Robert Kerns Johann Sebastian Bach Herbert von Karajan - Bach Mass in B minor (27 tracks) +Album Reviews

Karajan searching for the inner essence of this mass.

Dr. Armando R. Trigueiros | 9760 Praia da Vitória, Azores Portugal | 11/13/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's observe things with serenety. I quite agree with Emile Swanepoel, but I do not agree with Aaron Mayer and Epauld Olivier. These two reviews are comanded by emotion and are nor scrupolous in using depreciative languange. Karl Richter was the first conductor to avoid romantic exagerations in the perfomance of Bach music; later, the swiss conductor Michel Corboz followed the style of Richter in an interesting equilibrium of baroque style and spirituality. Presently we have the the use of period perfomances, most of them sounds beatifully but, with the small numbers os players and singers we feel the absence of spirituality, meditation or religious joy.(I admire Gardiner reading for his vitality in the joyous parts of the B minor Mass).But Herbert von Karajan condudet this Mass in 1974! In that time, there was not in use the period instruments, neither the new scholl of baroque singing, nor the musicology had discovered what we know today. So, Karajan with his typical effort of touching the deep interiorization of the musical works, does the some in this recording of Bach Mass in B minor. The result is a reading that banishs the romantic reading of Klemperer, the perhaps superficial baroque style of the pioneer Richert, but a very concise performance, specially in the faster and extrovert parts of the mass, where Karajan tempos are not slow. However, in the solo singing, I must admit, the tempi could be a little faster, more lighter. The excelent solo singing are not similar to the recent especialzed baroque singing, but in its context, they are beautifull and in acordance with the time of the recording: 26 years ago! I recomend this recordance for colleters wo like to compare the evolution of perfomance styles. More,I find spirituality in this perfomance, without any exagerated affection. At mid-price its a good achievement. Buy it,witout any fear, however conscious that is not a perios perfomance and its an analogue recording from 1974."

Beautiful reading of the b-minor Mass

Emìle Swanepoel | Toronto, Canada | 08/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The chorus may not be faultless but the solo singing is really incredibly beautiful, they make a fine team. Try the "credo"-duet for soprano and alto to see just how beautiful they match. The orchestra is faultless and accompany well. In a sense the chorus give the reading a ruggedness that isn't always inappropriate. Sometimes it makes for very dramatic moments such as the "Donna nobis pacem" which is almost overwhelming in it's intensity and religious feeling. The sound in this new transfer (20 bit reprocessed) is such an improvement over the previous it sounds as if a thick layer of varnish was removed. This helps the solos and duets and also gives the chorus much greater presence. This is a wonderful recording and a wonderful way to get to know this incredible music. Don't be fooled by bad reviews, hear for yourself!"

....most spiritually profound music ever created.

DJ Rix | NJ USA | 11/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dr. Armando speaks wisely. We have here some of the most spiritually profound music ever created. To impose dogmatic attitudes upon great conductors, their respective musical eras & their interpretations is tantamount to asking if they are Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish (Bach was Lutheran). Great recordings co-exist; they do not supercede or negate each other. In this kind of music, I want conductors to express what is in their hearts."

Reveals inner detail

Ramon G Hannah MD | Flintridge, Ca. USA | 08/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps slow in pace compared to some versions, but reveals the inner detail and beauty of the Mass superbly. Worth owning just for the Benedictus"

Is Karajan's Style Right For Bach? Probably Not Here

dv_forever | Michigan, USA | 11/07/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Well, if you hate Karajan this is one of his recordings that should bring out the most venom. I don't hate Karajan, actually the man is my favorite conductor. Looking at this performance of Bach's Mass in B minor, you get all the problems that can creep in on a traditional reading of a major Bach piece. The tempos might be slow by today's standards, but that's not the end of the world, Klemperer gets away with that all the time. What hampers Karajan's reading the most is his unique sound. By this time in the 1970's when this was recorded, Karajan had fully realized his cultivation of smoothness and hemogeny from the Berlin Philharmonic. We have to remember that Karajan in the 1950's and 1960's sounded a lot less smooth. He was more rugged, masculine and powerful. But moving into the 1970's and 1980's he was accused more often of his penchant for the smooth line.

The choir in this recording is not always immaculate, actually the Vienna Singverein lets Karajan down on many occassions. The soloists generally do a nice job. I was reading a biography of Karajan by Richard Osbourne and Osbourne wrote a passage in the book where he mentioned that Karajan himself was dissatisfied with this recording of the Bach Mass in B minor and that he wanted to do it over again later but ultimately never got the chance. I can understand his point as this is not one of Karajan's most illuminating records. Karajan also recorded Bach's St. Matthew Passion in the 1970's and that recording is much better than this one, Karajan himself was very proud of it as mentioned in the book.

Regardless of the fact that Karajan's Mass in B minor isn't one of the best, it's still pretty decent. The performance is remastered using DG's Original-Image Bit-Processing and it sounds better than before. For alternatives to Karajan, check out George Solti with the Chicago Symphony and Chorus in the 1990's if you want a large scale reading that has more passion and fire. Of course the period instrument fans will gravitate to Gardiner's famous record on DG Archiv, while I personally prefer Philipe Herreweghe's more spiritually involving recording on the label Harmonia Mundi in place of Gardiner."

Search - Robert Kerns, Johann Sebastian Bach, Herbert von Karajan :: Bach: Mass in B minor

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