Evelyn Lear, Kieth Engen, Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 14. Recitative: ‘Derselbige Jünger war dem Hohenpriester bekannt’ (04:11)
11. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 15. Choral: ‘Wer hat dich so geschlagen’ (02:03)
12. Ernst Haefliger, Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 16.-18. Recitative And Chorus: ‘Und Hannas sandte ihn gebunden’ / ‘Bist du nicht seiner Jünger einer?’ / ‘Er leugnete aber’ (02:33)
13. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 19. Aria: ‘Ach, mein Sinn’ (03:06)
14. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part One: 20. Choral: ‘Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück’ (01:17)
15. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 21. Choral: ‘Christus, der uns selig macht’ (01:08)
16. Ernst Haefliger, Hermann Prey, Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 22.-26. Recitative And Chorus: ‘Da führten sie Jesum von Kaiphas’ / ‘Wäre dieser nicht ein Übeltäter’ / ‘Da sprach Pilatus’ / ‘Wir dürfen niemand töten’ (05:02)
17. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 27. Choral: ‘Ach grosser König’ (01:54)
18. Ernst Haefliger, Hermann Prey, Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 28.-30. Recitative And Chorus: ‘Da sprach Pilatus zu ihm’ / ‘Nicht diesen, sondern Barrabam’ / ‘Barrabas aber war ein Mörder’ (02:37)
19. Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 31. Arioso: ‘Betrachte, meine Seel’ (03:00)
20. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 32. Aria: ‘Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken’ (07:45)
21. Ernst Haefliger, Hermann Prey, Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 33.-39. Recitative And Chorus:’Und die Kriegsknechte’ / ‘Sei gegrüsset, lieber Judenkönig’ / ‘Und gaben ihm backenstreiche’ / ‘Kreuzige, kreuzige’ / ‘Pilatus sprach’ (06:50)
22. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 40. Choral: ‘Durch dein Gefängnis, Gottes Sohn’ (00:58)
23. Ernst Haefliger, Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 41.-47.Recitative And Chorus: ‘Die Juden aber schrien’ / ‘Lässest du diesen los’ / ‘Da Pilatus’ / ‘Weg, weg mit dem’ / ‘Spricht Pilatus’ / ‘Wir haben keinen König’ (04:40)
24. Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 48. Aria With Chorus: ‘Eilt, ihr angefochtenen Seelen’ / ‘Wohin?’ (04:57)
25. Ernst Haefliger, Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 49.-51. Recitative And Chorus: ‘Allda kreuzigten sie ihn’ / ‘Schreibe nicht: der Juden König’ / ‘Pilatus antwortete’ (02:16)
26. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 52. Choral: ‘In meines Herzens Grunde’ (01:07)
27. Ernst Haefliger, Hermann Prey, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 53.-55. Recitative And Chorus: ‘Die Kriegsknechte aber’ / ‘Lasset uns den nicht zerteilen’ / ‘Auf das erfüllet würde die Schrift’ (04:35)
28. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 56. Choral: ‘Er nahm alles wohl in acht’ (01:16)
29. Hermann Prey, Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 57. Recitative: ‘Und von Stund an’ (01:53)
30. Hertha Töpper, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 58. Aria: ‘Es ist vollbracht’ (06:30)
31. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 59. Recitative: ‘Und neigte das Haupt’ (00:34)
32. Kieth Engen, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 60. Aria With Choral: ‘Mein teurer Heiland’ / ‘Jesu, der du warest tot’ (05:04)
33. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 61. Recitative: ‘Und siehe da, der Vorhang’ (00:34)
34. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 62. Arioso: ‘Mein Herz, in dem die ganze Welt’ (00:58)
35. Evelyn Lear, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 63. Aria: ‘Zerfliesse, mein Herze’ (06:19)
36. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 64. Recitative: ‘Die Juden aber’ (02:24)
37. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 65. Choral: ‘O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn’ (01:08)
38. Ernst Haefliger, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 66. Recitative: ‘Darnach bat Pilatum Joseph von Arimathia’ (02:25)
39. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 67. Chorus: ‘Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine’ (08:18)
40. Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Karl Richter – St. John Passion, BWV 245 / Part Two: 68. Chroral: ‘Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein’ (02:44)

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