Passionate about the Passion

Coincidental with Mr. Haefliger's passing is the fact that it is Lent and time for my yearly pilgrimage through my St. Matthew Passion recordings. There are some traditions that I hold dear and revisting this monument of a work is one of them.

Over the years that I've studied the Matthew Passion, both as a singer and conductor, I am always amazed at the sheer beauty of the piece. It is certainly as dramatic as any opera, but the moments that allow us to reflect, take me to place of greatest peace and beauty.

My collection is neither large nor small and I don't intend to review every performance. None, I regret, is perfect, but many capture the spirit of the work. My first was the Klemperer and while I can no longer take the ponderous tempi, it is the first time that I appreciated Pears' art and I wouldn't be without Ludwig's wonderful singing. On the other hand I could definitely do without Schwarzkopf's.

I can no longer listen to Harnoncourt's first recording since Ridderbusch sings Christus and given what I learned about him after his death, I find it too perverse. Happily Harnoncourt recorded it a second time with the wonderful Christine Schäfer, Christoph Prégardien, and Matthias Goerne. I really like original instruments in Bach and I find Harnoncourt's eccentricities effective in this recording.

I don't take well to Gardiner's way with Bach, which I feel emphasizes the dance roots to the point of flippancy. I need my Bach somewhat more weighty than this. I'm also somewhat allergic to Rolfe-Johnson's voice in this recording, although much of the other solo singing is quite beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful solo singing, perhaps the most beautiful of all is to be found on Münchinger's indifferently conducted version. Pears is scarcely less good (although less dramatic) than on the Klemperer and the only (relatively) weak spot is Höffgen, whose voice isn't as opulent as Ludwig or Ferrier. But Ameling, Krause, and Prey, are first-rate. And above all stands Wunderlich. The are no words to adequately describe the beauty of his singing. If there is such a thing as perfection, this is it.

There are other versions that warrant a footnote. Gunther Ramin's wartime recording with the authoritative Karl Erb and masterful Gerhard Hüsch. Unfortunately this abridgement (oddly some recitatives are left in, shorn of their arias) make it a curiosity. Karajan's 1950 version gives us the incomparable and tragic Ferrier in the alto arias and Walther Ludwig as an effective Evangelist.

But the recording I turn too most often is the 1958 Richter. It is no longer HIP, but it seems paced just right to me and besides Haefliger has the wonderful Seefried (a little late but still good) and Fischer-Dieskau in his most fluid voice in the arias. Töpper is also very good and although I have a little problem with Engen's voice, I find this the performance that moves me most of all.

The great thing about a piece like this is that it inspires and even demands constant re-evaluations. So as conductors look at it anew, I too will continue to listen and learn from the great Bach and those who aspire to bring him to life.

Ernst Haefliger

Not much commented upon, but I think of great importance, is the death of tenor Ernst Haefliger at the age of 87. There was an obituary in my local paper, but to my knowledge none has appeared in the NY Times. Perhaps it is because he didn't have a great American career and yet his importance can't be denied.

Although he sang opera at the Deutsche Opera Berlin for two decades, he will most associated with the Bach Evangelists and that is how it should be. He was the premier Bach interpreter from the time of Karl Erb until Peter Schreier. He did not have the beautiful liquid voice that Wunderlich had for example, but it was an appreciable talent, as Karl Richter rightly recognized in his several recordings of the Bach Passions and Cantatas. Later on he finally appeared under the Met's aegis as the Speaker in two performances of Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, one at Carnegie Hall and one in Japan.

I treasure the 1958 Richter recording of the St. Matthew Passion, with the incomparable Irmgard Seefried, Hertha Töpper and Kieth Engen, not to mention a relatively young Fischer-Dieskau. This set the standard for an era and while there are certainly more HIP accounts now, this has not lost its timelessness.

Update: The NY Times has now posted an obituary on its website (twice actually).