Richter B minor Mass

Chad Romney wrote (February 28, 2002):
Sorry if I am repeating information or causing it to be repeated, but Richter's B Minor Mass has been mentioned and I found this collection (link to it is below) with a number of Richter's Bach recordings at CDNOW. Is it recommended? Also, where can I find Parrot's B Minor Mass? I have Gardiner's, and would like to get those two. Thanks. CD-Now

Kirk McElhearn wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Chad Romney] Virgin has just rereleased the Parrott, in their Virgin X 2 budget series. It is out in Europe; I don't know if it is out elsewhere yet.

Bob Sherman wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Chad Romney] Recommend very highly.

Harry J. Steinman wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Chad Romney] ...I believe that the recordings are top-notch and *highly* recommend them. And the $58 price shown at CD Now is very very good. Amazon charges $76 for the collection. My advice: Go for it...and play it loud!

Pierce Drew wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Chad Romney] Apparently Virgin will be releasing (or has just released) a budget (2 discs for $12) version of Parrott's Mass in B Minor soon. Anyone know something more definite?

Donald Satz wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Pierce Drew] Parrott's Mass in B minor has already been released, although I don't know its availability in the USA. The catalog number is 561998-2.

Barry Murray wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Donald Satz] Greetings.
MDT UK has the following Richter recordings of the B Minor Mass:

1. E4532422
BACH J.S./B MINOR MASS/MBO/RICHTER AX2
£11.91

2. 4271552
BACH J.S./B MINOR MASS/MBO/RICHTER AGA2
£9.79

3. 4630042
BACH J.S./B MINOR MASS/MBO/RICHTER GBB2
£10.21
Note that these prices do not include UK tax. I believe the UK Pound equates to about $1.50 US.

Kirk McElhearn wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Barry Murray] As mentioned in another post, it has just been released in France.

Regarding the Matthäus Passion / B minor Mass

Philip Walsh wrote (February 28, 2002):
Neil asks if

Richter's Archiv recording of the B minor mass is available on a CD set.

It's on two mid-price disks, DGG 463004-2.

A gorgeous performance

Bob Sherman wrote (February 28, 2002):
Neil wrote:
< My thanks to Peter Bright for mentioning Richter's Archiv recording of the B minor mass. It sounds like what I am looking for. Is this available on a CD set? >
Richter has two b minors available on CD. Both are terrific.

The older one (with soprano Maria Stader) is probably better overall, although it is marred by Adolf Scherbaum's too-brash trumpet playing, and the towering opening lost some of its strength in the transfer from LP to CD.

The newer one, from a live performance in Japan, has a stronger opening and better trumpets but is otherwise not quite as good. So crank up your digital editing program and put together the best of both.

Richter B minor Mass versions

Bob Sherman wrote (February 28, 2002):
I see that the monumental Karl Richter 1968 b minor Mass with Maria Stader, issued on CD in 1989 as 427 155-2 |A|GA 2| , has been re-issued in 1999 as 463 004-2 |G|BB 2| .

Has anyone heard the 1999 release? Is the recorded sound better than the 1989? I've always been disappointed in the 1989 CD's sound compared to some aspects of the LP.

Peter Bright wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Bob Sherman] I can't compare as only have the more recent issue on CD, but I have no problems with it - the recording is quite "forward" but this suits the Richter full on style very well.

No complaints...

Pete Blue wrote (February 28, 2002):
[To Bob Sherman] Bob S: I second your preference for the LPs of Richter's B-Minor. I have found Archiv's LP-to-CD transfers in the 80s to be unsatisfactory. However, they may have finally cleaned up their act: the most recent transfer of the Organ Works played by Helmut Walcha is pretty much free of stridency and muddiness (though the performances still can't match the early mono ones). I'd be willing to take a chance on the newest B-Minor.

New Bach’s B minor Mass by Karl Richter

Aryeh Oron wrote (April 8, 2002):
As is widely known, Karl Richter made two recordings of the B minor Mass BWV 232 - the first in 1961 and the second in Tokyo in 1969. The first is considered by many as one of the best recordings of tgreat work. How amazed was I to find out that Richter made a third recording in between those two. I learnt that from a message I received from Michael Siegel couple of days ago. Michael is not a member of the the Bach ML, but he asked me to transfer his message to you.

QUOTE
I just recently found a new CD of a live recording of the Bach Mass conducted by Karl Richter. This is NOT the Tokyo recording from Archiv; this one was recorded in Moscow in 1968 and was previously available only as a rare Russian LP from the label Melodiya.

The CD has been released by some label named ARS NOVA, but I am not sure if it is the same Ars Nova as the old LP label. Here is the weird thing, I can only find this CD at tower.co.jp even though it is not a Japanese CD. The truth is, I have no idea where this CD is printed, nor can I find any information about this Ars Nova label. Because even in Japan this is an import, they will not ship this item outside of Japan and I can't find it anywhere else. You can see the details of this CD here: Tower Records

Do you personally have any ideas how I can find this CD? I have checked many online stores from the USA, Germany, UK, France, Australia, and Japan; but still I can't find mention of this CD anywhere. Have you heard of this Ars Nova label? It seems to me it must be a brand new label, because this CD has a catalog number of Ars 5 (I've also seen it as Ars 005 or Ars 005/6) and it was just released this January. However, if you have any information or ideas I would greatly appreciate your input.
UNQUOTE

I do not know where to get the new CD, but naturally I would like to know, because I am very curious to hear it. The vocal soloists are: Ursula Buckel (soprano, who sang also in the Tokyo recording); Hertha Topper (contralto, who sang also in the 1961 recording); the tenor Ernst Haefliger sang in all three recordings! The fine Dutch Peter van der Bilt, who died too young, is the bass singer. An intriguing release indeed!

