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Why did Bach compose his B minor Mass: as an application for a better paying job, or as the summa sine qua non of his religious art? When did Bach compose his B minor Mass: in his late forties at the high summer of life, or in his early sixties in the darkening winter of life? What is the B minor Mass: a collection of choruses and arias, of stile antico fugues and stile gallant songs which Bach himself plundered and parodied from his earlier works, or is it Bach's greatest, and possibly music's greatest, work dedicated to the glory of God?
Yes. The B minor Mass is all those things and more. But the most important thing about the B minor Mass -- its spiritual greatness -- is a matter of interpretation. Not that its spiritual greatness can be denied but, as a musical work of art, the B minor Mass must be interpreted before listeners can comprehend its greatness.
John Eliot Gardiner's 1985 recording of the Mass has beautiful playing, glorious choral singing, and a light touch. It has well-sprung rhythms, gorgeous solo singing, and great sound. It has historically informed performance practice, with original instruments and an authentic version of the score. It is not a bloated perversion like the 1974 Karajan, nor a bland bore like the 1966 Harnoncourt, nor a preposterous abomination like the 1982 Rifkin. But it is lacking in spiritual greatness.