I remember saving up my scant student dollars for a used copy of Klemperer's
5 (5! It was THAT slow!) -LP set of the St. Matthew Passion which was for
sale in a shop on the Banks of the Boneyard Lo! many years ago -- and
feeling abysmally horribly betrayed by Otto's sorry sanctimonious sludge
(tho actually the opening chorus was pretty effective).
Not only in the opening chorus -- also in the final chorus -- who did it
better? -- or in the extraordinarily dramatic fugato dealing with "his
blood be on our hands" (Sind Blitze sind Donner ... )
... but yes -- the Klemperer version is painfully draggy in places
(at least I think so). Jesus Christ's last hours of life weren't a quick
walk either but I am not sure that can explain it away entirely.
But just like McCreesh, Klemperer had no real grasp of the piece.
"Just like"?? Nice try -- comparing a grandeur-kissed-by giant who could
sometimes be -- for intermittent, not permanent medical reasons! -- in
soporific mood with all those jolly HIP dwarfs who rush happily their way
through an absurdly revised "J. S. Bach"'s -- "A Valentine's Day Shopping
Spree With Jesus Christ".
regards,
SG
(who thinks one get a better gesheft getting Klemperer's SMP on 7 CDs at
full price than HHMcC's parodies together on 3 CDs on the
"Salvation Army"'s "Give-a-nickel-get-a-passion" label)