Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Awards 2007: Baroque Vocal

Bach: Mass in B minor
Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki
BIS

In the first incarnation of the Nereffid's Guide Awards, I quoted an eMusic user, ChrisW: "At the risk of slight over statement this is possibly the greatest work by the greatest composer conducted by his greatest living exponent". Gramophone's Jonathan Freeman-Attwood called this "a B minor performance of extraordinary devotional weight", while on Classics Today David Hurwitz said "This performance of the B minor Mass has everything: great playing, sensational singing from the soloists and chorus, ideal pacing, and a powerful feeling for the character of each movement as well as for the architecture of the whole massive musical edifice... this is one of the great versions of Bach’s masterpiece".

Runners-up:
Lully: Thésée. Howard Crook et al; Boston Early Music Festival/Paul O'Dette, Stephen Stubbs [CPO]
Vivaldi: "Heroes". Philippe Jaroussky; Ensemble Matheus/Jean-Christophe Spinosi [Virgin]
Handel: Il duello amoroso, etc. Andreas Scholl; Accademia Bizantina/Ottavio Dantone [Harmonia Mundi]
Schütz: Opus ultimum. Collegium Vocale Gent; Concerto Palatino/Philippe Herreweghe [Harmonia Mundi]

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