The Bach Choir of Bethlehem last Fall performed the first complete reconstruction of Felix Mendelssohn’s 1841 version of Bach's Matthäus Passion, which used a symphonic sized orchestra and choir, among other changes. The recording of this concert was recently released on the Analekta label as the premiere recording of Malcolm Bruno and Caroline Ritchie’s new edition published in 2023 by Bärenreiter-Verlag. The choir is joined by the Bach Festival Orchestra and soloists.
Mendelssohn performed the Bach oratorio in 1829 and again in 1841, and Bruno's edition takes a fascinating cross sectioning of these two into a wholly new rendering of this masterpiece. Bach Choir Music Director Dr. Christopher Jackson joins David Osenberg as a co-host for this powerful program, which will be rebroadcast next Monday (4/1) at 8 pm.
