Bach: St Matthew Passion (3CD)

Although Bach wrote four (or five) settings of the Passions only two have survived; the St. Matthew Passion (Matthaus-Passion) and the St John Passion. The St. Matthew Passion was probably first performed on Good Friday (11 April) 1727 in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, where Bach was the Kantor of the School and Directoris Chori musici of Leipzig. He had revised it by 1736, performing it again on 30 March 1736, this time including two organs in the instrumentation. He further revised and performed it again on 24 March 1742. Considered to be one of the greatest pieces of sacred music in Western music, it has been recorded many times, and this version, recorded in July 1964 has remained one of the reference recordings of the work, not least for the inclusion of Fritz Wunderlich as performer of the tenor arias, as well as the rest of the supreme vocal cast which includes Pears, Prey, Ameling and Krause.

Booklet notes are by the producer of this recording, the great Ray Minshull, and full texts, together with a new English translation are included.