In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day.
Recording locations: Recorded live in Weimar/ Leipzig/ Hamburg, December 1999/ January 2000.
SDG174 is the much awaited last volume of the Bach Cantatas Pilgrimage, one of the most talked about musical events of the last decade.
This is an anthology of the Christmas period, combining cantatas for Christmas Day and the Epiphany.
It features ten acclaimed soloists, including Magdalena Kožená, Bernarda Fink, Michael Chance, James Gilchrist and Christopher Genz.
The album opens with Christen, ätzet diesen Tag (“Christians, engrave this Day”), which was performed on Christmas Day 1999 to launch the year-long pilgrimage. This is one of Bach’s best known cantatas. The accompagnato recit was sung by Bernarda Fink to great acclaim.
Gloria in Excelsis Deo, the song of the angels at the birth of baby Jesus, is best known as the Gloria in the B Minor Mass.
Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen (“All they from Sheba shall come”) describes the procession of the three magi. Bach conveys the majesty of the scene by using high horns, and the recorders and oboes da caccia create an Eastern-like atmosphere.
The cantatas on this album display a great variety of dramatic expression. Both Mein Liebster Jesus ist verloren (“My dearest Jesus is lost”) and Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen (”Beloved Jesus, my Desire“) tell the same story, but in a different style, expressing different emotions.
This album was recorded at Weimar’s Herderkirche, Leipzig’s Nikolaikirche and Hamburg’s Hauptikirche St Jakobi.
SDG174 is packaged with a separate index sheet of the Cantata series.
“This ongoing recording project ranks as one of the musical events of the decade.” The Observer
“One of the most ambitious musical projects of all time” Gramophone
Johann Sebastian Bach: Christen, atzet diesen Tag, BWV 63
Chorale: Christen, atzet diesen Tag (Chorus)
Recitative: O selger Tag! O ungemeines Heute! (Alto)
Aria: Gott, du hast es wohl gefuget (Soprano, Bass)
Recitative: So kehret sich nun heut das bange Leid (Tenor)
Aria: Ruft und fleht den Himmel an (Alto, Tenor)
Recitative: Verdoppelt euch demnach (Bass)
Chorale: Hochster, schau in Gnaden an (Chorus)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191
Gloria in excelsis Deo (Chorus)
Duet: Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui sancto (Soprano, Tenor)
Sicut erat in principio (Chorus)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65
Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen (Chorus)
Chorale: Die Kon'ge aus Saba kamen dar (Chorus)
Recitative: Was dort Jesaias vorhergesehn (Bass)
Aria: Gold aus Ophir ist zu schlecht (Bass)
Recitative: Verschmahe nicht, du meiner Seele Licht (Tenor)
Aria: Nimm mich dir zu eigen hin (Tenor)
Chorale: Ei nun, mein Gott, so fall ich dir (Chorus)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123
Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen (Chorus)
Recitative: Die Himmelssussigkeit, der Auserwahlten Lust (Alto)
Aria: Auch die harte Kreuzesreise (Tenor)
Recitative: Kein Hollenfeind kann mich verschlingen (Bass)
Aria: Lass, o Welt, mich aus Verachtung (Bass)
Chorale: Drum fahrt nur immer hin, ihr Eitelkeiten (Chorus)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154
Aria: Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren (Tenor)
Recitative: Wo treff ich meinen Jesum an (Tenor)
Chorale: Jesu, mein Hort und Erretter
Aria: Jesu, lass dich finden (Alto)
Arioso: Wisset ihr nicht, dass ich sein muss (Bass)
Recitative: Dies ist die Stimme meines Freundes (Tenor)
Aria: Wohl mir, Jesus ist gefunden (Alto, Tenor)
Chorale: Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht
Johann Sebastian Bach: Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht, BWV 124
Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht (Chorus)
Recitative: Solange sich ein Tropfen Blut (Tenor)
Aria: Und wenn der harte Todesschlag (Tenor)
Recitative: Doch ach! Welch schweres Ungemach (Bass)
Aria: Entziehe dich eilands, mein Herze, der Welt (Soprano, Alto)
Chorale: Jesum lass ich nicht von mir (Chorus)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32
Aria: Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen (Soprano)
Recitative: Was ist's, dass du mich gesuchet? (Bass)
Aria: Hier, in meines Vaters Statte (Bass)
Recitative: Ach! heiliger und grosser Gott (Soprano, Bass)
Aria: Nun verschwinden alle Plagen (Soprano, Bass)
Chorale: Mein Gott, offne mir die Pforten (Chorus)
10th October 2010
****
“The variety of these works for Christmas and Epiphany is astonishing, and the singing, from the Monteverdi Choir and soloists including Magdalena Kozena, fully matches it.”
The Independent on Sunday
31st October 2010
***
“With 10 top-flight soloists, it brings this awe-inspiring project to a powerful end.”
December 2010
“There are countless highlights in the final two volumes. The duet-singing in BWV32 between Claron McFadden and Peter Harvey is memorably rewarding. Similarly cathartic is the peerless, reassuring expression of eternal union in the great duet of BWV154 with Michael Chance and James Gilchrist.”
26th November 2010
****
“As before, performances offer the zinging energy, heartfelt beauty and occasional warts of the best live music-making...Christmas jubilation never turns strident. Elsewhere, Gardiner’s forces radiate quiet intensity in the tragedy and pathos of BWV 123, Liebster Immanuel — music of simple sobriety, powerful enough to stop the world turning.”
Christmas 2010
****
“The two strongly contrasting arias [of BWV 63], both duets, are expressively sung but it is Bernarda Fink's beautifully controlled, extended recitative which stands out for its tender articulation...James Gilchrist makes a fine contribution...notably in the solo tenor cantata 'Ich armer Mensch'”
February 2011
“Bernarda Fink brings a moving sense of wonder to her accompanied recitative. From time to time, you feel that the performers are flying by the seat of their pants, but the commitment and enjoyment shine through.”
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
Chorale: Christen, atzet diesen Tag (Chorus)
