St Matthew Passion discography

History

The earliest recordings of the St Matthew Passion were released on 78 records, although this medium was problematic for such a long work, because the discs only offered about 5 minutes per side. The first recording of the work was conducted by David McKinley Williams with the choir of St. Bartholomew's Church, New York in 1930, but it was not complete. There is a live recording of Serge Koussevitzky conducting a complete performance in Boston on Good Friday 1937, sung in English. This has been reissued on CD.

Stereophonic recordings and spatial aspects of the work

While historic recordings give an opportunity to hear some of the great Bach singers of the past (such as Kathleen Ferrier on the Jacques recording), the introduction of stereophonic sound marked a clear improvement in the musical experience as regards the choral writing. For this complex work, the limited pool of musicians available to Bach in Leipzig was divided between two choirs and orchestras plus a chorus of boy sopranos in the first movement. Choirs I and II and the orchestras were physically separated, and the dramatic nature of their interaction puts mono recordings at a disadvantage. In the case of the Karl Münchinger stereo recording from 1964, the engineers not only captured spatial aspects of the performance in the Ludwigsburg Palace, but also made a conscious effort to give a different acoustic to each of three elements of time identified in Picander's libretto, the time-frame being divided into

• the Evangelist some years after the events took place
• the events of the gospel narrative themselves
• the reflections of the anonymous soloists and the congregation.

Historically informed performance

The work was first recorded by large choirs and orchestras. From the late 1960s, historically informed performances (HIP) tried to adhere more to the sounds of the composer's lifetime. In his church music generally, and in this work in particular, Bach wrote for boys choirs and for comparatively small orchestras of Baroque instruments (nowadays these instruments, often referred to as "period instruments", are sometimes antiques and sometimes reconstructions).

Historically informed performances set a trend for recordings with smaller groups which is taken to an extreme in recordings using only one voice per part. Some scholars believe that Bach used only one singer for a vocal part in the choral movements, although the number of singers Bach would have deployed continues to be the subject of debate. Recordings with one voice per part are marked OVPP in this discography. On some of these recordings, the solo singer is reinforced in choral movements with a larger orchestra by a ripieno singer (OVPP+R).

Significant recordings

The selection is taken from the 281 recordings listed on the Bach Cantatas Website as of 2021, beginning with a recording from 1939 by a symphony orchestra and choir to match (the performance conducted by Willem Mengelberg). In 1970 the first HIP recording appeared, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. The first OVPP recording appeared in 2003, conducted by Paul McCreesh.

Table of recordings

The sortable listing is taken mostly from the selection provided by Aryeh Oron on the Bach Cantatas Website.

The information lists for one recording typically:

• Conductor / choir / orchestra, often several choirs

• Soloists in the order Evangelist (tenor), Vox Christi (Voice of Jesus, bass), soprano, alto, tenor (if the tenor arias are performed by a different tenor than the evangelist), bass. and some conductors use different soloists in combination with each choir.

• Label

• Year of the recording

• Choir type

  1. Large choirs (red background): Bach (choir dedicated to Bach's music, founded in the mid of the 20th century), Boys (choir of all male voices), Radio (choir of a broadcaster), Symphony (choir related to a symphony orchestra)
  2. Medium-size choirs, such as Chamber choir, Chorale (choir dedicated mostly to church music), Madrigal
  3. One voice per part (green background): OVPP or OVPP+R (with ripienists reinforcing the soloists in some chorale movements)

• Orch. type (orchestra type)

  1. Large orchestras (red background): Large (unspecified), Bach (orchestra dedicated to Bach's music, founded in the mid of the 20th century), Radio (symphony orchestra of a broadcaster), Opera, Symphony
  2. Chamber orchestra
  3. Orchestra on period instruments (green background)

• Notes

• Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam

• Jongenskoor "Zanglust"

