[HD Tracks] Cantata Collective, Nicholas McGegan - Bach: St Matthew Passion (3CDs, 2026) FLAC 24-48 - HD & VINYL 24-Bit - MUSIC

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[HD Tracks] Cantata Collective, Nicholas McGegan - Bach: St Matthew Passion (3CDs, 2026) FLAC 24-48

Artist: Cantata Collective, Nicholas McGegan
Title Of Album: Bach: St Matthew Passion
Year Of Release: 2026
Label: Avie Records
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC [Tracks, 24bit/96kHz], cover
Time: 02:49:17 min
Total Size: 1,6 Gb (+1% rec.)

With the St. Matthew Passion, Nicholas McGegan continues, in collaboration with the Cantata Collective, his long-standing exploration of Bach's major choral works for the Avie Records label. Following a well-received St. John Passion and a broadly praised Mass in B minor, this new recording fits into a clearly identifiable aesthetic continuum, favoring reduced forces, crisp articulation, a rejection of the overtly spectacular, and a strong emphasis on textual clarity. Recorded in concert in Berkeley, California, within the spacious yet transparent acoustics of the First Church, the performance leans toward a notably contemplative atmosphere rather than overt dramatic intensity. McGegan adopts generally flexible, at times restrained tempos, allowing the contrapuntal lines to unfold without unnecessary expressive clutter. This approach is particularly effective in the opening and closing choruses, whose discipline is striking given the relatively modest size of the ensemble. The vocal cast proves fairly homogeneous. Tenor Thomas Cooley delivers a fluent and understated Evangelist, favoring narrative continuity over the sharper tragic edges of certain passages. Paul Max Tipton, as Christ, offers a performance that is sober and consistent, though at times slightly too reserved in the most emotionally charged moments of the narrative. Among the solo contributions, Reginald Mobley brings an immediately distinctive vocal color, while Sherezade Panthaki focuses on line and textual clarity. The impression is one of constant control, even if some arias might have benefited from greater contrast and a stronger sense of internal tension. This restraint is, in fact, both the strength and the limitation of the recording. While McGegan avoids unnecessary excess, the dramatic discourse can occasionally feel leveled. Certain pivotal moments, particularly the crowd scenes or some of the recitatives, could arguably sustain more grit and theatrical edge. Listeners seeking a more incisive or emotionally charged interpretation may find the reading restrained over its full length. The sound quality, however, is particularly successful. Captured live but virtually free of audience noise, the recording preserves a very natural sense of space while maintaining an excellent level of instrumental detail. Voices are clearly projected and well separated without any sense of dryness, and the balance consistently supports the intelligibility of the counterpoint. It is a recording that does not aim to impress through sonic spectacle, but rather to quietly serve a musically coherent and carefully considered project.

Tracklist
CD 1 - 01:10:57
St. Matthew Passion, in E Minor BWV 244 (1727) -
01. Pt. 1: No. 1, Chor. "Kommt, ihr Töchter helft mir klagen" - [07:06]
02. Pt. 1: No. 2, Rezitativ. "Da Jesus diese Rede vollendet hatte" - [00:39]
03. Pt. 1: No. 3, Choral. "Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen" - [00:48]
04. Pt. 1: No. 4, Rezitativ. "Da versammleten sich die Hohenpriester" - [03:18]
05. Pt. 1: No. 5, Rezitativ. "Du lieber Heiland du" - [00:54]
06. Pt. 1: No. 6, Aria. "Buß und Reu" - [04:08]
07. Pt. 1: No. 7, Rezitativ. "Da ging hin der Zwölfen einer" - [00:39]
08. Pt. 1: No. 8, Aria. "Blute nur, du liebes Herz!" - [04:51]
09. Pt. 1: No. 9, Rezitative und Chöre. "Aber am ersten Tage der süßen Brot" - [02:19]
10. Pt. 1: No. 10, Choral. "Ich bin's, ich sollte büßen" - [00:52]
11. Pt. 1: No. 11, Rezitativ. "Er antwortete und sprach" - [03:04]
12. Pt. 1: No. 12, Rezitativ. "Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt" - [01:20]
13. Pt. 1: No. 13, Aria. "Ich will dir mein Herz schenken" - [03:27]
14. Pt. 1: No. 14, Rezitativ. "Und da sie den Lobgesang gesprochen hatten" - [01:06]
15. Pt. 1: No. 15, Choral. "Erkenne mich, mein Hüter" - [01:07]
16. Pt. 1: No. 16, Rezitativ. "Petrus aber antwortete und sprach zu ihm" - [01:00]
17. Pt. 1: No. 17, Choral. "Ich will hier bei dir stehen" - [01:07]
18. Pt. 1: No. 18, Rezitativ. "Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe" - [01:42]
19. Pt. 1: No. 19, Rezitativ und Choral. "O Schmerz! Hier zittert das gequälte Herz!" - [01:54]
20. Pt. 1: No. 20, Aria mit Chor. "Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen" - [05:21]
21. Pt. 1: No. 21, Rezitativ. "Und ging hin ein wenig" - [00:44]
22. Pt. 1: No. 22, Rezitativ. "Der Heiland fällt vor seinem Vater nieder" - [00:57]
23. Pt. 1: No. 23, Aria. "Gerne will ich mich bequemen" - [04:06]
24. Pt. 1: No. 24, Rezitativ. "Und er kam zu seinen Jüngern" - [01:16]
25. Pt. 1: No. 25, Choral. "Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit" - [01:08]
26. Pt. 1: No. 26, Rezitativ. "Und er kam und fand sie aber schlafend" - [02:28]
27. Pt. 1: No. 27, Aria und Chor. "So ist mein Jesus nun gefangen" - [04:46]
28. Pt. 1: No. 28, Rezitativ. "Und siehe, einer aus denen" - [02:16]
29. Pt. 1: No. 29, Choral. "O Mensch, bewein' dein' Sünde groß" - [06:34]

