Bach's Mass in B minor is already well represented in the current catalogue with performances by Andrew Parrott, John Eliot Gardiner, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Gustav Leonhardt, Joshua Rifkin and others too. Here is a new one from the chorus and orchestra of the Ghent Collegium Vocale under their director, Philippe Herreweghe. The other version listed above in the titling is not in fact a new issue but a transfer to CD of Harnoncourt's second of two recordings, which he made in 1985. I did not enjoy the Harnoncourt when I reviewed the LPs two years ago feeling that he had been rather badly let down by the Arnold Schonberg Choir which turned in a dispiriting account both of the Kyrie and Gloria. The soloists, too were disappointing with Kurt Equiluz and Angela Maria Blasi making a far from convincing partnership in the ''Domine Deus''. Harnoncourt himself has chosen some curious tempos notably, perhaps, an unsettlingly slow pace for the opening Kyrie which hardly makes any impact whatsoever. Listening now to the CDs I am once more drawn to the same conclusions: that Harnoncourt was illserved by choir and soloists and that even his usually polished Vienna Concentus Musicus hardly seemed up to their customary high standard of playing, with weak oboe and trumpet playing.
Compared with Harnoncourt's later version of the B minor Mass, Herreweghe makes a more favourable impression. His choir are or sound, considerably smaller, with seven sopranos divided into I and II, four altos (men and women), five tenors and five basses. The sound-quality is pleasing though not in fact enhanced by a close plummy balance. There are some fine solo instrumental contributions from the orchestra, too, although in ensemble I sometimes found the attack spongy and at times ragged. In matters of tempo and perhaps, too, in his general view of Bach's Mass, Herreweghe comes closer to Leonhardt's approach (EMI Deutsche Harmonia Mundi CDC169541-8, 12/86 nla) than to Parrott (EMI), Gardiner (Archiv Produktion) or the 1968 Harnoncourt version (also Teldec/ASV—transferred to CD and reviewed in 1986). The choruses are weighter than those of Parrott though by no means lacklustre, but I was dismayed at times by ragged ensemble (the opening of the Credo), rhythmic unsteadiness (''Confiteor''), and poor intonation (Sanctus). Tempos are moderately judged—safe would be one way of putting it, yet I very much like Herreweghe's expansive view of the music. He allows it time to breathe naturally and allows me time for reflection. In short, the supreme contemplative element in the music is seldom overlooked. The ''Domine Deus'' duet for soprano and tenor is a particularly good example of Herreweghe's relaxed manner. He allows the music to float ethereally with a natural respiratory rhythm, drawing affecting performances from Barbara Schlick, Howard Crook and Patrick Beuckels (flute). The second soprano Catherine Patriasz gives a pleasing performance of the ''Laudamus te'', though John Holloway in the Parrott recording and Elizabeth Wilcock in the John Eliot Gardiner one provide more winning violin obbligato accompaniments than that of Fransois Fernandez, whose playing lacks their poise and assurance. Charles Brett is convincing in the ''Qui sedes'' and affecting in the Agnus Dei and the bass, Peter Kooy is fluent and resonant in the ''Quoniam'' and ''Et in Spiritum Sanctum''.
My only serious reservation about Herreweghe's set concerns the sound of the recording itself. Many readers may not be bothered by the close balance but to my ears it is contrived, lacking the perspective which music on this scale requires. There is no way in which these forces could be gathered into the sort of drawing-room or ante-chamber implied by this acoustic. There is little or no space around the music and this has contributed towards a slight muddying of the textures, choral ones in particular. Musically, on the other hand, Herreweghe's view of the B minor Mass is largely convincing.
However, a clear recommendation of one version over another is somewhat pointless since most of the performances under discussion differ considerably in their aims and priorities. Andrew Parrott's recording remains top of my own list on account of the small forces, reduced but not 'ad absurdam', allowing for wonderfully transparent textures yet losing nothing in strength. Gardiner's version is impressive above all for the disciplined often exciting, choral singing and for Michaei Chance's Agnus Dei. Harnoncourt's earlier recording is alone among these in using boy trebles and altos in the choruses and Leonhardt is impressive for the way in which he conveys a strong sense of unity within the work. But Leonhardt's choir are disappointing and his soloists uneven, Herreweghe scores here with a uniformly strong solo group and a considerably abler choir though not equal to Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir or Parrott's Taverner Consort. Best of luck!'