The structure of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, is more intricate than that of any other large Baroque work. Conductor Raphaël Pichon puts it this way: "There lies the greatest singularity of this Passion. Bach dilates and multiplies time with the primary aim of allowing us to digest the drama in the making and to meditate on it." There are two choirs and two orchestras, with somewhat different functions in each case, and the Passion narrative unfolds in ordinary recitatives by the Evangelist, highly expressive pieces ...
Read More
The structure of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, is more intricate than that of any other large Baroque work. Conductor Raphaël Pichon puts it this way: "There lies the greatest singularity of this Passion. Bach dilates and multiplies time with the primary aim of allowing us to digest the drama in the making and to meditate on it." There are two choirs and two orchestras, with somewhat different functions in each case, and the Passion narrative unfolds in ordinary recitatives by the Evangelist, highly expressive pieces marked "recitativo" and accompanied by organ or the whole orchestra, arias, and choruses. The listener wishing to get acquainted with this work certainly has many choices, but this one by Pichon, his historical-instrument choral-vocal group Pygmalion, and the youthful singers of the Mai^trise de Radio France has a great deal to recommend it. Pichon has absolutely top-notch soloists -- Stéphane Degout as Jesus, Sabine Devieilhe as Pilate, and several longtime Bach specialists -- who...
Read Less
