Bach Collegium Japan & Masaaki Suzuki – J.S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (2020) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Masaaki Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan made their first recording of the St Matthew Passion in March 1999. Twenty years later, in April 2019, it was time once again, as the singers and players gathered in the concert hall of the Saitama Arts Theater in Japan. ‘A profound joy’ is how Masaaki Suzuki describes his emotion at the opportunity to record Bach’s great fresco of Christ’s Passion for a second time. And this time, he and his ensemble have brought with them into the concert hall a profound and collective familiarity with Bach’s choral music, after having recorded more or less all of it in the meantime, including the complete sacred cantatas. For his Evangelist, Suzuki has selected the young German tenor Benjamin Bruns, making his first appearance on BIS. Among the other soloists are familiar names including Carolyn Sampson, Damien Guillon, Makoto Sakurada and Christian Immler.

“A great joy”: this is how Masaaki Suzuki considers this, his second recording of the St. Matthew’s Passion, made twenty years after the first one, in the Saitama Arts Theatre in Japan in April 2019 for the BIS label. A great opportunity to revisit the work, as in the elapsed time, the conductor and his orchestra have nearly completely recorded Bach’s choral music, including the complete masses and secular and sacred cantatas. As is his custom, Suzuki works with European soloists for this new recording, like the splendid young German tenor Benjamin Bruns, playing the stupendous part of the Evangelist. There are other familiar soloists that feature here, such as Carolyn Sampson, Damien Guillon, Makoto Sakurada and Christian Immler.

There is nothing monumental about this new intimate and refined version, which follows the fateful narrative with great sobriety. There is nevertheless a fervent level of impulse, as well as a certain innocence within this resolutely pared back Lutheran perspective – there is never any real search for theatricality. The exceptional instrumental quality of the soloists of the Bach Collegium Japan and the soft touches of the two choral ensembles is also worth highlighting. – François Hudry

Tracklist:
01. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 1, Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen (8:20)
02. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 2, Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte (0:40)
03. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 3, Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen (0:39)
04. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 4, Da versammleten sich die Hohenpriester und Schriftgelehrten (2:56)
05. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 5, Du lieber Heiland du (0:56)
06. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 6, Buß und Reu (3:56)
07. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 7, Da ging hin der Zwölfen einer (0:40)
08. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 8, Blute nur, du liebes Herz (4:48)
09. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 9, Aber am ersten Tage der süssen Brot (2:14)
10. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 10, Ich bin’s, ich sollte büßen (0:42)
11. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 11, Er antwortete und sprach (2:52)
12. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 12, Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt (1:17)
13. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 13, Ich will dir mein Herze schenken (3:18)
14. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 14, Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten (1:00)
15. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 15, Erkenne mich, mein Hüter (0:57)
16. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 16, Petrus aber antwortete und sprach (0:59)
17. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 17, Ich will hier bei dir stehen (0:53)
18. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 18, Da kam Jesus mit ihnen (1:51)
19. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 19, O Schmerz! (1:41)
20. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 20, Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen (4:55)
21. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 21, Und ging hin ein wenig (0:41)
22. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 22, Der Heiland fällt vor seinem Vater nieder (1:03)
23. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 23, Gerne will ich mich bequemen (4:06)
24. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 24, Und er kam zu seinen Jüngern und fand sie schlafend (1:08)
25. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 25, Was mein Gott will, das gscheh allzeit (0:53)
26. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 26, Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend (2:23)
27. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 27, So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen (4:30)
28. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 28, Und siehe, einer aus denen, die mit Jesu waren (2:05)
29. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 1: No. 29, O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (6:24)
30. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 30, Ach, nun ist mein Jesus hin (3:28)
31. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 31, Die aber Jesum gegriffen hatten (1:02)
32. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 32, Mir hat die Welt trüglich gericht’t (0:34)
33. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 33, Und wiewohl viel falsche Zeugen herzutraten (1:09)
34. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 34, Mein Jesus schweigt zu falschen Lügen stille (1:14)
35. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 35, Geduld, Geduld! Wenn mich falsche Zungen stechen (3:57)
36. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 36, Und der Hohenpriester antwortete (2:01)
37. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 37, Wer hat dich so geschlagen (0:38)
38. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 38, Petrus aber saß draußen im Palast (2:26)
39. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 39, Erbarme dich, mein Gott, um meiner Zähren Willen (6:20)
40. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 40, Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen (1:03)
41. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 41, Des Morgens aber hielten alle Hohepriester und die Ältesten des Volks einen Rat (1:50)
42. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 42, Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder (2:48)
43. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 43, Sie hielten aber einen Rat und kauften einen Töpfersacker (2:13)
44. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 44, Befiehl du deine Wege (1:00)
45. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 45, Auf das Fest aber hatte der Landpfleger Gewohnheit (2:20)
46. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 46, Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diese Strafe (0:39)
47. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 47, Der Landpfleger sagte (0:18)
48. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 48, Er hat uns allen wohlgetan (1:13)
49. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 49, Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben (5:11)
50. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 50, Sie schrieen aber noch mehr und sprachen (1:50)
51. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 51, Erbarm es Gott! (1:08)
52. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 52, Können Tränen meiner Wangen (5:59)
53. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 53, Da nahmen die Kriegsknechte des Landpflegers Jesum (1:10)
54. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 54, O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (1:56)
55. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 55, Und da sie ihn verspottet hatten (0:57)
56. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 56, Ja freilich will in uns das Fleisch und Blut (0:39)
57. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 57, Komm, süßes Kreuz, so will ich sagen (5:44)
58. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 58, Und da sie an die Stätte kamen (3:29)
59. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 59, Ach Golgatha, unselges Golgatha! (1:40)
60. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 60, Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand (2:58)
61. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 61, Und von der sechsten Stunde an (2:21)
62. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 62, Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden (1:22)
63. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 63, Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel (2:55)
64. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 64, Am Abend, da es kühle war (1:47)
65. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 65, Mache dich, mein Herze, rein (6:05)
66. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 66, Und Joseph nahm den Leib (2:38)
67. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 67, Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh gebracht (2:10)
68. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 68, Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder (6:15)