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Looking for 1953 recording of "St. Matthew Passion" |
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Zachary Uram wrote (July 22, 2000):
On the NY Times website I heard a delightful audio clip of the recitative 'Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten' from Bach's "St. Matthew Passion": http://www.nytimes.com/library/music/072100scherchen.1.ram
This recording was made in 1953 with Hermann Scherchen conductor and Hugues Cuenod tenor.
Does anyone know:
1) What label this was recorded on?
2) Is LP still available?
3) Is it available on CD? |
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Jean (John) Cassignol wrote (July 22, 2000):
(To Zachary Uram) The 4 LPs has been recorded in 1955 with the orchestra of the Staatsoper of Vienna and the Wiener Singakademie Chor. I know about the casting, if you are interested.
1) WLP 6401
2) ?
3) ?
Sorry for the both ??... |
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Zachary Uram wrote (July 22, 2000):
[To Jean (John) Cassignol] I am looking for 1953 recording NOT 1955. |
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Philip B. Walsh wrote (July 22, 2000):
[To Zachary Uram] This excellent - though mono -- recording with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Academy Chorus is available in a 3-CD reissue as an MCA Millennium Classics set, UMD3-80470. The total timing is (approximately): 3 hours, 20 minutes, and seems quite complete. It should be fairly widely available at bargain prices. (The Canadian price was something like $18, so it should be under $15 US.) HMV stores has had it in stock -- try HMV.com.
The soloists are Magda Laszlo, Hilde Rossl-Majdan, Hughes Cuenod, Petre Munteanu, and Heinz Rehfuss.
I like this recording very much: excellent singing and conducting and a very spiritual tone throughout.
I believe that, at least in North America, it was released on Westminster LP's (4 of them, IIRC). I suspect the LP's would be available only in stores that specialise in collectibles -- and in charity stores, like the St. Vincent de Paul Society shops.
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Carl Burmeister wrote (July 22, 2000):
[To Philip B. Walsh] As a clue as to what to look for, the cover art was Dali's crucifixion.
I long ago lost my LP version of this. It was badly worn by hundreds of playings anyway. I now have the CD reissue with a much less intriguing cover, but a much clearer sound.
See http://www.jsbach.org/sthermann.html
There used to be some wonderful articles about Scherchen on www.tag-works.com (N/A - March 2001, A.O.), but they have gone away. Internet searches for Scherchen will yeild mant interesting things. His views on music and life are well worth reading even if you don't agree with same.
This is without a doubt, not only my favorite recording of the Matthaeus Passion but perhaps my favorite recording ever. I love Hughes Cuenod and have an LP of the Schütz Synphony Sacrae by him and am always on the lookout for recordings by him. |
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Zachary Uram wrote (July 22, 2000):
[To Philip B. Walsh] Wow! Thanks so Philip, your information is a great help :) |
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Philip B. Walsh wrote (July 22, 2000):
In my last post on the Scherchen St. Matthew Passion, I failed to mention that the cast includes the excellent Eberhard Wächter, who sings Pilate and Judas.
I also had not noticed that the company has a web address: www.universalcanada.com |
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Scherchen St. Matthew tempo |
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Charles Francis wrote (December 5, 2000):
Teri Noel Towe wrote:
< My recollection is that Scherchen also takes the opening chorus "extremely fast" by today's standards. >
Scherchen (1953) takes 7 minutes 13 seconds for the opening chorus which is slower than Max, Goodwin, Corboz, Gardiner, Herreweghe (1999), Rilling (1994) and Herreweghe (1984). Nevertheless, the Scherchen tempo is very fast by the standards of pre-1970 CD's, and as far as I know only Koussevitzky (1937) is comparable.
I do have the Scherchen recording and can understand the tension you refer too. However, for me, this opening chorus is spoilt by the massive choir (a similar fault to Mengelberg). However, I still prefer Scherchen to the faster Gardiner (1989), Herreweghe (1999) and Rilling (1994) recordings. I find the 1994 Rilling vacuous and the Herreweghe a travesty of the subject matter.
I do prefer the slower approach of the Rilling 1978 recording (7 minutes 59 seconds), Leonhardt (8 minutes 29 seconds), Furtwangler (8 minutes 44 seconds), Woldike (8 minutes 55 seconds), Munchinger (9 minutes 42 seconds) and Klemperer (11 minutes 46 seconds). For emotional power, I think the Klemperer "Requiem" approach is ultimate.
Of interest, Rilling justifies his later (faster) performance in terms of Lutheran Theology (in essence, one should not pity the crucified Christ because he volunteered for the job). But personally, I react to this chorus more in terms of Govinda's theological perspective - the only possible moral justification for suffering is to enable a compassionate response. |
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Donald Satz wrote (December 5, 2000):
Charles Francis wrote:
< (snip) I do have the Scherchen recording and can understand the tension you refer too. However, for me, this opening chorus is spoilt by the massive choir (a similar fault to Mengelberg). However, I still prefer Scherchen to the faster Gardiner (1989), Herreweghe (1999) and Rilling (1994) recordings. I find the 1994 Rilling vacuous and the Herreweghe a travesty of the subject matter. (snip) >
Why is the Herreweghe reading of the opening chorus a travesty? Does this
also apply to the earlier Herreweghe recording as well? |
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BWV 244, Scherchen |
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Jeremy Vosburgh wrote (January 11, 2007):
Dear Friends of the Scherchen String,
I've been pretty quiet lately, but I must say its nice to hear people talking about Scherchen's Matthew passion again. I picked up the LP in near mint condition at a church bazaar a 7 years ago for 25 cents. I had previously never heard any of these names: Scherchen, Lazlo, Majdan, Munteanu, Rehfuss, Cuenod, Equiluz. I picked it up because I had just recently discovered Bach's vocal works (my baptism had originally been with Willcocks 1960 English recording of the SJP). I can say today (after finding a turntable and listening to it), that the dramatization of the recitatives by Cuenod and Rehfuss is "by far" the greatest I've ever heard. I've probably heard about 15 different SMPs and no one has ever come close to Cuenod's rendering of the evangelist. I suppose Scherchen has some bragging rights to that as well, as I've heard that they worked together on the phrasing and interpretation "and" had some very heated quarrels concerning it.
For me, the other gem nestled in Scherchen's SMP is the turba choruses. They are so alive with the energy of whatever biblically described emotion they require.
I know that this list has many Majdan followers. She does not dissappoint in this performance and I recommend getting a copy of this piece (somehow) if you have not.
T'would be nice to have a nice recording of this piece.... I only have the LP. I've made cassette tapes of it, but I'd like a cd. Why isn't this in print! |
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Scherchen Matthew Passion |
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Jeremy Vosburgh wrote (July 25, 2011):
Long time I have not written. Had to now. Scherchen Matthew Passion with the incomparable Hughes cuenod has finally been rereleased on cd!!!!!!!! See: Amazon.com
I got mine in the mail from amazon a couple days ago. Still the same amazing performance. Cuenod the best evangelist there is or ever was. |
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Hermann Scherchen : Short Biography | Wiener Akademie Kammerchor | Vienna State Opera Orchestra
Recordings of Vocal Works: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Recordings of Instrumental Works | General Discussions
Individual Recordings: BWV 232 - H. Scherchen | BWV 244 - H. Scherchen | Review Scherchen AoF
Arrangements/Transcriptions: Works | Recordings |
