Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - conducted by Andrew Parrott

Recording

V-2	Johannes-Passion BWV 245
Andrew Parrott
Taverner Consort & Players
Tenor [Evangelist, Arias]: Rogers Covey-Crump; Bass [Jesus, Arias]: David Thomas; Soprano [Aria]: Tessa Bonner; Boy Soprano [Ancilla]: Christian Fliegner; Soprano [Arias]: Emily van Evera; Boy Alto: Christian Günther; Alto [Arias]: Caroline Trevor; Tenor [Servus II]: Nicholas Robertson; Tenor [Servus I]: Andrew Tusa; Bass [Pilatus]: Stephen Charlesworth; Bass [Petrus]: Simon Grant
Virgin Veritas		Apr 1990	2-CD / TT: 109:22
1749 version.

Andrew Parrott's St. John Passion

Tomek wrote (June 10, 2003):
I have a problem, I'm in the group from one day at the moment and I don't see any trace of a discution about Andrew Parrott's recording of St.John Passion. Parsonally I think that it isn't a good recording, but meny find it very interesting...........

Boyd Pehrson wrote (June 10, 2003):
[To Tomek] Hi, Have you tried searching the archive at the group website?: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bach_Cantatas
You may find some interesting comments in the archives. Also try the group Links area, which will lead you to sites with more comments.

You can try the main Bach Cantata Mailing List group website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BachCantatas

If you have some comments you'd like to share, please do, and maybe we can start another discussion on the topic. Mr. Parrott's use of boys' voices, especially in the alto part, are worthy of a good discussion.

Tomek wrote (June 10, 2003):
[To Boyd Pehrson] Actually I tried and I didn't find a general discution about Anrew Parrot's recording of St.John Passion in the archives. As said, I personally don't like this recording, but I heard some very positive opinions about it. We may discuss the problem, what do I overlook?

Tomek wrote (June 10, 2003):
I have a problem, I have often heard very good opinions about the classical recording of Bach's St.John Passion by Anrew Parrott. One day I bought it and I thought I would hear something special.......... and.......... I was profoundly dissapointed. Parrott's recording is flat and lacks in my point of view of any passion. Evangelist's expression is homogenenous and his timbre isn't very tempting, soloist in the arias are at least common, Christ lacks of any dignity. I said on the beggining that I have a problem. Someone could say: what's the problem, he just don't like this recording, taste isn't a subject to dispute about. Right, but I wan't to hear opinion from a person who loves Parrott's passion, why, what's this "something" in that recording that I don't hear?? tom

Ehud Shiloni wrote (June 10, 2003):
[To Tomek] My two cents: I agree that Parrot's SJP is not at the top of his otherwise excellent Bach's interpretations. I also agree that overall, his version does not rank very highly among my collection of SJP's, and most definitely the crucial Evangelist role is not among the best.

Having said that, I did find this performance to be interesting, with many fine aspects. From memory I can point out to Tessa Bonner's incredibly beautiful and ethereal "Zerfliesse, mein herze" - one of the very best in my book.

Peter Bright wrote (June 10, 2003):
[To Ehud Shiloni] I tend to find a lot of Parrott's work uninvolving and weak (his Easter Oratorio (BWV 249) was another poor one for me). His B minor Mass (BWV 232) is the one exception - my favourite HIP version. His 'Hearts solace' disc of funeral motets and other pieces was also relatively good. Having said this, my overall favourite of the B minor probably still belongs to Richter's studio version on Archiv.

Tomek wrote (June 10, 2003):
Talking about "Zerfliesse, mein Herze", it's the aria that most intrigue me in the John Passion. Tessa Bonner sings it well, but she (and The Taverner Players) doesn't bring out the essence of the piece: the flowing of the music. "Zerfliesse, mein Herze" - "Disolve, my heart, in floods of tears". Bonner's voice is a little bit to stiff and should be more gentle, the same goes to the instrumentalists. The use of harpsicord, rare in Bach Pasions recording practice, also doesn't do any good. I would consider the realy flowing-in-tears-perfomance first recording by Herreweghe with Barbara Schlick. Notice especially how 2 flutes, 2 oboes da caccia and a bassoon melt together, light reverberation enhance that feeling. It's a very expressive rendition, but in a specific "herreweghian" type.

And a one more problem, I have a cheep virgin x2 edition of St. John Passion. The modest booklet of CD doesn't say a word about differences from other common recordings I know in the text of few arias.... where do they come from?

Pete Blue wrote (June 10, 2003):
[To Tomek] I feel you can't do better in "Zerfliesse, mein Herze" than the gorgeous voice and wonderfully expressive phrasing of Greta De Reyghere on CD 2, Track 42 of the incomparably dramatic SJP conducted by Paul Dombrecht (now available cheap in North America from Berkshire; to be re-released in Europe next year on the Belgian label Passacaille). It has that essential seat-of-the-pants live performance feel.

Ehud Shiloni wrote (June 11, 2003):
[To Pete Blue] Better late than never: THANK YOU, for your "discovery" of the Dombrecht SJP!!

