John Eliot Gardiner - J.S. Bach: Mass in B minor (1985) CD-Rip

Gardiner’s account has all the virtues of a well-done period-instrument rendition – flow, clarity of texture and articulation, color – yet conveys the sweep, grandeur and weight that are an essential part of Bach’s conception, thereby combining the best of the new and the traditional. There is excellent choral work from the Monteverdi Choir, singing four or five to a part. The soloists, chosen from the ranks of the choir, have soft voices but are well blended and can always be distinguished over the chorus. The “Christe eleison” duet from Lynne Dawson and Carol Hall is particularly lovely. The recording, made in 1985, is open, clear, and spacious. – Ted Libbey, author of The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection.