Bach’s Mass in B minor is undoubtedly his most spectacular choral work and this 2010 soloist-led performance by Dunedin Consort enables a level of clarity...

Bach’s Mass in B minor is undoubtedly his most spectacular choral work and this 2010 soloist-led performance by Dunedin Consort enables a level of clarity and expression that is not traditionally a feature of modern choral performance. Another huge critical success for Dunedin Consort, it was described as ‘spine-tingling’, an ‘electric performance’ and ‘a definitive recording’; it also earned a Gramophone ‘Editor’s Choice’ accolade. Dunedin Consort performs the premiere recording of the work in the 2006 Breitkopf & Härtel edition, edited by Joshua Rifkin, a leading thinker in authentic period performance, who fully endorses John Butt’s interpretation. The music capitalizes on the very essence of the group’s skills: skilled virtuosic choral performance coupled with outstanding, characterful solo singing. This recording features several soloists from Dunedin Consort’s acclaimed recording of Bach’s Matthew Passion, which was named a ‘Benchmark Recording’ by BBC Music Magazine.