Bach: Mass in B minor

Robert Shaw's reading of the B Minor Mass is, in one sense at least, just what one would expect: sober and purposeful, beautifully shaped (Shaw is a master architect), it centers on the chorus. Like all of Shaw's choruses, the Atlanta group has that trademark richness of body and blend, and it sings with utter unanimity as though it were one great voice. Shaw opts for marginally broader tempos than those found in most period-instrument performances but is nowhere near as glacial as some interpreters. Yet oddly enough, the approach seems more idealized, and less passionate and expressive, than one might expect from a conductor famous for giving his singers adrenaline rushes. Proof again that one should expect the unexpected from Shaw, as well as the expected. It's part of his fascination. --Ted Libbey