I received my copy early this year, and I am very pleased and happy with this exciting version. It has many good qualities, but first and foremost is the domination of Ian Honeyman as a dramatic Evangelist like no other. I've found myself already several times putting this CD on just to listen to his recitative "Da uberantwortete er ihn" which ends with a unique, heart piercing, spine chilling "GOLGOTHA". Makes me actually shudder every time I hear it.

Going back to "Zerfliesse" and Tessa Bonner, I listened to this one again this morning. I don’t know much about the craft of singing, but I stand by my observation that Bonner's performance here is a standout. Her voice quality and her intonation appear to me as very close to that of a high quality boy soprano. The clear, innocent delivery conveys the sense of tragedy and sorrow as well as or better than most emotionally "loaded", ripe-sounding soprano singers.

I will try to listen again to De Reyghere singing of this aria - I do not clearly remember her performance, but - granted - this piece does tend to bring out the best from most soprano singers.

One last point about Parrot's SJP and the use of a Harpsichord as a continuo instrument: Could it be that this is the 1749 version? I recall that Suzuki used a harpsichord as well for his 1749 version. Does anyone know if such an instrument was specified by Bach for that performance?

Ehud Shiloni wrote (June 12, 2003):
< I will try to listen again to De Reyghere singing of this aria - I do not clearly remember her performance, but - granted - this piece does tend to bring out the best from most soprano singers. >
OK - I heard De Reyghere' version again last night. It IS an exquisite performance.

A Parrott and a pair of Gardiners

Matthew Neugebauer wrote (July 11, 2003):
Well, the day of getting my wisdom teeth pulled, I finally got my Dover mini-score of the SJP from Amazon.ca (after a horrendous delay!), and took a more critical, attentive and complete spin through my on;y recording, the Andrew Parrot one from thecrazy-label's (Virgin) Black-Box budget set. I know it's a bit old, hence has probably been discussed to death, and from what I can gather quite negatively reviewed.

So then what aI missing? I found the performance as engaging and accesible as the work itself-very few arias, and most of them in the much more melodious Italian style than the more subdued and unengaging (imo) German style. Heck, even notes inegales abound in "Ach mein sinn"! I wasn't bored one bit, and was surprised how fast the work seemed to go by!

I also recieved in the same shipment the mini-score for Verdi's Requiem, of which I have the superb Gardiner recording.

This last paragraph is merely a segway into a more relevant discussion of another Gardiner recording, one that was an object of a discussion I brought up around Christmas time: that is, the Christmas Oratorio. Being JEG, of course the more extroverted parts of the work are executed to precision, but the more introverted mvmts are also very sublimely done, and since I could never find the hailed Otto recording, this one is definitely a worthy substitute.

All I need now is the score for this work, and to hold on till my mouth heals itself!

Bradley Lehman wrote (July 11, 2003):
< Matthew Neugebauer wrote: Well, the day of getting my wisdom teeth pulled,(...) the Christmas Oratorio. Being JEG, of course the more extroverted parts of the work are executed to precision, but the more introverted mvmts are also very sublimely done, and since I could never find the hailed Otto recording, this one is definitely a worthy substitute. >
http://www.berkshirerecordoutlet.com had the Otto set for $3.98 a few months ago; that's where I got mine. The Christophers recording, too, for not much more than that. Good luck! Looks as if the Christophers is still there.

< All I need now is the score for this work, and to hold on till my mouth heals itself! >
The Dover (Bach-Gesellschaft) is still readily available, I believe....

When they took out my wisdom teeth recently, I took along the Alfred Deller recording of cantatas BWV 170 & BWV 54 for comfort. Helped me relax in the car, anyway. That's a landmark CD, both because it's an excellent performance and because [according to the booklet note] it's the first recording that Leonhardt and Harnoncourt made (of any music) using period instruments, 1954.

p.s. Get yourself a couple of pudding snack packs. :)

Matthew Neugebauer wrote (July 11, 2003):
< http://www.berkshirerecordoutlet.com had the Otto set for $3.98 a few months ago; that's where I got mine. The Christophers recording, too, for not much more than that. Good luck! Looks as if the Christophers is still there. >
Well, as my adventures with Amazon.ca has proven, I don't usually like to buy things off the net, and the American conversion, S/H and all that stuff will just be a nuissance, but thanks anyway-I'll still take a look!

< The Dover (Bach-Gesellschaft) is still readily available, I believe.... >
Dad's gonna take me downtown to a great store that's got loads of scores-gonna get it there-I think it's only available in full size, but I'm gonna check if it's available in mini-score-better suits my purposes (taking it to school in September, just following along-not gonna conduct it till I finish at least my BMus!)

< When they took out my wisdom teeth recently, I took along the Alfred Deller recording of cantatas BWV 170 & BWV 54 for comfort. Helped me relax in the car, anyway. That's a landmark CD, both because it's an excellent performance and because [according to the booklet note] it's the first recording that Leonhardt and Harnoncourt made (of any music) using period instruments, 1954. >
That's what I got the ChrO for!

< p.s. Get yourself a couple of pudding snack packs. :) >
Mom's got it covered!

Thanks Brad (not sarcastic)

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Last update: ýMarch 7, 2005 ý10:10:18