The St. Matthew Passion is overwhelmingly intense for many listeners. Conductors in the mid-20th century classical-record golden age thus often performed it with ruminative tempos and thick glosses of vibrato. The historically-informed performance movement, which called for a return to period instruments and performance practice, changed the performance of the St Matthew Passion for the better. Not just because performances became more historically accurate but because Bach’s shading and textures became infinitely more visible, like a historical painting given a full cleaning. Gardiner was one of the leaders in this pack, and his Passion only increases in intensity the more that it turns away from neo-Romantic practice.

– Sean Wood