Bach: Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion)

With all the (deserving) attention paid these days to period instruments and performance practices, it remains for any period performance group to equal or surpass this magnificent production, recorded in 1961. With soloists of a caliber hard to match today, and one of the world’s finest orchestras and choruses, this recording brings the deeply spiritual and dramatic aspects of the work together in a way that is nothing less than revelatory. The opening chorus alone is a marvel of conducting artistry and soul- stirring choral singing. There are many more-recent recordings with better sound and much quicker tempos, but this one is not to be missed. –David Vernier