Mass in B Minor (Messe in H-Moll) - 2CD | Bach's Sacred Masterpiece Conducted by Karl Richter

Product Information

• UPC: 028946300428
• Product Type: 2-CD Classical Album
• Genre: Classical/Baroque/Sacred
• Format: Compact Disc Digital Audio
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• Catalog Number: 463 004-2
• Series: Bach Meisterwerke
• Duration: 123'00 (CD1: 61'59, CD2: 61'01)
• Recording Date: 1962 (Remastered reissue)
• Original Publisher: Polydor International GmbH, Hamburg

Overview

This landmark recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's monumental Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) features renowned conductor Karl Richter leading the Münchener Bach-Chor and Münchener Bach-Orchester. Originally recorded in 1962 and remastered for this Deutsche Grammophon reissue, the performance showcases an exceptional lineup of distinguished soloists: soprano Maria Stader, contralto Hertha Töpper, tenor Ernst Haefliger, and bassists Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Kieth Engen. Considered one of the benchmark interpretations of this towering work of sacred music, Richter's reading balances dramatic intensity with devotional reverence, capturing the grand architectural scope of Bach's final major composition. His distinctive approach, characteristic of his era, emphasizes the work's monumental qualities while maintaining clarity in the complex contrapuntal textures. This recording represents a significant chapter in the performance history of the Mass in B Minor and showcases Richter's influential Bach interpretation style that dominated for decades.

Product Features

• Format: 2-CD set
• Sound Quality: Remastered audio
• Performance: Traditional full-scale interpretation
• Packaging: Includes artwork showing E.G. Haussmann's famous 1748 portrait of Bach
• Cover Illustration: By Hendrik Andrieszen (Christie's London)
• Documentation: Track listing with durations in German, English, and French

Interesting Facts

Bach's Summative Work:

The Mass in B Minor was completed in 1749, just one year before Bach's death, and represents a summation of his life's work as a composer. Bach assembled this comprehensive setting of the Latin Mass by revising and expanding earlier compositions, some dating back to the 1720s, and adding new material. It stands as his most ambitious sacred composition, unifying diverse compositional techniques developed throughout his career.

Unconventional Purpose:

Unlike most masses of the period, Bach's B Minor Mass was not composed for regular liturgical use. Its expansive scale and combination of both Lutheran and Catholic elements made it impractical for church services in Bach's Lutheran Leipzig. Many scholars believe Bach conceived it as a kind of musical testament or summation of his art rather than for practical performance.

Karl Richter's Legacy:

This 1962 recording represents Karl Richter's distinctive approach to Bach interpretation, which dominated from the 1950s through the 1970s. Richter combined Romantic expressivity with structural clarity, favoring full modern orchestral forces and dramatic contrasts at a time before historically informed performance practices became widespread. His Munich-based Bach ensemble recordings set standards that influenced generations of musicians.

Exceptional Soloists:

The recording features some of the finest Bach interpreters of the mid-20th century, including renowned lieder singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who was considered one of the great voices of his generation. The vocal soloists' approach reflects the cultivated, operatic singing style that characterized Bach performance in this era, before the early music movement adopted lighter, more agile vocal techniques.

Track Listing

CD 1 [61'59] Kyrie

1. Chor: "Kyrie eleison" - 12'15
2. Duett (Sopran, Alt): "Christe eleison" - 5'48
3. Chor: "Kyrie eleison" - 3'52

Gloria

1. Chor: "Gloria in excelsis Deo" - 2'01
2. Chor: "Et in terra pax" - 4'48
3. Arie (Alt): "Laudamus te" - 4'31
4. Chor: "Gratias agimus tibi" - 3'28
5. Duett (Sopran, Tenor): "Domine Deus" - 6'36
6. Chor: "Qui tollis peccata mundi" - 4'03
7. Arie (Alt): "Qui sedes ad dextram Patris" - 4'27
8. Arie (Bass): "Quoniam tu solus Sanctus" - 5'52
9. Chor: "Cum Sancto Spiritu" - 4'12

CD 2 [61'01] Credo (Symbolum Nicenum)

1. Chor: "Credo in unum Deum" - 2'40
2. Chor: "Patrem omnipotentem" - 2'09
3. Duett (Sopran, Alt): "Et in unum Dominum" - 5'26
4. Chor: "Et incarnatus est" - 3'40
5. Chor: "Crucifixus" - 3'04
6. Chor: "Et resurrexit" - 4'27
7. Arie (Bass): "Et in Spiritum Sanctum" - 5'37
8. Chor: "Confiteor" - 2'14
9. Chor: "Et expecto" - 5'47

Sanctus

1. Chor: "Sanctus" - 5'47
2. Chor: "Osanna" - 2'55
3. Arie (Tenor): "Benedictus" - 4'56
4. Chor: "Osanna (da capo)" - 2'56

Agnus Dei

1. Arie (Alt): "Agnus Dei" - 6'36
2. Chor: "Dona nobis pacem" - 3'25

Performers

• Maria Stader, Soprano
• Hertha Töpper, Alto/Contralto
• Ernst Haefliger, Tenor
• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Bass
• Kieth Engen, Bass
• Münchener Bach-Chor (Munich Bach Choir)
• Münchener Bach-Orchester (Munich Bach Orchestra)
• Karl Richter, Conductor

Technical Information

• Original Recording: ℗ 1962 Polydor International GmbH, Hamburg
• Remastered Edition: Deutsche Grammophon reissue
• Total Playing Time: 123'00
• Album Art: Cover illustration by Hendrik Andrieszen (Christie's London)
• Artwork: E.G. Haussmann's 1748 portrait of Bach from William H. Scheide Library, Princeton, N.J.

Publishers

Published by Deutsche Grammophon, series: Bach Meisterwerke. Made in Germany.

We value your feedback! Share your experience with this product to help others make informed decisions. Your review is important to us!

Hashtags

#BachBMinorMass #KarlRichter #DeutscheGrammophon #BWV232 #BaroqueChoral #FischerDieskau #MünchenerBachChor #SacredMasterworks #ClassicalRemastered #BachMeisterwerke