• Karl Erb

• Willem Ravelli

• Jo Vincent

• Ilona Durigo

• Louis van Tulder

• Hermann Schey

• Eric Greene

• Henry Cummings

• Elsie Suddaby

• Kathleen Ferrier

• William Parsons

• Großer Chor des Berliner Rundfunks

• Boys' Choir of the St. Hedwig's Cathedral

• Helmut Krebs

• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

• Elfriede Trötschel

• Diana Eustrati

• Friedrich Härtel

• Petre Munteanu

• Heinz Rehfuss

• Magda László

• Hilde Rössel-Majdan

• Hugues Cuénod

• Richard Standen Wiener Sängerknaben

• Anton Dermota

• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

• Elisabeth Grümmer

• Marga Höffgen

• Otto Edelmann

• Eric Greene

• Gordon Clinton

• Pauline Brockless

• Nancy Evans

• Wilfred Brown

• John Carol Case

• Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn

• Boys' Choir of Robert-Mayer-School of Heilbronn

• Helmut Krebs

• Franz Kelch

• Agnes Giebel

• Renate Günther

• Hermann Wedermann

• Hans Braun

• Teresa Stich-Randall

• Hilde Rössel-Majdan

• Waldemar Kmentt

• Walter Berry

• Münchener Bach-Chor

• Münchener Chorknaben

• Ernst Haefliger

• Kieth Engen

• Irmgard Seefried

• Antonia Fahberg

• Hertha Töpper

• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

• Max Proebstl

• Peter Pears

• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

• Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

• Christa Ludwig

• Nicolai Gedda

• Walter Berry

• Geraint Evans

• David Lloyd

• William Wildermann

• Adele Addison

• Betty Allen

• Charles Bressler

• Donald Bell later re-issued on Sony Masterworks

• Peter Pears

• Hermann Prey

• Elly Ameling

• Marga Höffgen

• Fritz Wunderlich

• Tom Krause Boys' Choir of St Willibrord Church, Amsterdam

• Ernst Haefliger

• Walter Berry

• Agnes Giebel

• Marga Höffgen

• John van Kesteren

• Franz Crass

• Leo Ketelaars

• Theo Altmeyer

• Franz Crass

• Teresa Żylis-Gara

• Julia Hamari

• Nicolai Gedda

• Hermann Prey

• Coro di Voci Bianche dell'Oratorio dell'Immacolata di Bergamo

• Coro di Milano della RAI

• Peter Schreier

• Hermann Prey

• Teresa Żylis-Gara

• Fiorella Pediconi

• Margarita Lilowa

• Max van Egmond

• Münchener Bach-Chor

• Münchener Chorknaben

• Ernst Haefliger

• Kieth Engen

• Ursula Buckel

• Marga Höffgen

• Peter van der Bilt

• Dresdner Kreuzchor

• Thomanerchor

• Peter Schreier

• Theo Adam

• Adele Stolte

• Annelies Burmeister

• Günther Leib

• Regensburger Domspatzen

• Men's Voices of the King's College Choir

• Kurt Equiluz

• Karl Ridderbusch

• Soloists of the Wiener Sängerknaben

• Tom Sutcliffe

• Paul Esswood

• James Bowman

• Nigel Rogers

• Max van Egmond

• Michael Schopper Münchener Chorknaben

• Peter Schreier

• Ernst Gerold Schramm

• Helen Donath

• Julia Hamari

• Horst Laubenthal

• Siegmund Nimsgern

• Walter Berry

• Wiener Singverein

• Choir of the Deutsche Oper Berlin

• Boys' voices of the Staats- und Domchor, Berlin

• Peter Schreier

• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

• Gundula Janowitz

• Christa Ludwig

• Horst Laubenthal

• Walter Berry

• Leonhardt-Consort

• Alarius-Ensemble

• Musica da Camera

• Marius van Altena

• Max van Egmond

• Three soloists of the Tölzer Knabenchor

• René Jacobs

• Harry Geraerts

• Michiel ten Houte de Lange

• Frits van Erven Dorens

• Harry van der Kamp (self release)

• De Nederlandse Bachvereniging

• Koorschool St. Bavo, Haarlem

• Kurt Equiluz

• Max van Egmond

• Sheila Armstrong

• Maureen Lehane

• Neil Jenkins

• Hermann Christian Polster

• Adalbert Kraus

• Siegmund Nimsgern

• Arleen Auger

• Julia Hamari

• Ann Murray

• Aldo Baldin

• Philippe Huttenlocher

• The Bach Choir

• Boys of St Paul's Cathedral Choir

• Robert Tear

• John Shirley-Quirk

• Felicity Lott

• Alfreda Hodgson

• Neil Jenkins

• Stephen Roberts re-issued in 2006 on Universal Classics

• Münchener Bach-Chor

• Regensburger Domspatzen

• Peter Schreier

• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

• Edith Mathis

• Janet Baker

• Matti Salminen Chœur d'Enfants "Il dulci jubilo" La Chapelle Royale

• Howard Crook

• Ulrik Cold

• Barbara Schlick

• René Jacobs

• Hans Peter Blochwitz

• Peter Kooy

• Peter Schreier

• Theo Adam

• Lucia Popp

• Marjana Lipovšek

• Eberhard Büchner

• Robert Holl

• Hans Peter Blochwitz

• Olaf Bär

• Kiri Te Kanawa

• Anne Sofie von Otter

• Anthony Rolfe Johnson

• Tom Krause

• Anthony Rolfe Johnson

• Andreas Schmidt

• Barbara Bonney

• Ann Monoyios

• Anne Sofie von Otter

• Michael Chance

• Howard Crook

• Olaf Bär

• Cornelius Hauptmann

• Tölzer Knabenchor

• Men's choir of La Petite Bande

• Christoph Prégardien

• Max van Egmond

• Christian Fliegner (boy soprano)

