Bach: Mass in B minor (2-CD)

by Martin Pearlman / Boston Baroque

Right out of the box, this must be considered one of the finer accounts of the B minor Mass currently available on disc, and at Telarc's two-for-one pricing, it's one of the most affordable as well. Recorded in May 1999 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts, it features a well-nigh ideal complement of musicians--a chorus of 28 and an orchestra of 31--in an acoustically excellent setting, under the direction of one of America's foremost baroque specialists, Martin Pearlman. Fluent, engaging, informed, and insightful, the performance is proof that North American period-instrument playing has come of age. In fact, the playing of the Boston Baroque ensemble is the chief glory of this account. Individually and collectively an outstanding group of instrumentalists, they deliver the obbligato solos with impeccable flair across the board, while their tutti playing is agile yet substantial in sound. The Boston Baroque choristers are not quite up to the level of their colleagues; in places, their singing lacks the ultimate degree of polish and projection, though it is unfailingly animated and communicative: witness the beautiful job they do with "Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum" and the final "Dona nobis pacem." There is much good work from the soloists as well, though a couple of them phrase their numbers rather choppily and could show more expressive finesse. Telarc's recording is spacious and atmospheric, yet dry enough to be nicely detailed. There are also good notes from conductor Pearlman, who with this release further solidifies his reputation as an interpreter of Bach. --Ted Libbey