It would be hard to imagine a better-sung performance of Bach's Mass in B Minor. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Kathleen Ferrier both bring exemplary purity of tone, combined with a vocal opulence that is rarely encountered in Bach performances today. Paul Schöffler is equally distinguished in his bass solos, singing with a voice that is both rich and remarkably pristine.

Herbert von Karajan's interpretation incorporates occasional romantic touches while remaining fundamentally faithful to Bach's restrained musical idiom.