St Matthew Passion discography

Notable recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach's St Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion) are shown below in a sortable table.

The selection is taken from the 253 recordings listed on bach-cantatas as of 2015, beginning with a recording from 1939 by a symphony orchestra and choir to match. 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.

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 recording of the work was conducted by David McKinley Williams with the choir of St. Bartholomew, New York in 1930, but was not complete. Serge Koussevitzky conducted a performance on Good Friday 1937, sung in English. The table begins with the recording conducted by Willem Mengelberg in 1939. In 1970 the first HIP recording appeared, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. The first OVPP recording appeared in 2003, conducted by Paul McCreesh.

Table of recordings

The sortable listing is taken mostly from the selection provided by Aryeh Oron on the Bach-Cantatas website.

The information lists for one recording typically:

  • Conductor / choir / orchestra, often several choirs
  • Soloists in the order Evangelist (tenor), Vox Christi (Voice of Jesus, bass), soprano, alto, tenor (if the tenor arias are performed by a different tenor than the evangelist), bass. Sometimes the soloists are different for Choir I and II.
  • Label
  • Year of the recording
  • Choir type
    1. Large choirs (red background): Bach (choir dedicated to Bach's music, founded in the mid of the 20th century), Boys (choir of all male voices), Radio (choir of a broadcaster), Symphony (choir related to a symphony orchestra)
    2. Medium-size choirs, such as Chamber choir, Chorale (choir dedicated mostly to church music), Madrigal
    3. One voice per part (green background): OVPP or OVPP+R (with ripienists reinforcing the soloists in some chorale movements)
  • Orch. type (orchestra type)
    1. Large orchestras (red background): Large (unspecified), Bach (orchestra dedicated to Bach's music, founded in the mid of the 20th century), Radio (symphony orchestra of a broadcaster), Opera, Symphony
    2. Chamber orchestra
    3. Orchestra on period instruments (green background)
  • Notes
Recordings of Bach's St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Conductor / Choir / Orchestra Soloists Label Year Choir type Orch. type Notes
Willem Mengelberg[1]
  • Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam
  • Jongenskoor "Zanglust"
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Philips 1939 (1939) Large Symphony
Reginald Jacques[1]
The Bach Choir
The Jacques Orchestra
Decca 1947 (1947) Bach Large [lower-alpha 1]
Fritz Lehmann[1]
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Vox 1949 (1949) Boys Radio
Hermann Scherchen[2]
Wiener Akademie-Kammerchor
Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
Westminster 1953 (1953) Opera
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wiener Singverein
Wiener Sängerknaben
Wiener Philharmoniker
1954 Symphony
Ralph Vaughan Williams[2][3]
Leith Hill Musical Festival Orchestra & Chorus
Pearl 1958 (1958) Large released in 2000
Fritz Werner[2]
Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra
Erato 1958 (1958) Chamber
Mogens Wöldike[2]
Schottenstift Boys' Choir
Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
Vanguard Classics 1959 (1959) Boys Opera
Karl Richter[2]
Münchener Bach-Orchester
Archiv Produktion 1959 (1959) Bach Bach [lower-alpha 2]
Erhard Mauersberger
Rudolf Mauersberger
Hans-Joachim Rotzsch[4][5]
Gewandhausorchester
Eterna 1962 (1962) Boys Symphony [lower-alpha 3]
Otto Klemperer[4]
Philharmonia Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
EMI 1962 (1962) Symphony Symphony
Leonard Bernstein[4]
Collegiate Chorale
New York Philharmonic
Columbia Masterworks Records 1962 (1962) Chorale Symphony slightly abridged, sung in English
later re-issued on Sony Masterworks
Eugen Jochum
Netherlands Radio Choir
Boys' Choir of St Willibrord Church, Amsterdam
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Philips 1966 Radio
Wolfgang Gönnenwein[4]
Süddeutscher Madrigalchor
Consortium Musicum
EMI 1968 (1968) Madrigal Chamber
Claudio Abbado[4]
  • Coro di Voci Bianche dell'Oratorio dell'Immacolata di Bergamo
  • Coro di Milano della RAI
Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI
Dino Classics 1969 (1969) Radio Radio
Karl Richter[4]
Münchener Bach-Orchester
Archiv Produktion 1969 (1969) Bach Bach recorded live at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Nikolaus Harnoncourt[6]
Concentus Musicus Wien
Teldec 1970 (1970) Boys Period First HIP
Karl Richter
Münchener Bach-Chor
Münchener Chorknaben
Münchener Bach-Orchester
Deutsche Grammophon 1971 Bach Bach DVD, released in 2006
Herbert von Karajan[6]
Berlin Philharmonic
  • Peter Schreier
  • Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
  • Gundula Janowitz
  • Christa Ludwig
  • Horst Laubenthal
  • Walter Berry
  • Anton Diakov
 Deutsche Grammophon 1972 (1972) Large Symphony
Johan van der Meer[6]
Groningse Bachvereniging
Groningse Bachvereniging
(self release)		 1973 (1973) Bach Period
Charles de Wolff[6]
Residentie Orkest
COrneMuse 1977 (1977) Bach Period
Helmuth Rilling[6]
Gächinger Kantorei
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart
Columbia Masterworks Records 1978 (1978) Chorale Chamber later re-issued on Sony Masterworks
David Willcocks[6]
Thames Chamber Orchestra
Decca 1979 (1979) Bach Chamber Sung in English
re-issued in 2006 on Universal Classics
Karl Richter[6]