• Maximilian Kiener (boy soprano)

• René Jacobs

• David Cordier

• John Elwes

• Markus Schäfer

• Klaus Mertens

• Peter Lika Sacramentskoor Breda

• Guy de Mey

• Peter Kooy

• Barbara Schlick

• Kai Wessel

• Christoph Prégardien

• Klaus Mertens

• Choir of King's College, Cambridge

• Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge

• Rogers Covey-Crump

• Michael George

• Emma Kirkby

• Michael Chance

• Martyn Hill

• David Thomas

• Koorschool St. Bavo, Haarlem

• Nederlands Kamerkoor

• Nico van der Meel

• Kristinn Sigmundsson

• María Cristina Kiehr

• Mona Julsrud

• Claudia Schubert

• Wilke te Brummelstroete

• Ian Bostridge

• Toby Spence

• Peter Kooy

• Harry van der Kamp Koorschool St. Bavo, Haarlem

• Gerd Türk

• Geert Smits

• Johannette Zomer

• Andreas Scholl

• Hans-Jörg Mammel

• Peter Kooy

• John Mark Ainsley

• Thomas Quasthoff

• Christiane Oelze

• Nathalie Stutzmann

• Stanford Olsen

• Michael Volle

• Katsunori Kono

• Ian Bostridge

• Franz-Josef Selig

• Sibylla Rubens

• Andreas Scholl

• Werner Güra

• Dietrich Henschel

• Gerd Türk

• Peter Kooy

• Nancy Argenta

• Robin Blaze

• Makoto Sakurada

• Chiyuki Urano Thomanerchor Barockorchester L'Arco

• Gerd Türk

• Hanno Müller-Brachmann

• Elisabeth Scholl

• Nathalie Stutzmann

• Andreas Karasiak

• Thomas Mohr

• Arnold Schoenberg Chor

• Wiener Sängerknaben

• Christoph Prégardien

• Matthias Goerne

• Christine Schäfer

• Dorothea Röschmann

• Bernarda Fink

• Elisabeth von Magnus

• Michael Schade

• Markus Schäfer

• Dietrich Henschel

• Oliver Widmer

• Deborah York

• Julia Gooding

• Magdalena Kožená

• Susan Bickley

• Mark Padmore

• James Gilchrist

• Peter Harvey

• Stephan Loges

• Chorgemeinschaft Neubeuern

• Tölzer Knabenchor

• Marcus Ullmann

• Klaus Mertens

• Anna Korondi

• Anke Vondung

• Werner Güra

• Hans Christoph Begemann Sacramentskoor Breda

• Jörg Dürmüller

• Ekkehard Abele

• Cornelia Samuelis

• Bogna Bartosz

• Paul Agnew

• Klaus Mertens

• Nicholas Mulroy

• Matthew Brook

• Susan Hamilton

• Cecilia Osmond

• Clare Wilkinson

• Annie Gill

• Malcolm Bennett

• Brian Bannatyne-Scott

• Christoph Genz

• Jan van der Crabben

• Gerlinde Sämann

• Marie Kuijken

• Petra Noskaiová

• Patrizia Hardt

• Bernhard Hunziker

• Marcus Niedermeyr

• Tölzer Knabenchor

• Thomanerchor

• Johannes Chum

• Hanno Müller-Brachmann

• Christina Landshamer

• Marie-Claude Chappuis

• Thomas Quasthoff

• Maximilian Schmitt

• Klaus Häger Kampen Boys Choir

• Gerd Türk

• Amaryllis Dieltiens

• Siri Thornhill

• Tim Mead

• Matthew White

• Julian Podger

• Charles Daniels

• Peter Harvey

• Sebastian Noack Staats- und Domchor Berlin

• Werner Güra

• Johannes Weisser

• Sunhae Im

• Bernarda Fink

• Topi Lehtipuu

• Konstantin Wolff Regensburger Domspatzen

• Julian Prégardien

• Karina Gauvin

• Gerhild Romberger

• Maximilian Schmitt

• Michael Nagy

• Benedikt Kristjánsson

• Krešimir Stražanac

• Gerlinde Sämann

• Isabel Jantschek

• Paul Schweinester

• Peter Harvey

• James Gilchrist

• Matthew Rose

• Sophie Bevan

• David Allsopp

• Mark Le Brocq

• William Gaunt

References

References

1. "The recording".
2. Cooper, Katherine. (9 March 2017). "Sir John Eliot Gardiner revisits the St Matthew Passion".
3. "Bach, J S: St Matthew Passion, BWV244 (Jacobs)". prestoclassical.co.uk.
4. "Bach, J S: St Matthew Passion, BWV244 (Kuijken)". prestoclassical.co.uk.