You feel it in the gut like few other accounts, alongside unalloyed human observation and unyielding quality. Pygmalion have now served us with a trilogy of Bach masterpieces throwing down the gauntlet for our times.

The long-awaited counterpart to Raphaël Pichon’s 2022 St Matthew Passion with Pygmalion doesn’t disappoint. The opening chorus drops us straight into the action with a pulsing and turbulent sound, with the contributions of the bassoon and contrabassoon to the bass line particularly audible...Out of every recording of the St John Passion I’ve heard, I find it hard to place this one anywhere other than the top spot.

Raphaël Pichon tears into the meat-grinding opening chorus with its agonised cries of desperation...Pygmalion are razor-sharp throughout, including a vigorous engagement with the reflective chorale texts...one of the most theatrical St Johns in the catalogue.

The confrontation, agony and violence of the Crucifixion scenes couldn’t be more gripping. Yet the special glory of this performance actually lies in its more thoughtful moments, mostly found in the commentary of Julian Prégardien’s Evangelist...So what’s not to like about Pichon and Pygmalion’s latest Bach enterprise? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

What is particularly striking about this account is Pichon’s determination to exploit light and shade at every turn...No one artist will ever have the last word on this masterwork, but Pichon’s fresh, re-envisioned approach helps us contemplate it from a different angle and in a different light. Such a compelling commitment to this famous score commands attention and rewards repeated listening.