David Stewart the pleasure of writing the following:

>What's the Gardiner like? My music teacher says he doesn't like it ...
>says he thinks Gardiner is running for a bus when he plays Bach.

I'd have to agree with your music teacher on this one, at least with the
St. John Passion (pardon me for straying a bit off the topic).  I have
had Gardiner's version of the St.  John Passion for quite a while now.
However, 2 years ago, as a gift, I got the version with Sigiswald Kuijken
and La Petite Bande on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.  Now, I can't even listen
to the Gardiner version anymore.  It's too fast for me throughout.  I
haven't heard Kuijken's St.  Matthew Passion (I'm not sure even if it
exists), but I'm sure it would or is, just as good as the St.  John
Passion.

Milan Gowin
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http://www.ualberta.ca/~mgowin/