Mass in B minor discography
The listing shows recordings of the Mass in B minor, BWV 232, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The selection is taken from the 237 recordings listed on bach-cantatas as of 2015, beginning with the first recording by a symphony orchestra and choir to match, conducted by Albert Coates. Beginning in the late 1960s, historically informed performances paved the way for recordings with smaller groups, boys choirs and ensembles playing period instruments, taken to an extreme in recordings using only one voice on a vocal part as first presented by Joshua Rifkin in 1982.
History
The work was first recorded by symphonic choirs and orchestras. From the late 1960s, historically informed performances (HIP) tried to adhere more to the sounds of the composer's lifetime, who typically wrote for boys choirs and for comparatively small orchestras of Baroque instruments, often now called "period instruments". Some scholars believe that Bach used only one singer for a vocal part in the choral movements, termed "one voice per part" (OVPP). On some of these recordings, the solo singer is reinforced in choral movements with a larger orchestra by a ripieno singer (OVPP+R).
The first complete recording of the work was conducted by Albert Coates in 1929. Robert Shaw led the first American recording in 1947. Some recordings are documents of live concerts, such as a 1968 performance conducted by Karl Richter at the Moscow Conservatory Grand Hall. The same year, the first HIP recording appeared, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, followed by Johan van der Meer's version with the Groningse Bachvereniging in 1975 which was recorded live in Utrecht at the Holland Festival. The first OVPP recording appeared in 1982, conducted by Joshua Rifkin.
Table of selected recordings
The sortable listing is taken from the selection provided by Aryeh Oron on the Bach-Cantatas website.
Soloists Bach composed the work for five soloists: soprano I and II, alto, tenor and bass. The soloists are listed in the table in the order SATB.
Some recordings arranged the music for four soloists, the movements in which soprano II (SII) is requested, are divided, sung by soprano I (SI) and alto (A).
- Christe eleison: A for SII in the duet with SI
- Laudamus te: SI or A in the aria for SII
Some recordings divide the two bass solos on two singers because of their very different tessitura:
- Quoniam tu solus sanctus: the aria requires a bass with a strong low register
- Et in spiritum sanctum: the aria requires a bass with a high range which would today be termed a baritone
The composition has a movement for two choirs SATB, Osanna. In recordings with one voice per part (OVPP), the soloists are normally listed in the order SSAATTBB. For some recordings, only the singers doing solo work are named.
Choir type
- Large choirs (red background): Large (unspecified), Bach (choir dedicated to Bach's music, founded in the mid-20th century, Boys (choir of all male voices), Radio (choir of a broadcaster), Symphony (choir related to a symphony orchestry)
- Medium-size choirs, such as Chamber, Chorale (choir dedicated mostly to church music), Motet
- One voice per part (green background): OVPP or OVPP+R (with ripienists reinforcing the soloists in some chorale movements)
Orchestra type
- Large orchestras (red background): Bach (orchestra dedicated to Bach's music, founded in the mid-20th century), Radio (symphony orchestra of a broadcaster), Symphony
- Chamber orchestra
- Orchestra on period instruments (green background)
Table
| Conductor / Choir / Orchestra | Soloists | Label | Year | Choir type | Orch. type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Coates[1] Royal Choral Society London Symphony Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | HMV | 1929 | Large | Symphony |
| Robert Shaw[1] RCA Victor Chorale RCA Victor Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
RCA Victor | 1947 | Chorale | Radio |
| Hermann Scherchen[2] Wiener Akademie-Kammerchor Wiener Symphoniker | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Westminster | 1950 | Chamber | Symphony |
| George Enescu[2] BBC Chorus Boyd Neel Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | BBC | 1951 | Radio | Symphony |
| Herbert von Karajan[2] Wiener Singverein Wiener Symphoniker | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | EMI | 1953 | Large | Symphony |
| Fritz Lehmann[2] RIAS Kammerchor Konzerthausorchester Berlin | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Urania | 1953 | Chamber | Symphony |
| Fritz Werner[2] Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Erato | 1957 | Chamber | |
| Hermann Scherchen[2] Wiener Akademie-Kammerchor Vienna State Opera Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Westminster | 1959 | Chamber | Opera |
| Robert Shaw[3] Robert Shaw Chorale Robert Shaw Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | RCA Victor Red Seal | 1960 | Chorale | Symphony |
| Karl Richter[3] Münchener Bach-Chor Münchener Bach-Orchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Archiv Produktion | 1961 | Bach | Bach |
