There is no two without three. With this release for Deutsche Grammophon, Sir John Eliot Gardiner offers his third recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Passion according to John, 35 years after his first approach for Archiv Produktion (1985) and 10 years after his fabulous version for his own label Soli Deo Gloria (2011). In this latest version, he definitively affirms his choice. Even more than in the Passion according to Matthew, the drama remains entirely in the hands of the choir.
Monteverdi Choir | English Baroque Soloists | John Eliot Gardiner – St John Passion
Deutsche Grammophon - DG I StoriesAnd what a choir! The Monteverdi Choir expresses a dramatic presence that is as overwhelming as it is breathtaking. With impressive majesty, the chorales come to life in a gesture guided by perfect legibility of the polyphonic textures; the beauty of the lines, the subtlety of the nuances, the diversity of the inflections of the German verb makes us immerse ourselves in the drama: for example, Wer hat dich so geschlagen (No. 11) is immortalised in all its expressive truth. Later, in the heart of the proceedings (Und die Kriegsknechte flochten eine Krone von Dornen and Die Jüden aber schrieen und sprachen), the chorus sharpens its weapons with a power that leaves one breathless. The whole sacred drama is portrayed in a grandiose, majestic, immense way, sometimes even with a touch of mischief (Mein teurer Heiland, lass dich fragen).
Bach Johannes Passion St John Passion BWV 245 John Eliot Gardiner
TicketlandAnd then come the last two numbers, if possible even more magical. Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine, with its thoughtful, slow pace, without excessive pressure, with transparent textures, dazzles above all with the softness of its curves. What a consolatory poem! To our delight, Gardiner extends it to almost eight minutes. And the final chorale Ach Herr, laß dein lieb Engelein? The English conductor reproduces the imperious gesture of the introductory chorus.
Bach St John Passion: Opening Chorus (excerpt) | Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists
Monteverdi Choir and OrchestrasIn the face of such beauty, Bach's music seems even more inexhaustible, and the Monteverdi Choir with this release confirms its legendary status. Even the shortcomings - poorly expressive solo voices, starting with the Evangelist, and sometimes irrelevant timbres apart from that of the soprano, who is quite brilliant - will seem insignificant in the end. Here, the glory is all in the Chorus.