Bach: Mass in B minor
One of the most frequently mentioned "favorite" works of Bach, the B Minor  Mass is not really a functional liturgical work, but an assemblage of movements written  over a period of many years. Its grand scale is certainly awesome, but its musical and  spiritual unity is more remarkable, considering its origin and the fact that it contains  several different compositional styles--not to mention some of Bach's most profound and  beautiful music. Performing this work and preserving a sense of its grand design while  bringing out the considerable musical details is a challenge that most choirs, orchestras,  and conductors are not up to. Almost by consensus, however, John Eliot Gardiner's  version is the most successful--and it is indeed a phenomenal recording--at once  sumptuous and penetrating, with gorgeous choral and solo singing, and spacious, vibrant  sound.--David Vernier