| Otto Klemperer[3] BBC Chorus Philharmonia Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | EMI | 1967 | Radio | Symphony |
| Nikolaus Harnoncourt[3] Chorus Viennensis Concentus Musicus Wien | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Teldec | 1968 | Period | |
| Karl Richter[3] Münchener Bach-Chor Münchener Bach-Orchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Melodiya / Ars Nova | 1968 | Bach | Bach |
| Johan van der Meer[4] Groningse Bachvereniging La Petite Bande | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Teldec | 1968 | Bach | Period |
| Helmuth Rilling[4] Gächinger Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Hänssler | 1977 | Chorale | Chamber |
| Eugen Jochum[5] Bavarian Radio Choir Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | EMI | 1980 | Radio | Radio |
| Joshua Rifkin[5] The Bach Ensemble | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Nonesuch | 1982 | OVPP | Period |
| Andrew Parrott[5] Taverner Consort and Players | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
EMI | 1984 | OVPP | Period |
| Gustav Leonhardt[5] Collegium Musicum of De Nederlandse Bachvereniging La Petite Bande | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Deutsche Harmonia Mundi | 1985 | Period | |
| John Eliot Gardiner[5] The Monteverdi Choir The English Baroque Soloists | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Archiv | 1985 | Period | |
| Robert Shaw[6][7] Atlanta Chamber Chorus Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Telarc | 1990 | Chamber | Symphony |
| Georg Solti[6] Chicago Symphony Chorus Chicago Symphony Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
London | 1990 | Symphony | Symphony |
| René Jacobs[6] RIAS Kammerchor Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Berlin Classics | 1992 | Chamber | Period |
| Richard Hickox[6] Collegium Musicum 90 Collegium Musicum 90 | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Chandos | 1992 | Period | |
| Karl-Friedrich Beringer[6] Windsbacher Knabenchor Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Hänssler | 1994 | Boys | Chamber |
| Ton Koopman[6] Amsterdam Baroque Choir Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Erato | 1994 | Period | |
| Carlo Maria Giulini[6] Bavarian Radio Choir Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Sony | 1994 | Radio | Radio |
| Philippe Herreweghe[6] Collegium Vocale Gent Collegium Vocale Gent | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Harmonia Mundi | 1996 | Period | |
| Robert King[6] Tölzer Knabenchor The King's Consort | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Hyperion | 1996 | Boys | Period |
| Thomas Hengelbrock[6] Balthasar-Neumann-Chor Freiburger Barockorchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Harmonia Mundi | 1996 | Period | |
| Greg Funfgeld[6] The Bach Choir of Bethlehem The Bach Festival Orchestra | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Dorian Recordings | 1997 | Bach | Bach |
| Helmuth Rilling[6] Gächinger Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Hänssler | 1999 | Chorale | Chamber |
| Georg Christoph Biller[8] Thomanerchor Gewandhausorchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Naxos | 2000 | Boys | Symphony |
| Sigiswald Kuijken[8] La Petite Bande | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Urtext | 2000 | OVPP | Period |
| Konrad Junghänel[8] Cantus Cölln | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Harmonia Mundi | 2003 | OVPP | Period |
| Frieder Bernius[8] Kammerchor Stuttgart Barockorchester Stuttgart | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Carus-Verlag | 2004 | Chamber | Period |
| Helmuth Rilling[8] Gächinger Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Hänssler | 2007 | Chorale | Chamber |
| Masaaki Suzuki[8] Bach Collegium Japan Bach Collegium Japan | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | BIS | 2007 | Period | |
| Sigiswald Kuijken[8] La Petite Bande | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Challenge Classics | 2008 | OVPP | Period |
| Frans Brüggen[8] Cappella Amsterdam Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Glossa | 2009 | Period | |
| Jos van Veldhoven[8] De Nederlandse Bachvereniging De Nederlandse Bachvereniging | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> | Channel Classics Records | 2009 | OVPP+R | Period |
| Marc Minkowski[8] Les Musiciens du Louvre Les Musiciens du Louvre | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Naïve | 2009 | OVPP+R | Period |
| John Butt[8] Dunedin Consort Dunedin Players | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
Linn | 2009 | OVPP+R | Period |
| Georg Christoph Biller[9] Thomanerchor Freiburger Barockorchester | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
ACCENTUS Music | 2013 | Boys | Period
|
References
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External links
- Mass in B minor Commentary, musical examples, list of recordings, and other information, on bach-cantatas