  • Münchener Bach-Chor
  • Regensburger Domspatzen
Münchener Bach-Orchester
Archiv Produktion 1979 (1979) Bach Bach [lower-alpha 4]
Philippe Herreweghe[7]
Collegium Vocale Gent
Chœur d'Enfants "Il dulci jubilo"
Instrumentalists of Collegium Vocale Gent
La Chapelle Royale
Harmonia Mundi 1985 (1985) Period
Peter Schreier[7]
Rundfunkchor Leipzig
Staatskapelle Dresden
Philips 1985 (1985) Radio Symphony
Georg Solti[7]
Chicago Symphony Chorus
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Decca 1988 (1988) Symphony Symphony
John Eliot Gardiner[7]
Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
Archiv Produktion 1989 (1989) Period
Gustav Leonhardt[7]
La Petite Bande
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 1989 (1989) Boys Period
Ton Koopman[8]
De Nederlandse Bachvereniging
Sacramentskoor Breda
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra
Erato 1993 (1993) Bach Period
Stephen Cleobury[8]
The Brandenburg Consort
Brilliant Classics/Regis 1994 (1994) Boys Period [lower-alpha 5]
Frans Brüggen[8]
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Philips 1996 (1996) Chamber Period
Jos van Veldhoven[8]
De Nederlandse Bachvereniging
Koorschool St. Bavo, Haarlem
Channel Classics 1997 (1997) Bach Period reorded live at Muziekcentrum Vredenburg
Seiji Ozawa[8]
SKF Matsumoto Children's Choir & Tokyo Opera Singers
Saito Kinen Orchestra
Philips 1997 (1997) Radio Radio
Philippe Herreweghe[8]
Collegium Vocale Gent
Harmonia Mundi 1998 (1998) Period
Masaaki Suzuki[8]
Bach Collegium Japan
BIS 1999 (1999) Period
Heinz Hennig[9]
Knabenchor Hannover
Thomanerchor
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Barockorchester L'Arco
Thorofon 2000 (2000) Boys Period Collaboration of two boys' choirs
Nikolaus Harnoncourt[9]
Concentus Musicus Wien
Teldec 2001 (2001) Period [lower-alpha 6]
Paul McCreesh[9]
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Archiv Produktion 2003 (2003) OVPP Period First OVPP
Enoch zu Guttenberg[9]
  • Chorgemeinschaft Neubeuern
  • Tölzer Knabenchor
Orchester der Klangverwaltung
Farao Classics 2003 (2003) Large Large
Ton Koopman[9]
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir
Sacramentskoor Breda
Challenge Classics 2006 (2006) Period [lower-alpha 7]
John Butt[9]
Dunedin Consort
Linn Records 2008 (2008) OVPP+R Period Recording of 1742 version
Sigiswald Kuijken[9][10]
La Petite Bande
Challenge Classics 2008 (2008) OVPP Period
Riccardo Chailly[9]
  • Tölzer Knabenchor
  • Thomanerchor
La Petite Bande
Decca 2009 (2009) Boys Symphony collaboration of two boys' choirs
Jos van Veldhoven[11]
De Nederlandse Bachvereniging
Kampen Boys Choir
Channel Classics 2010 (2010) OVPP+R Period
René Jacobs[12]
RIAS Kammerchor
Staats- und Domchor Berlin
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Harmonia Mundi 2013 (2013) Chamber Period
Peter Dijkstra[11]
Bavarian Radio Choir
Regensburger Domspatzen
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
BR-Klassik 2014 (2014) Radio Radio
Hans-Christoph Rademann[11]
Gaechinger Cantorey
Accentus Music 2017 (2017) Chorale Period DVD of choreographed performance
  1. Revised by Elgar & Atkins. Sung in English, and the translation was done by Troutbeck & Johnson. Omits Nos. 11, 21, 65, 66; Abridged Nos. 10, 12
  2. later re-issued (choruses & arias only) on Deutsche Grammophon
  3. collaboration of two conductors (and brothers) and their boys' choirs, re-issued in 2005 Berlin Classics
  4. 5th recording Richter, recorded at Herkulessaal, Munich Residenz; last recording of work by Richter (recorded 2 years before his death)
  5. also on DVD, filmed and recorded at King's College Chapel, Cambridge
  6. 2001 Grammy Award for "Best Choral Performance", 2001 Gramophone magazine award for "Best Baroque Vocal Recording"
  7. also on DVD, filmed and recorded at Sint-Joriskerk, Amersfoort

References
  1. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 1 / Complete Recordings 1900-1949". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  2. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 2 / Complete Recordings 1950-1959". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  3. "Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) / St Matthew Passion". musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  4. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 3 / Complete Recordings 1960-1969". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  5. "Bach, J S: St Matthew Passion, BWV244" (in German). magazin.klassik.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  6. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 4 / Complete Recordings 1970-1979". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  7. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 5 / Complete Recordings 1980-1989". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  8. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 6 / Complete Recordings 1990-1999". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  9. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 8 / Complete Recordings 2000-2009". bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  10. "Bach, J S: St Matthew Passion, BWV244". prestoclassical.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  11. "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 / Recordings - Part 9 / Complete Recordings 2010-2019". bach-cantatas.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  12. "Bach, J S: St Matthew Passion, BWV244". prestoclassical.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
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