CD 2 - 00:55:36
01. Pt. 2: No. 30, Aria mit Chor. "Ach, nun ist mein Jesus hin!" - [03:32]
02. Pt. 2: No. 31, Rezitativ. "Die aber Jesum gegriffen hatten" - [01:09]
03. Pt. 2: No. 32, Choral. "Mir hat die Welt trüglich gericht'" - [00:49]
04. Pt. 2: No. 33, Rezitativ. "Und wiewohl viel falsche" - [01:12]
05. Pt. 2: No. 34, Rezitativ. "Mein Jesus schweigt zu falschen Lügen stille" - [01:00]
06. Pt. 2: No. 35, Aria. "Geduld!" - [03:40]
07. Pt. 2: No. 36, Rezitative und Chöre. "Und der Hohepriester antworte" - [02:13]
08. Pt. 2: No. 37, Choral. "Wer hat dich so geschlagen" - [00:58]
09. Pt. 2: No. 38, Rezitative und Chor. "Petrus aber saß draußen im Palast" - [02:29]
10. Pt. 2: No. 39, Aria. "Erbarme dich" - [06:05]
11. Pt. 2: No. 40, Choral. "Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen" - [01:08]
12. Pt. 2: No. 41, Rezitative und Chor. "Des Morgens aber hielten alle Hohepriester" - [01:53]
13. Pt. 2: No. 42, Aria. "Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder" - [03:02]
14. Pt. 2: No. 43, Rezitativ. "Sie hielten aber einen Rat" - [02:24]
15. Pt. 2: No. 44, Choral. "Befiehl du deine Wege" - [01:11]
16. Pt. 2: No. 45, Rezitativ und Chor. "Auf das Fest aber hatte der Landpfleger" - [02:34]
17. Pt. 2: No. 46, Choral. "Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diese Strafe" - [00:48]
18. Pt. 2: No. 47, Rezitativ. "Der Landpfleger sagte" - [00:17]
19. Pt. 2: No. 48, Rezitativ. "Er hat uns allen wohlgetan" - [01:01]
20. Pt. 2: No. 49, Aria. "Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben" - [04:50]
21. Pt. 2: No. 50, Rezitative und Chöre. "Sie schrieen aber noch mehr" - [02:09]
22. Pt. 2: No. 51, Rezitativ. "Erbarm' es Gott" - [01:08]
23. Pt. 2: No. 52, Aria. "Können Tränen meinen Wangen" - [06:27]
24. Pt. 2: No. 53, Rezitative und Chor. "Da nahmen die Kriegsknechte" - [01:16]
25. Pt. 2: No. 54, Choral. "O Haupt voll Blut und wunden" - [02:21]

CD 3 - 00:42:44
01. Pt. 2: No. 55, Rezitativ. "Und da sie ihn verspottet hatten" - [00:55]
02. Pt. 2: No. 56, Rezitativ. "Ja freilich will in uns das Fleisch und Blut" - [00:37]
03. Pt. 2: No. 57, Aria. "Komm, süßes Kreuz, so will ich sagen" - [06:11]
04. Pt. 2: No. 58, Rezitative und Chöre. "Und da sie an die Stätte kamen" - [03:43]
05. Pt. 2: No. 59, Rezitativ. "Ach Golgotha" - [01:25]
06. Pt. 2: No. 60, Aria mit Chor. "Sehet, Jesus hat die Hand" - [03:18]
07. Pt. 2: No. 61, Rezitative und Chöre. "Und von der sechsten Stunde an" - [02:19]
08. Pt. 2: No. 62, Choral. "Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden" - [01:25]
09. Pt. 2: No. 63, Rezitativ. "Und siehe da, der Vorhang im Tempel zerriß" - [03:01]
10. Pt. 2: No. 64, Rezitativ. "Am Abend, da es kühle war" - [01:54]
11. Pt. 2: No. 65, Aria. "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein" - [06:55]
12. Pt. 2: No. 66, Rezitative und Chor. "Und Joseph nahm den Leib" - [02:55]
13. Pt. 2: No. 67, Rezitativ mit Chor. "Nun ist der Herr zur Ruh gebracht" - [02:03]
14. Pt. 2: No. 68, Chor. "Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder" - [06:03]