Richter’s B minor Mass

Neil wrote (June 12,, 2002):
The 1961, or thereabouts, recording, available on the Archiv Produktion Galleria label, as a two CD set.

The orchestra sounds distant, and the trumpets, shrill.

Probably the fault of the recording engineers, and/or the technicians involved in the digital remastering, for the CD.

By contrast, I heard, on internet radio (broadband, 177kbs) yesterday, Beecham and the London Phil. in a 1958 recording of his (Beecham's) arrangement of a Handel operatic piece, and the stereo sound (trumpets included) was glorious - perfect clarity and balance of large forces.

Pity that CD recording seems to still be an inexact science.

Anyway, use of a pocket score while listening (to the Richter) is invaluable; the score helps bring the awesome architecture of the choruses into focus, and 'seeing' the masses of sound, and the thematic material, swapping between the various instrumental and vocal groups is a thrilling experience.

My verdict on Richter's tempi: perfect, except for the opening Kyrie (12 mins), a shade too slow and funereal,(rather than noble and magnificent); and the Crucifixus, a shade too fast, for here I expect Bach was expressing unadulterated grief.

Robert Sherman wrote (June 12, 2002):
[To Neil] The shrill trumpets, IMO the major drawback of this recording, are also present on the LP. Blame Adolph Scherbaum's "I am loud therefore I am" playing, not the engineers.

On the other hand, the "distant orchestra" and other loss of impact are due to the 1989 CD transfer. This is evident from the first note. Much better on the LP.

There is a more recent (1999) CD release (DGG 463 004-2) of this same performance which seems to be unavailable in the US but readily available in Europe. Hopefully it's a better transfer but I'm unable to find anyone who's heard it. I've ordered one, will pick up in late July, and report on it then.

Also consider the Marriner recording, which has much in common with the Richter conception but the trumpets (John Wilbraham and Michael Laird) are terrific.

Peter Bright wrote (June 12, 2002):
[To Robert Sherman] I picked up the Richter B Minor Mass within the last couple of years - perhaps it is the one Neil has drawn attention to as I have no problem with the recording quality. It remains, by some distance, my favourite version of this work and the trumpets (as in much of Richter's Bach) really seem to rain down from heaven - glorious stuff...

Aryeh Oron wrote (June 12, 2002):
[To Neil & Robert Sherman] Following your correspondance of messages, I listend to the first CD of the Richter's recording of the Mass in B minor in the European release mentioned by Bob. I have not heard any technical problems. Considering its age, it is first-rate rendition, regarding both the performance and the printing. On the other hand, this is not my favourite recording of the Mass among the traditional rendtions. I prefer both of Scherchen's recordings. The first (1950) is so spirited, as if we are looking at a man talking directly with his God. The second (1959), which has just been re-issued by Deutsche Grammophon, is also warmer and more humane than Richter. Richter might sound somewhat dogmatic and ponderous, especially in his later recordings. This is not the case with his first recording of the Mass (he recorded it at least two more times). But when he is to be heard back to back with Scherchen, his shortcomings are becoming more overt.

And now back to Cantata BWV 2, which is discussed this week in the BCML. This is another gem in the hugely rich and undiminishing reservoir of Bach Cantatas.

Recent Acquisitions

Sw Anandgyan wrote (March 1, 2004):
Greetings everyone

Yesterday I was mentioning an affection for the Bach recordings from the Sixties. I showed up at one of my favourite second-hand CD shop and lo and behold, this time was possible for me to get my hands on;

- Karl Richter's MBM recorded in '61
- Eugen Jochum's SJP recorded in '67

Now I got my ears on the Johannes-Passion. I have let slip by an opportunity to purchase the John Eliot Gardiner's SJP at cheap price for the sake of more Renaissance music with the Huelgas Ensemble on the Vivarte label and some from the Belgian Laudantes Consort.

So ...

What is your favourite St-John Passion ?

Thanks

P.S. I can hardly wait to listen to this B minor Mass that I've read so much good about

Bob Henderson wrote (March 1, 2004):
[To Sw Anandgyan] Congratulations on your purchases. I was fortunate enough to see and hear Richter live while on US tour. In performances of the MBM. The favorite SJP would be the Suzuki.

Bradley Lehman wrote (March 1, 2004):
< - Karl Richter's MBM recorded in '61 >
I have the single LP of excerpts from that, and my wife and I both cannot bear to listen to it. May you have more success in enjoying it than we do!

< What is your favourite St-John Passion ? >
I have five that I like so well, I can't really choose a single favorite from among them. Smithsonian/Slowik, Parrott, Harnoncourt, Cleobury, and Herreweghe. Also, the one by Apollo's Fire/Sorrell in English!

And several others that I simply don't know well enough yet to say anything about, one way or another. I guess it's that time of year now to give them a closer listen.

Peter Bright wrote (March 2, 2004):
[To Sw Anandgyan] I am, of course, very jealous that you have Richter's MBM on vinyl. What a magnificent recording this is (once you can put the unbelievably slow first Kyrie to the side). This is far and away my favourite recording of the MBM on modern instruments and, for me, one of the jewels of the gramophone era. For more HIP recordings, my favourite is probably that of Hickox (although the Parrot has some sublime interpretations, my favourite on that recording being 'Et In Spiritum Sanctum Dominum' - never bettered...)