MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Bach: St.Matthew Passion (recorded in 1954)

"Furtwangler mustered a conspicuously fine group of soloists, notable among whom in the context of this work are Anton Dermota and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Their contributions perhaps provide the strongest reasons for wanting this St Matthew Passion. But there is another, too, and that is Furtwangler's profoundly expressive response to the piece and his feeling for the dark, grief-laden side to the drama. We have only to listen to the emotionally charged, but sensitive and beautifully sustained string playing of the recitative beginning with the Evangelist's words, ''Da kam Jesus mit ihnen zu einem Hofe'' (first disc, track 22) to see how deeply contemplative and personal was Furtwangler's contribution." Gramophone