Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Rudolf Mauersberger – Bach: Matthaeus Passion BWV 244 / St. Matthew’s Passion BWV 244 [3 SACDs] (1970/2021) [SACD / Berlin Classics x Tower Record – 0302061BC ]
![Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Rudolf Mauersberger - Bach: Matthaeus Passion BWV 244 / St. Matthew's Passion BWV 244 [3 SACDs] (1970/2021)](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/01/17/bd5d8680a46febc645b6d103c339c424.jpg "Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Rudolf Mauersberger - Bach: Matthaeus Passion BWV 244 / St. Matthew's Passion BWV 244 [3 SACDs] (1970/2021)")
Title: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Rudolf Mauersberger – Bach: Matthaeus Passion BWV 244 / St. Matthew’s Passion BWV 244 [3 SACDs] (1970/2021)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO
The monumental masterpiece recorded in 1970 by the former East Germany with all its efforts is reproduced in the best sound quality ever. On the 50th anniversary of Rudolf Mauersberger’s death, it was newly reissued from the original ETERNA analog tapes in its home country. World’s first SACD release! Mastered only in the analog domain and converted directly to DSD! This is the 13th SACD hybrid version of the latest reissue of the original ETERNA analog tapes in Japan. The two prestigious East German choirs led by the Mauersberger brothers in 1970 were the Dresden Holy Cross Choir on the left and the Leipzig St. Thomas Church Choir on the right, and together with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, they recorded “Matthew” in analog stereo at Luke’s Church in Dresden. The smoky silver tone and humble performance attitude dedicated to the work were captured in the best possible conditions. The warmth of sound and rich emotion in the chorale is now unheard of, and as the work progresses, the colors of sorrow deepen, beautifully depicting the scenes of the Passion story. The singers are all East German, with Schreier and Adam from the Dresden Choir of the Holy Cross singing with a beautiful voice that is one of a kind, showing a dramatic tension building in their clean, beautiful voices. This performance is what most listeners would agree is the “authentic” Matthew. This recording is a masterpiece representing ETERNA as a recording of the best members of the former East Germany at that time. The recording has been reissued several times, but the appearance of this high-quality disc with renewed sound quality is noteworthy. The recording was made by the famous engineer Streuben, and the breath of the chorus and the atmosphere and realism of the recording location are outstanding. The soloist, 35-year-old Schreier, is a masterpiece. He has been the Evangelist in many recordings, and this disc is considered the best of them all. The chorus is also very skillful and of a high level, which is unique to the former East Germany, and is a great feature of this recording. Furthermore, the Mauersberger brothers’ recording of the Mauersberger Chorus is a compilation of the Mauersberger Brothers’ works, as their older brother Rudolf died the year after this recording was made. For this reissue, the master tapes were flown from the label to the studio of Vienna-based mastering engineer Christoph Stickel, where they were mastered in the analog domain, and then digitized separately in DSD for the SACD layer and PCM for the CD layer. Then, the digitalization was done in two separate systems, DSD for SACD layer and PCM for CD layer. This project realized the ideal method of mastering as far as currently conceivable. The effect is remarkable: it is now possible to reproduce the quality that was left on the master tape with extreme fidelity, and the mastering and direct DSD conversion in the analog domain only has even greater sonic benefits. The result is a performance that is so clear and resolved compared to its predecessor that further appreciation of the performance can be expected. The manual also includes a color photo of the outer box of the original analog master tape used in this project.
![Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Mauersberger - Bach: Hohe Messe in h-Moll BWV 232 / Mass in B minor BWV 232 [2 SACDs] (1958/2021)](https://imghd.xyz/images/2025/01/18/c2debc43ccf85358b04a088a908d52da.jpg "Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Mauersberger - Bach: Hohe Messe in h-Moll BWV 232 / Mass in B minor BWV 232 [2 SACDs] (1958/2021)")