Bach - Mass in B Minor / Dietrich Henschel, Ruth Ziesak, Anna Larsson, Christoph Genz, Herbert Blomstedt, Leipzig
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Actor: Blomstedt, Genz, Herbert Blomstedt, Larsson, ZiesakBrand: Naxos OF America INC
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 117 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-10-18
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Euroarts
DVD Reviews of Bach - Mass in B Minor / Dietrich Henschel, Ruth Ziesak, Anna Larsson, Christoph Genz, Herbert Blomstedt, Leipzig
DVD Review: The B Minor Mass in the Thomaskirche with Herbert Blomstedt
Summary: 5 Stars
"Die h-moll Messe. Das ist Bach!" (Bonus/DVD) In this statement Herbert Blomstedt sums up his belief that this work is Bach's best. It has the greatest stylistic diversity. It was penned by Bach from the early 1720's to 1749. Bach's feeling and beliefs of God are written into and are an integral part of the music itself. Hearing Herbert Blomstedt's rendition of the B minor Mass has convinced me that he is correct. Prior to this, I believed that Bach's greatest choral work was the St. Matthew Passion. The second semester of the course on Bach taught by Christoph Wolff at Harvard in the 1970's (before he became Director of the Bach-Archiv Leipzig) was focused only on the St. Matthew Passion. The St. Matthew Passion is clearly a work of astounding intellectual and musical accomplishment. Its importance is not decreased by the recognition of the greatness of the B minor Mass.
What are Herbert Blomstedt's credentials to make such an assessment of Bach's works. First and foremost, he is a superlative conductor. He is the only person to have been the conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle (1975 to 1985) and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (1998 to 2005). To my ear, these are the two best orchestras in the world. Blomstedt presents the music exactly as it is written and has conducted orchestras, possibly the only orchestras, that could perform the exact original score and make it sound new, fresh, without error, and beautiful. His sense of integrity extends to providing and protecting the integrity of the music he conducts. He does not try to impose his will on an orchestra. Instead, he rejoices in their excellence and celebrates their virtuosity. He cites Johann Sebastian Bach himself when he states that unless one gives one's very best, one is not worthy to play or sing this music. He has convinced the instrumentalists and singers of Leipzig of this fact and seems to get a total effort from each person.
I have heard Herbert Blomstedt conduct live only twice: once with the Dresden Staatskapelle in the United States and then on May 9, 2007 at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, he conducted an all Brahms concert with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. His interpretation of Brahms Third Symphony was the most beautiful of any I have heard.
A second credential for Blomstedt is that he is a Christian believer, and he resonates to the statement of beliefs that Bach has forged into his music. Hans Conrad Fischer has written in the preface to his book, Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life in Pictures and Documents, "Those who want to approach the phenomenon of Johann Sebastian Bach must start from the strong faith of Bach's soul, whether or not the reader shares this faith. ..... Three letters are written at the end of many of his music manuscripts: "SDG" - Soli Deo Gloria: for God's glory alone."
The Thomaskirche is a unique place. One might also again say, "Das ist Bach". Even the communists wished to honor Bach. There were four graves from 1750 in the graveyard of the Johanneskirche where Bach was buried. My understanding is that they dug up all four bodies and studied the bones. After deciding which one was Bach, they buried him under an iron slab behind the altar in the Thomaskirche. Bach was there when I first visited the Thomaskirche in 1973, and he is still there now. It is not just Bach's bones that are in the church; his spirit also seems to be everywhere within it. I have heard only one cantata in the Thomaskirche, and that in 1974 (No. 21, Ich hatte viel Bekummernis). It too was simply superlative.
The soloists of this work maintain the standard of excellence of the orchestra and choir. The voices are magnificent, whether in solo or in one of the several duets of the piece.
The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Herbert Blomstedt still has the characteristic earthy sound of their strings, but they play here with a perfection commonly associated with Dresden. This performance in 2005 was to be Herbert Blomstedt's last formally as principal conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. If it were in any way possible, I would like to hear him conduct one of Bach's Passions.
I have listened to this DVD more often than any other in my rather extensive collection. It is as close to perfection as any I have heard. If you like Bach, this DVD is a must. If you do not yet like Bach, this is an excellent place to start.
More Bach - Mass in B Minor / Dietrich Henschel, Ruth Ziesak, Anna Larsson, Christoph Genz, Herbert Blomstedt, Leipzig reviews:
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Description of Bach - Mass in B Minor / Dietrich Henschel, Ruth Ziesak, Anna Larsson, Christoph Genz, Herbert Blomstedt, Leipzig
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