J.S. Bach: St. Matthew Passion. Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen – O Lamm Gottes unschuldig
Three weeks ago, I stumbled across a used copy of the classic Otto Klemperer recording of this great work. Even though I already own four other recordings of the work, I could not pass up the bargain price of ten dollars. ( I know, it’s still a vice).
Since then, I have not been able to get the opening coro and chorale off my mind. This always happens whenever I listen to the Matthew Passion.
As an attempt to let go and as an offer for your enjoyment/sanctification, I thought I’d share this video of Tom Koopman’s interpretation of the piece.
Have a good weekend.
Chorus I
Come, ye daughters, share my mourning,
See ye—(Chorus II) whom?—(Chorus I) the bridegroom there,
See him—(Chorus II) how?—(Chorus I) just like a lamb!
Chorale
O Lamb of God, unspotted
Upon the cross’s branch slaughtered,
See ye,—what?—see him forbear,
Alway displayed in thy patience,
How greatly wast thou despisèd.
Look—where, then?—upon our guilt;
All sin hast thou born for us,
Else we had lost all courage.
See how he with love and grace
Wood as cross himself now beareth!
Have mercy on us, O Jesus!
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The old Mengelberg performance of great renown is still the only one I really like. I get out the lp set regularly because it still sounds much better than all the transfers. And for Ebarme dich the incredibly old Jennie Tourel recording from the Casals festivals is well always one to bring tears.
Peter Paul,
I do not have the Mengelberg performance and have never heard it.
I am now very anxious to pick up a copy.
As I have no record player, however, I’ll have to settle for the recent CD transfers on Naxos.
Mark,
Actually I picked up the Lys CD transfer, and those have a bad rep anyways. I have not heard the Naxos transfer, it may very well be fine. At any rate, what should come through regardless is the sense of continuity and coherence between all the different parts of the work, that in other performance, to my ears, sound a bit disjoint. In my view, the work is meant to have a dramatic sweep, which Mengelberg brought to it. Also, many, many people I have known through the years believe only Mengelberg got the opening music just right. I hope you like! One puts aside that he had such a vexed political trajectory, for sake of art. .
Peter Paul,
I actually found a youtube upload of Mengelberg’s opening.
Absolutely amazing…
Mark,
Glad you liked it. Total classic. but if the Youtube upload is the same one I just saw with WWII films as background all I can say, or we can say, is Erbarme dich!
Thanks Mark for sharing this I deeply enjoyed it – in the spirit of sharing enjoyment/sanctification Taize hymns help me a lot to find back to the joy, freedom and peaceful spirit that should inform our religion IMHO – a spirit that is so easily lost if one happens to read pretty much any post of the newest breed of modern day pharisees aka Fr.Z. or accusations of Vox Nova being this or that –
Greg,
Excellent! Thank you for sharing this…