This is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and a recording which marks the centenary of the town's Bach Choir, the oldest of its kind in America. One envies the civic support and pride of such an organisation where each soloist and instrumental principal holds an endowed chair. As so few recordings of the Christmas Oratorio have emerged in recent years sans period instruments, it is interesting to observe how Funfgeld traverses a tradition of worthy conservatism with a few conscious or subliminal responses to 'period' characteristics and gestures. In fact, the latter can only be discerned in what appears to be a distillation of received information on brisk tempos, textural clarity and biting articulation, as well as an overall feeling for scale. There are indeed fundamental contradictions in his approach (such as the juxtaposition of slushy sentimentalism in the Terzetto of Part 5, 'Ach! Wann wird die Zeit erscheinen?' with the geometric soprano aria, 'Nur ein Wink'), though these are less serious than the plainly unsympathetic treatment of so much in these six cantata-tableaux which make up the Oratorio. The great slumber aria, 'Schlafe, mein liebster', sung by Marietta Simpson, is neither caressed with the embracing warmth Bach hands to the interpreter on a plate, nor allowed to escape from exasperating inertia; so too, 'Bereite dich', the first aria in the Oratorio, whose foursquare phrasing hardly conveys the imploring desire of the disciple to satisfy his Lord. The Evangelist is the Canadian, Benjamin Butterfield, and whilst he is a committed communicator, his all-or-nothing upper register leaves little room for variety of colour to mollify a rather unrelaxed vocal presence.
There are some intermittently impressive moments such as the flexible bass singing of Christopheren Nomura; he and Tamara Matthews find the expressive core of the latter recitative/chorale 'Wohlan!' in Part 4. The solo wind contributions may not be to everyone's taste but there can be no doubt that these are highly accomplished players. Indeed, the technical expertise of the Bach Festival Orchestra often brings focus to the relatively sluggish choral contributions (that said, I enjoyed 'Fallt mit Danken', the opening chorus of Part 4 where the music was given an agreeable lilt and the textural rapport between choir and instruments luminous and controlled).
Overall, this recording does not figure in a strong field. The musical direction appears strangely unformed throughout and insights are all too rare. Richter's 1965 version still has some appeal for those wanting a so-called 'mainstream' account but for a recording just as mainstream in its way, and with all-round delights, look no further than Suzuki.'