Bach: Messe in h-moll, BWV 232

Bach’s Mass in B minor (BWV 232) is his only complete Latin Mass. Composed during the final years of his life, it combines newly composed movements with revised earlier ones, forming a musical synthesis of his work and representing a pinnacle of Baroque music.

Karl Richter’s 1961 recording with the Munich Bach Choir and Orchestra is still regarded as a legendary reference recording today. It impresses with its cohesive sound, clear interpretation, and outstanding soloists.

To achieve the best possible sound quality, the recordings have been remastered and cut purely analogue for the first time from the original two-track tapes.

The audiophile vinyl series The Original Source presents outstanding recordings in a whole new sound quality. For this, the renowned Emil Berliner Studios have remastered and cut the original multitrack tapes in 100% analog quality (AAA) using technologies developed specifically to produce the series. The sonic differences to the original releases are considerable: greater clarity, more subtleties and improvements in frequency response, while at the same time less background noise, distortion and compression allow for an audiophile listening experience like never before.

Issued on 180g vinyl and presented in a deluxe 3-LP box set, this limited and numbered release includes additional photos and facsimiles of the original recording logs and tape boxes.

Tracklisting:

LP1

Side A I. Kyrie: No.

1.     1, Kyrie eleison (Chorus)

2.     2, Christe eleison (Soprano I, II)

3.     3, Kyrie eleison (Chorus)

Side B II. Gloria: No.

1.     1, Gloria in excelsis Deo – No. 2, Et in terra pax (Chorus)

2.     3, Laudamus te (Soprano II)

3.     4, Gratias agimus tibi (Chorus)

LP2

Side A II. Gloria: No.

1.     5, Domine Deus (Soprano I, Tenor)

2.     6, Qui tollis peccata mundi (Chorus)

3.     7, Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris (Alto)

4.     8, Quoniam tu solus sanctus (Bass)

5.     9, Cum Sancto Spiritu (Chorus)

Side B III. Credo: No.

1.     1, Credo in unum Deum (Chorus)

2.     2, Patrem omnipotentem (Chorus)

3.     3, Et in unum Dominum (Soprano I, Alto)

4.     4, Et incarnatus est (Chorus)

5.     5, Crucifixus etiam pro nobis (Chorus)

6.     6, Et resurrexit tertia die (Chorus)

LP3

Side A III. Credo: No.

1.     7, Et in Spiritum Sanctum (Bass)

2.     8, Confiteor unum baptisma (Chorus)

3.     9, Et exspecto resurrectionem (Chorus)

4.     IV. Sanctus: No. 1, Sanctus, Domine Deus (Chorus)

Side B

1.     IV. Sanctus: No. 2, Osanna in excelsis (Chorus)

2.     V. Benedictus: No. 1, Benedictus qui venit (Tenor)

3.     V. Benedictus: No. 2, Osanna in excelsis (Chorus)

4.     VI. Agnus Dei: No. 1, Agnus Dei (Alto)

5.     VI. Agnus Dei: No. 2, Dona nobis pacem (Chorus)