Bach - Messe in h-Moll - Thomanerchor, Freiburger Barockorchester, Georg Christoph Biller (2014)

The Mass in B Minor, Bach’s last completed vocal work as well as the climax of his creativity, reveals the overwhelming wealth of his compositional skills. In the history of music it ranks highly, as the “Montblanc of church music” (Franz Liszt) – composed during Bach’s time as cantor at the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Performed in this important composer’s domain, the Mass in B Minor casted a spell over its listeners as the crowning glory of the Leipzig Bach Festival in 2013: Under the direction of Bach’s successor Georg Christoph Biller, the St. Thomas Boys Choir and an outstanding soloist quintet perform with the prestigious Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, playing on authentic period instruments.

“Religious music must be communicative and at the same time meditative. It must speak to people without patronization and lead them without seduction toward a state of balance.“ –Georg Christoph Biller

Reviews: There are several performances of this monumental work available on DVD. Essentially, they fall into two categories- the "Catholic"
approach- a grander scale, in number of instruments, venue and interpretation that is aimed to impress the audience. Carl Richter and Enoch zu Guttenberg fall into this 'South-German category. The second, and more attractive to me, is the Protestant approach-
smaller number of players, less stellar, but nevertheless solid, soloists, period instruments, smaller, more intimate venues, and above all- a more contemplative interpretation that imparts to the listeners the inner strength of the music. In short- quality over quantity. For Christoph Biller, the current St. Thomas cantor, this is his second DVD of Bach's B-Mass, and a study in his evolved approach to performing Bach's music. As expected, St. Thomas's Children Boys' Choir anchors the performance, but whereas the musicians in the first version are, as in many other, or almost all, performances players from the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, in this performance (recorded during the 2013 Bach festspielle) the musicians are members of the incomparable Freiburg Barock
Orchestre. The harmonious integration of instruments, choir and soloists is to my taste unsurpassed. Particularly satisfying are the wind instruments. The 3 trumpeters are superb- their sound his bright but not glistening. The solo (natural) horn, is the best yet I heard, on LPs, CDs, DVDs, or live. The stings are warm and wonderful. Of course the St. Thomas venue adds to the grandeur of the performance. I heard parts of the Mass live at St. Thomas several years back. This one is so much better. Biller unquestionably has matured in his understanding how to perform this magnificent work. It should be in the library of each and every Bach aficionado.

Tracklisting:

1 Opening (0:56)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Mass in B Minor/Messe H-Moll Bwv 232
• Missa
- Kyrie
2 Kyrie eleison (Kyrie) (9:20)
3 Christe eleison (5:02)
4 Kyrie eleison (3:36)
- Gloria
5 Gloria in excelsis Deo (Gloria) (1:43)
6 Et in terra pax (4:43)
7 Laudamus te (4:18)
8 Gratias agimus tibi (3:06)
9 Domine Deus (5:48)
10 Qui tollis peccata mundi (2:43)
11 Qui sedes ad dextram Patris (4:20)
12 Quoniam tu solus sanctus (4:37)
13 Cum sancto Spiritu (3:59)
• Sumbolum Nicenum (Credo)
14 Credo in unum Deum (Credo) (2:45)
15 Patrem omnipotentem (2:19)
16 Et in unum Dominum (4:30)
17 Et incarnatus est (2:37)
18 Crucifixus (2:30)
19 Et resurrexit (4:37)
20 Et in Spiritum sanctum (5:01)
21 Confiteor (4:37)
22 Et exspecto (2:21)
• Sanctus
23 Sanctus (Sanctus) (5:05)
• Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei et Dona nobis pacem
24 Osanna in excelsis (2:47)
25 Benedictus (4:37)
26 Asanna repetatur (2:46)
27 Agnus Dei (5:04)
28 Dona nobis pacem (6:11)
29 Credits (2:19)






Thanks to the original releaser