Friday, April 06, 2007

FriPod: What Passion is Missing?

As I ponder during this Good Friday, I realized that I don't own any Passions. Before getting too worried about my emotional health, I assure you that I do have passions, just no recordings of the Passion of Christ according to . So instead of listing those I have, I will list those compositions I'm aware of, and ask readers to recommend particular performances or other compositions that I haven't listed.

1. J.S. Bach - St. Matthew Passion BWV 244
2. J.S. Bach - St. John Passion
3. J.S. Bach (apocryphal) - St. Luke Passion BWV 246
4. J.S. Bach (reconstructed) - St. Mark Passion BWV 247
5. Sofia Gubaidulina - Johannes-Passion (2000)
6. Arvo Pärt - Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem (1985)
7. Heinrich Schütz - St. John Passion
8. G.F. Handel - Brockes Passion HWV 48
9. Krzyzstof Penderecki - St. Luke Passion (1728)
10. G.P. Telemann - St. Matthew Passion (1766)
11. G.P. Telemann - St. Luke Passion
12. Tan Dun - Water Passion after St. Matthew
13. Johannes Mattheson - Brockes Passion
14. Johann Thiele - St. Matthew Passion
15. Mauricio Kagel -
Sankt-Bach-Passion (1985)
16. Gottfried Stölzel - Brockes Passion
17. Carl Loewe - Passion Oratorio
18. G.F. Handel (spurious) - St. John Passion


So, which of these do you highly recommend, and which recordings? And what other Passions are out there that I should know about?

9 comments:

Scott said...

I found one recording called Passion Week by Alexandre Grechaninov. Does anyone know anything about this work? I can't find mention of it in Grove.

Alex Ross said...

Scott,

The first St. Matthew I ever loved was Klemperer's, though Gardiner is now a little more to my taste.

The ECM recording of the Pärt Passion is quite an extraordinary document.

Alex Ross

Scott said...

I asked, and Pliable has answered. It is a setting of the Orthodox liturgy, and Pliable (Bob) gives a very positive review of the recording.

Scott said...

Thanks for the recommendations, Alex.

Anonymous said...

It's hard to look past the Gardiner recordings for Matt/John Passions. They've both got excellent soloists (Tony Rolfe Johnson as evangelist, and the wonderful Michael Chance) - but the newer Herreweghe recordings have perhaps surpassed them. And they have the great advantage of Ian Bostridge as evangelist - in my opinion the best around at the moment. Also check out Paul McCreesh's one-to-a-part Matthew Passion, which I haven't heard but has a fantastic reputation.

I've also sung a really wonderful a cappella Matthew Passion by a Norwegian priest called... Kverno?

Scott said...

I saw that McCreesh recording, which intrigued me since I really like his "Politics, Dialogues and Pastorales" CD and the more intimate nature sounds appealing. I also love Ian Bostridge, so I might have to go with that for the St. John.

It took me some time, but I found the Trond Kverno Passion: http://quattro.no/plater/acd4994.html

ACB said...

I'm a week late on this, but definitely add Golijov's La Pasion segun San Marcos to your library. I think DG has a new recording set to come out some time later this year, but there's an earlier one available, too. A bit hard to find, but worth it. Or, ideally, see it live. It's a wonderful piece of music theater.

Scott said...

Ooh, that sounds interesting. I've been enjoying your (and Golijov's) Grammy-winning Ainadamar.

benharneu said...

Ik mis in uw lijst met Passiemuziek 2 waardevolle oratoria en wel:
John Stainer: The Crucifixion
en van Maunder: Olivet To Calvary.
Beide schitterende Engelse werken voor koor en solisten, met orgelbegeleiding.
Harm Neutel, Hoogeveen