J.S. Bach: Mass in B minor

This recording of Bach's Mass in B Minor is a must-have for reasons both obvious and remote. The obvious: This is one of those works that you have with you when you're stranded on a desert island. It is one of the most glorious, moving, and compositionally perfect works ever written. There are many great recordings of this piece, both on "modern" and "authentic" instruments, but this is a separate discussion. This recording, however, deserves special attention. The sound quality is less than perfect, but it offers the listener a rare opportunity to hear an assemblage of performers who fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Conductor George Enescu, an accomplished composer and violin virtuoso, has a complete understanding of this work that is at times baffling in its clarity of vision. French soprano Suzanne Danco, lesser known in the U.S. than in Europe, sings rapturously. When she pairs with the great contralto Kathleen Ferrier, the two produce sounds of otherworldly splendor. Their duet "Et in unum Dominum" is indeed that--one with a Higher Power. Peter Pears, Bruce Boyce, and Norman Walker along with the BBC Chorus, Boyd Neel Orchestra, and amazing continuo players complete this wonderful picture.