St John Passion shows Bach's towering imagination
at its most intensely dramatic, moving and vivid.
This new reading is a testament to the vitality of the choral tradition:
all the soloists are former or current members of New College Choir.
It also presents a new level of authenticity, not only with period
instruments but also with boys' voices as Bach would have used
at St Thomas's Church in Leipzig.
Recorded in the chapel of New College, Oxford
6-14 July,
3-5 September 2001 & 29-30 June 2002
Playing time :110'17" DDD
Reviews
"A plush performance of the St John Passion... Each superb singer—from the young treble Joe Littlewood to current star James Gilchrist and veteran countertenor James Bowman—are past or present members of the choir of New College, Oxford, which Higginbottom has raised to international eminence for its assured period style and technical mastery—and all are displayed at their best on this handsomely packaged, budget-priced must."
The Observer
"The Naxos version of the St John Passion with the choir of New College, Oxford at budget price offers an outstanding period performance that can stand comparison with any in the catalogue. The choir is fresh and bright, singing incisively, with the crowd choruses vividly adding to the drama. James Gilchrist is a superb Evangelist, fluent and expressive, and the main quartet of soloists makes a sensitive team, including the confidently firm-toned treble, Joe Littlewood, and the veteran countertenor, James Bowman, still in fine voice.
The Guardian
"This is a very special recording. Not only is it of outstanding quality both musically and dramatically, but, being sung entirely by male voices associated with a single institution...it probably comes as close as modern conditions allow to a sound that Bach would have recognised. The split-second timing of the briskly paced dialogue, which produces vivid immediacy and a high level of dramatic tension, is further increased by James Gilchrist's impassioned Evangelist. ..an exceptionally distinguished performance that does justice both to the letter and to the spirit of Bach's music."
The Daily Telegraph
CD of the Week– Daily Telegraph, 24 May 2003
"When you hear the ominous first chorus sung and played like this, liturgical ritual and visceral human drama make for an unusually intense experience. Edward Higginbottom delivers a palpable sense of narrative, unfussy, as if habit lies at the root of its being...there is no single 'tableau' or vignette within whose effect on the overall dramatic climate has not been calculated. In such light comes this refreshing and captivating new interpretation."
The Gramophone
Editor's Choice – The Gramophone, June 2003
"The choir is excellent in all its three roles, as characters—bloodthirsty mob, self-righteous priests, gambling soldiers—as congregation singing well-placed chorales and as a reflective chorus at beginning and end. The soloists...form an effective team, particularly Gilchrist, a fine, expressive Evangelist, and Bernays, a very human Christus. As a passion drama tempered with contemplation, I commend this bargain most warmly."
BBC Music Magazine
