Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Carl Heinrich Graun (1703-1759) was, in his day, a highly regarded composer whose 'Der Tod Jesu (The Death Of Jesus)' was regularly performed in the German-speaking church until the Passions of Bach and Handel relegated it to a position of obscurity. And that, dear reader, sums up both what is good and less good in this recording of Graun's 'GroBe Passion' (Graun WV B:VII:5). Although there is much that is worthwhile it is neither Bach nor Handel and thus will seldom be performed or listened to as it cannot stand the comparison. Also, at 122 minutes, it is way too long for comfort, unless you are fluent in German. Of course this is an unfair criticism: Graun was a German who wrote for Germans and it is only right and proper that he used his own language but this means the rest of the non-German speaking world is excluded. If the music is as sublime as Bach's we can still listen with pleasure, particularly as we know the story, but Graun comes under the heading of worthy but dull. The musical highlights are just too few and far between to leave this listener wanting more. Having said this, the performances are excellent and we tip our hat to the soloists: Veronika Winter (soprano), Hilke Andersen (mezzo soprano), Markus Schafer (tenor), and Ekkehard Abele (bass). It is difficult to imagine a better recording of this piece and it is equally difficult to imagine that anyone would ever want one.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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