Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach had performed the congratulatory cantata Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen BWV 215 on 5 October 1734 in celebration of August’s III. coronation. Exactly one year earlier, the Elector of Saxony had been crowned king of Poland. The second cantata recorded on this disc, Dem Gerechten muss das Licht BWV 195, was composed for another festive occasion: the marriage of two of Leipzig’s most prominent citizens.

Kathleen Ferrier was one of the greatest British singers of the 20th century. For ten years she enjoyed an unparallelled career, admired equally for the generous warmth and sincerity of her interpretations as for her uniquely splendid contralto voice. This reissue features twelve arias and songs that Ferrier recorded for Decca between 1946 and 1950. In addition there are eight treasurable items from a 1949 Norwegian Radio recital in Oslo, which include her only published recordings of Hugo Wolf.

Mark Obert-Thorn, producer and audio restoration engineer

Critics have applauded the ensemble’s purity of sound, its controlled sensuality, and the profundity of its music-making: since Jörg Breiding took over the direction of the Knabenchor Hannover (Hanover Boys Choir) ten years ago, he has expanded the choir’s comprehensive repertoire with works by less-known composers. Excerpts from previously published CDs and from so-far unpublished recordings present a musical portrait spanning five epochs of European choral music.