Search - Pierrette Alarie, Willi Boskovsky, Nan Merriman :: Mass in B Minor

Superb version !

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 12/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Mass in B Minor is not only one of the monumental and unfathomable landmarks of Johan Sebastian Bach , but besides it 's one of the great works of Modern Civilization .

The Mass was submitted in July 1773 at Dresden with a humble request for an appointment as Court composer.

Bach knew to be lyric at the same time than dramatic when the text demanded it and the music requested it . His inspiration is well-aimed , without hesitations . You could establish a parallel Bach-Shakespeare since the infinite exploration in both genius of a feeling , of a psychological hue.

Is this a catholic Mass? The answer is no . It was an existing form of ritual in the Lutheran Church.

According to Karl Geiringer it curious the Mass in B Minor be called in that tonality . He argues the composition contains twelve movements in D major and only five in B minor . D is the tone of the jubilee Gloria and Credo so Resurrexit and Sanctus .

This recording is fundamental for any collector item .

Special mentions to Pierrette Alarie , soprano ; Leoplod Simoneau Tenor and Nan Merriman , Alto .

The magistral voices of The Vienna academy Chorus under the baton of Scherchen will give you a full description and gratifying moments with this excel work.

Thanks to Deutsche Gramophone for this special re-edition , since I have the previous release of the dissapeared label MCA.

I guess the sound must have been improved .

"