When he reviewed the LPs of this recording of Bach's St Matthew Passion, TH pointed out that Karl Richter's approach to interpretation was somewhat akin to that of Klemperer. I agree entirely with him and begin by mentioning it so that readers may understand that there are fundamental distinctions between this performance and others more in keeping with the advances in Bach scholarship and baroque performance practice over the past decade and more. Richter's view of this music is not one to which I personally subscribe but it would be ungenerous and unfair of me not to concede its merits. These seem to me to lie, above all, in the quality of much of the solo singing and in the grandeur and consistency of Richter's over all conception. Peter Schreier is an eloquent, sometimes forceful Evangelist and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau a resonant Jesus. Dame Janet Baker gives a fine performance too, and her account of ''Erbarme dich'', though sharp in pitch to my ears, will delight many listeners. The least known of the soloists is the finnish bass, Matti Salminen; his voice is a very large one but, in the context of this performance, by no means out of place. I have heard the Munich Bach Choir on better form than they are here but, even so, their strongest moments can be impressive. The Regensburg Cathedral Choir provide the second chorus and sound well, though I was a little disappointed by the lack of effective separation between the two. Instrumental obbligatos are well played and well balanced though almost throughout I found the continuo instruments too imposing.
The chief hindrances to seeking out much in the way of satisfaction from this performance concern ponderous tempos, endless rallentandos and the tiresome insistence with which Richter elides the ending of lines in chorale verses with the beginning of the next. He does it, I am sure, in the interests of the words but the point is overstated and, together with an exaggerated legato in the vocal lines, serves the music anything but effectively. Having said that I can honestly say that I have never heard a performance of this work which has obscured its towering stature or blurred its vast design. There is an awe-inspiring grandeur in Richter's view of the opening chorus as it rolls along like a giant snowball becoming more and more formidable as it progresses. We should not forget that he was brought up in the Leipzig Bach tradition which prevailed earlier in the present century. His dramatic conception of the work, based on a deep theological understanding, derived from his teachers at Leipzig. That conception strikes me and may strike others, too, as anachronistic, but it is not based on ignorance nor, if he were alive, today, would Richter be likely to shift towards smaller forces, lighter textures, and faster tempos. This was his last recording of a major Bach vocal work and his commitment to the composer is evident throughout; it is one, furthermore, which is clearly shared by most of those taking part in it. Admirers of Peter Schreier, Dame Janet Baker and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau will certainly wish to hear it and they will not be disappointed. Bach lovers and specialists will need to tread more gingerly though it won't do them any harm to encounter it! Full presentation, with clear and immediate digital sound.'