A confession—though one that must be obvious to anyone who thinks what a record critic's job implies. When you are sent, say, three or four versions of a work of the length of the St Matthew Passion of which you have reviewed the earlier versions several times, you don't listen to every one right through again; you have to rely on your memory and general impression of earlier versions, though checking any particular point that may occur. This time however, since I had two CD versions I thought I should listen to the Richter right through, in case I was relying on an impression which was now rather stale. Directly I started the first great chorus I was astonished at how 'old-fashioned' it now sounded: it is slow and performed with the utmost legato. It takes a fraction under 11 minutes whereas Schreier is well under eight!
The interpretation is at least consistent throughout; and, towards the end, when you get to the crowd's realization of whom they have crucified, ''Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen'' ( ''Truly, this was the Son of God''), Richter's slow tempo and his great crescendo and diminuendo, not to mention the lingering final cadence, are absolutely at one with the whole interpretation.
I do not want to 'knock' Richter whose approach will be what many people prefer to Schreier's. Nicholas Anderson, with whom I agree, though he didn't like the style, emphasized ''the grandeur and consistency of Richter's overall conception'' as impressive in itself. His performance, on the Archiv label, makes do with five soloists, but what a group they are—Edith Mathis, Dame Janet Baker, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Matti Salminen. This means they all, except Fischer-Dieskau (Jesus), sing the arias as well as other roles, and if Richter chose them because they could best convey his own view of this great work, he was abundantly justified.
The Schreier set has many more solo singers, with different voices for even the smallest of parts, and his is a much more conscious attempt to conform to the latest ideas about Bach performances.
It does not go so far as Harnoncourt (Telefunken Das Alte Werk) where no female voice is allowed near a microphone, but is a compromise which is impressive enough but which I do not enjoy so greatly as the more recently issued one with period instruments under Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi), despite the unrelenting treatment of the chorales (Schreier allows a good deal more 'expression'). Neither of these, however, is yet issued on CD, so if you want to enjoy the pleasures of that medium you must for the moment choose between the two listed above; and which you choose must remain your personal taste; but I hope I have given some indications that may help your choice. Both provide good CD listening though Schreier's is naturally rather clearer in its contrapuntal strands.'