Dunno but wanted to acknowledge an interesting question
No doubt there are a few old recordings in English knocking about. And there's this British recording from 1978 :
http://www.amazon.com/J-S-Bach-St-Matthew-Passion/dp/B000J233L2
More recent in date (and apparently style) from 2009 is this :
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Orchid%2BClassics/ORC100007#listen
Both recordings seem to have reviews on the Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com sites.
I have the Willcocks--Robert Tear and Shirley-Quirk are top class singers, and there's nothing _wrong_ with this performance, but performance practices have come a long way in 30 years (largely, in my opinion, for the better). I assume you have your reasons for seeking a performance in English, but it's very rarely I would listen to this rather than Suzuki or Gardiner doing the original text. Bach is worth brushing up one's German for.
I also have the Willcocks version. The performance is nice, but the audio quality isn't great. The audio is uninspiring enough that I wish I'd have gotten a better recording in German instead.
Hi, new to the forum. I have the 2009 recording with Jeffrey Skidmore leading Ex Cathedra. As an English-speaking person (all be it my second language), it's good to have such a recording to have the text directly impact me as the listener. And, it's not the oldish English that Bernstein and his forces used for recording in 1962/63. Have a blessed Good Friday!
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.