Bach's St Matthew Passion ranks in 85th place in Classic FM's Hall of Fame, being described as one of the greatest masterpieces of classical sacred music. Or so says this article, which also narrates how Felix Mendelssohn revived interest in Bach's music 80 years after his death by putting on a performance of the work.
It's an epic composition, stretching to just under three hours in length. I opted for a tasting platter of a few select arias instead of the whole banquet. One of them features a performance by countertenor Tim Mead which I found more than a little unsettling. It's not just the abnormaly high male voice (I mean, I can sing that high in my falsetto voice too), it's the elastic jaw and slightly dubbed feel. I'm sure if I closed my eyes I would really enjoy the music. No offence Tim.
By the way, this looks like another HIP, or Historically Informed Performance (see my last post). There's something really soothing about the soft sound of a wooden flute.
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