The B Minor Mass, Beethoven and Haydn.

[Enrique]

The Matthew Passion that we know and love might never have seen the light of day were it not for that performance, though the frequently cited belief that Mendelssohn single-handedly unearthed Bach's entire output is not true. "It's wrong when people say he wasn't heard after his death in 1750," says Norrington. "He was known quite well. All composers had the Preludes and Fugues and the Art of Fugue and the small chambery stuff. It was the big pieces, the John Passion, the Matthew Passion, the B Minor Mass that weren't known." Copies of Bach's major choral works seemingly circulated in rare manuscript copies, more talked about than ever seen. "Beethoven knew about the B Minor," says Norrington. "He tried to get hold of a copy when he was studying for the Missa Solemnis, but he couldn't get one. Haydn had a copy of the B Minor, but not of the Matthew."

Complete article here.

[Peter]

Thanks for the link Enrique - amazing to think that Beethoven and Haydn though would never have heard performances of either the St.Matthew Passion or the B minor Mass. In the 18th and well into the 19th century the demand was very much for contemporary music - they weren't interested in the old. Mozart suffered in the 19th century and Mahler and Bruckner weren't appreciated till the 1960s. Classical music has a long, (perhaps necessary) gestation period as though time is needed to sift the chaff from the wheat.