Ashley Riches reviews
Proud Songsters – English Solo Song
Michael Chance, Lawrence Zazzo, Tim Mead (countertenor), et al, Simon Lepper (piano) (King's College)
Salieri: Armida
Lenneke Ruiten, et al; Choeur de Chambre de Namur; Les Talens Lyriques/Christoph Rousset (Aparté)
J Gardner: The Ballad of the White Horse, etc
Ashley Riches (baritone); City of London Choir; Paulina Voices; BBC Concert Orchestra/Hilary Davan Wetton (EM Records)
Purcell: The Fairy Queen
Carolyn Sampson, Anna Dennis (soprano), et al; Gabrieli/Paul McCreesh (Signum Classics)
John Eliot Gardiner conducts JS Bach's St Matthew Passion
It is almost 30 years since John Eliot Gardiner made his first commercial recording of Bach’s Great Passion, as his family were accustomed to call it. Gardiner’s approach has not significantly changed over the decades though one discernible difference is a mixed male and female voice texture for the alto strand of the choral numbers as opposed to the all-male countertenor line up of the earlier version. I prefer the mixed sound though some readers may not.