Three November releases

Riccardo Nughes wrote (October 23, 2004):
Secular Cantatas:
O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit (Wedding Cantata) BWV 210
Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (Coffee Cantata) BWV 211
Bach Collegium Japan, Carolyn Sampson (soprano),Makoto Sakurada (tenor),Stephan Schreckenberger (bass)
Masaaki Suzuki
BISCD1411

Cantatas BWV 198; 106; 196; 53
Argenta, Laurens, Coro Radio Svizzera, Ensemble Barocchisti/ Fasolis
Arts 476952

[Finally the reissue of this recording originally published with an Italian magazine, highly recommended]

Mass in B minor.
Barbara Bonney, Ruxandra Donose-Danila, Cornelia Wulkopf, Peter Schreier, Yaron Windmuller, Anton Scharinger, Munich PO/ Celibidache. EMI 2cds

[Part of a 15 cds set dedicated to Celi ; I have to say that I'm not particullary fond of him, however I'm very curious about this recording that I presume it will feature slow tempos ^__^ ]

Yoël L. Arbeitman wrote (October 24, 2004):
Riccardo Nughes wrote:
< Mass in B minor.
Barbara Bonney, Ruxandra Donose-Danila, Cornelia Wulkopf, Peter Schreier, Yaron Windmuller, Anton Scharinger, Munich PO/ Celibidache. EMI 2cds
[Part of a 15 cds set dedicated to Celi ; I have to say that I'm not particullary fond of him, however I'm very curious about this recording that I presume it will feature slow tempos ^__^ ] >
I am, Riccardo, very fond of his 1957 Ein deutsches Requiem with Hotter and Giebel. It has great architectonics and it one of my preferred recordings of this work. That doesn't mean that I want another Messe in h-moll.

A New Old B minor Mass Available

Sw Anandgyan wrote (December 1, 2004):
I took the time to listen to some bits of the individual release of the live recording of the MBM conducted by Sergiu Celibidache on the EMI label ...

The immense Kyrie felt discombobulated to my ears, most likely grandiose to others who are opposed to HIP as this may be considered a Romantic approach to this oeuvre.

I did notice that the choir was under the direction of Joshard Daus and that the beginning of the 'Qui Tollis' section was extremely savoury, the 'Agnus Dei' aria most likely sang by Barbara Bonney ( but I could be wrong ) reminded me a bit of the Kathleen Ferrier rehearsal take offered as a bonus track to the studio Karajan recording of BWV 232 ...

Indeed, as was suspected by a comment posted on the Bach Cantatas Website, the tempos are quite sluggish and it forces me to face the same reaction as when I listen to Otto Klemperer's version of the SMP; I both don't like it and like it at lot, at different times. It may be heavy-handed and yet quite luxuriant.

I was stunned to read that this is the first official release of this recording after 14 years and that it is an ADD one ... http://tinyurl.com/6bqsf

Review

Sw Anandgyan wrote (December 7, 2004):
Rob Cowan on this week's releases

06 December 2004

Most orchestras sanction the release of live recordings but in the case of the Munich Philharmonic, under their long-term maestro Sergiu Celibidache, "live" was the only option. Celibidache thought records represented "a distorted reality" and for most of his career refused to make any. Then, in the aftermath of Celibidache's death in 1996, EMI, Deutsche Grammophon and the Celibidache family sanctioned the authorised release of selected radio broadcasts. And so the mysterious allure of Celibidache's transparent and trance-like interpretations gradually found a wider audience. But the "Munich live" idea didn' t stop there. Next to take the orchestra's podium was James Levine, a seasoned recording artist with a very different slant on things, who also enjoys a "live edition", this time at super-budget price. Comparisons are fascinating. [snip] just as Celibidache confounds superficial expectations by performing Bach's Mass in B minor (EMI 5 57853, two discs ) with relatively modest forces (his soloists lead by soprano Barbara Bonney). Yes, the opening "Kyrie" unfolds very slowly but, although the bass-line is strong, this is a far cry from the candidly romanticised Bach of say Furtwängler or Mengelberg.

taken from http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/

Hickox?

Continue of discussion from: Mass in B minor BWV 232 - conducted by Richard Hickox

Sw Anandgyan wrote (July 12, 2005):
Uri Golomb wrote: < [snip] Not everything is perfect, of course; but that's true of any MBM. The Hickox is certainly not the only recording I'd recommend -- there are other, equally fine performances. But, to my taste at any rate, none better.
Hope this helps, >
I'd like you to share more of your observations, even opinions, about the MBM by Celibidache.

I have listen to it just once yet, and indeed it makes the Kyrie done by most period-instruments ensembles look as if their conductor had much caffeine in their system when they performed it ...

... Except Hengelbrock!

It's nice to have recordings of the same oeuvre with definite different flavours.

Sergiu Celibidache: Short Biography | Münchner Philharmoniker | BWV 232 - Celibidache