BACH
Mass in B minor BWV 232
Magnificat BWV 243
Cantata 'Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott' BWV 80
+ CD-ROM L'Universe of Bach.
Philippe Herreweghe -
director
Harmonia Mundi HMX
2908110.12
Crotchet
£26.95 AmazonUK
AmazonUS
$35.97
These recordings from 1996 & 1990 (Magnificat & Cantata) have been
brought together in a 3-CD box which contains also a state-of-the-art CD-Rom
which will give endless entertainment and enlightenment to those experienced
navigators who can spare it the necessary time. Readers of
S&H will be familiar with
my high regard for Philippe Herreweghe, whose Bach interpretations
I have admired for many years and enjoyed on many occasions in London &
abroad, recently the
B
minor Mass in St Sebastian and the
St John Passion in Zurich. I have also recommended
his recordings on Chandos of the shorter
Lutheran Masses
.
Herreweghe uses a small choir and 'authentic' instruments of the
period and ensures that obliggati make their full effect; the soloists blend
in with the music and do not dominate assertively. There is a feeling of
unaffected 'rightness' throughout. Rather than rehearsing all the good qualities
of Herreweghe's way with these great works I would suggest that readers navigate
these links to earlier reviews, especially those who may not be accustomed
to doing so.
That would stand them in good stead for tackling the CD-ROM L'Universe
of Bach The Companion, which could occupy literally hundreds of hours,
so massive (and, to me, daunting) is its scope. Whether buyers will have
the degree of motivation or patience it requires is questionable and I offer
only a personal preliminary reaction after looking around for a mere half
an hour. It invites you through a tunnel to explore J S Bach's life and the
ramifications of his family in fullest detail and to access tributes by the
greatest performers (and some sharp-tongued criticisms by fellow organists)
by clicking on each letter of his name. An almanac will demonstrate his daily
programme in Leipzig. Two voices lead you through The European Context,
Several Baroques?, Keywords in Baroque Music, J.S.B's Germany to an overview
of The Essential Works of his 1126 numbered compositions. Finally
with The Composing Machine you have an opportunity to compose your
own canons and fugues and to harmonise a chorale before tackling the
Quiz. It was slow to load (though apparently should start up in a
few seconds) with a long introduction which I was unable to by-pass. I did
not find any scores, which was disconcerting; the CD-ROMs I have valued most
provide
the score to read on-screen whilst
listening - L'Universe of Bach all works by sound and graphics, even
the composing exercises, which is an interesting approach but not one to
my personal taste. I found it visually a triumph of the computer programmer's
art, with a selection of chapters introduced with delectable graphics and
illustrations, but all in all insufferably clever. I look forward to a thorough
assessment by a Bach specialist computer buff.
Peter Grahame Woolf
