Conductor René Jacobs has recorded Bach's Mass in B minor, BWV 232, in the past, and indeed, he has done so with the orchestral and choral forces here (although not with the same soloists). Nevertheless, this recording hit classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2022, and it is easy to see why. In one of the most-recorded choral works of all time, Jacobs blazed an entirely new path. Does it work? Online listeners are encouraged to seek out the notes and delve into the arguments adduced. In brief, Jacobs rejects both ...
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Conductor René Jacobs has recorded Bach's Mass in B minor, BWV 232, in the past, and indeed, he has done so with the orchestral and choral forces here (although not with the same soloists). Nevertheless, this recording hit classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2022, and it is easy to see why. In one of the most-recorded choral works of all time, Jacobs blazed an entirely new path. Does it work? Online listeners are encouraged to seek out the notes and delve into the arguments adduced. In brief, Jacobs rejects both the traditional big choir-plus-soloists and the minimalist one-voice-per-part approaches, pointing out rightly in regard to the latter not only that Bach's choruses represented the general congregation, and general humanity, but also that Bach himself, when forced to use small groups, wished for larger ones. Instead, Jacobs, drawing partly on the ideas of musicologist Wilhelm Ehmann, offers a terraced, concerto grosso-like structure composed of three groups: 1) the full RIAS...
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