The revival of interest in Mendelssohn’s two oratorios symbolized by their recordings shows no sign of coming to an end. This, the latest Paulus, is a welcome addition to the roster. It competes not with the recent chamber-like ‘authentic’ readings but with the traditional reading of Masur, till now my prime recommendation. By a hair’s breadth I would now transfer allegiance to Rilling because in every department save one, tenor soloist, his version is the equal of, or better than Masur’s.
Rilling himself matches his German colleague in giving dramatic life to a work that can all too easily ramble episodically. His own Stuttgart choir, such a revered group, and the Czech forces partnering them make certain that their conviction comes across to us boldly. Each section is firmly integrated into the whole even if the Philips set offers the greater clarity in being, by a small margin, more immediately recorded.
Excellent as is Masur’s Theo Adam in the title part, Schmidt excels him by virtue of his steadier, warmer voice, and Schmidt is just as inside the role as his veteran rival. His singing of “Gott sei gnadig” is both firmly phrased and movingly interpreted. Young Juliane Banse, Glyndebourne’s delightful Zerlina in 1994, sings her recitatives and solos, especially “Jerusalem”, with notable beauty of tone, equalling Masur’s Janowitz. The youthful German-Canadian tenor Michael Schade is an artist of the utmost refinement and intelligence but yields to Masur’s Blochwitz in terms of tonal beauty.
If you already have the Masur you need not feel you have second-best but if you’re a newcomer to the work, if possible try both versions alongside each other before making a decision. Schmidt will probably win you over to Rilling.'