Herreweghe achieves purity and unity in Bach's Mass in B minor

By Nahoko Gotoh, 19 June 2019

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“Herreweghe... has an ideal sonority for this music in his mind”

Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 14 June 2019

Bach, Mass in B minor, BWV232

Collegium Vocale Gent

Philippe Herreweghe, Conductor

Dorothee Mields, Soprano

Hana Blažíková, Soprano

Alex Potter, Countertenor

Thomas Hobbs, Tenor

Krešimir Stražanac, Baritone

The dark side of Arcadia: Collegium Vocale Gent at Musikfest Berlin

Elena Luporini, 27th August

At this year's Musikfest Berlin, the Collegium Vocale Gent and Philippe Herreweghe perform a programme inspired by Arcadia, in what could might as well be a pastoral concept album.

****1

Philippe Herreweghe conducts an energetic Mozart Requiem in Antwerp

Edward Sava-Segal, 7th May

Despite distancing, the members of Collegium Vocale Gent filled the Queen Elisabeth Hall with an impressively cohesive sound, transparent and powerful at the same time.

****1

A near miss in Mozart's Requiem

Dominic Lowe, 26th August

Although Ács Ákos gave an excellent performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, Iván Fischer's innovative Requiem didn't quite work.

***11

Haydn's Creation not quite a Big Bang at Holland Festival

Nicolas Nguyen, 13th June

At the Holland Festival, the performance of Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with film images by Julian Rosefeldt does not quite unfold as the spectacle it promises on paper.

**111

Funeral Anthem proves an inspired opener for the Oslo International Church Music Festival

Travis Mason, 4th March

A stunning performance of virtuosic ensemble singing by Collegium Vocale Gent to open the 16th Oslo International Church Music Festival

****1

A restrained Missa solemnis from Herreweghe

David Pinedo, 12th February

Philippe Herreweghe deftly coordinated the four vocalists, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and his Collegium Vocale Gent through Beethoven’s challenging score.

***11

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Nahoko Gotoh

Nahoko is a UK-based Japanese music journalist with a background in musicology. She writes regularly for various Japanese media including Ongaku no tomo and Mostly Classic magazines.