Bach, J S: Motet BWV Anh. 159 'Ich lasse dich nicht'

Thirty years on from their acclaimed recording for Erato, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir return to the Bach Motets in a new SDG recording, taken from a concert in London last year at the end of a tour which saw performances in Italy, France, The Netherlands and Germany.

The Motets can be seen as some of Bach’s most perfect and hypnotic compositions. Through their extraordinary complexity and density, they require exceptional virtuosity and sensitivity of all the performers.

Each of them is endlessly fascinating, and each inhabits its own sound world, Bach's masterful use of canon, fugue and counterpoint, the brilliant exploitation of double-choir sonorities are perfectly matched by the Monteverdi Choir's virtuosity.

The album is packaged in a hard back book similar to our other releases. It contains 44 pages booklet with original notes by John Eliot Gardiner and texts in German, English and French.

In view of the fact that several of the works are composed for double choir, the usual 16-member choir from the cantata recordings have been slightly expanded to 18 singers, of which some also appear as soloists. Included on the disc are the six motets BWV 225-231, as well as BWV 118 O Jesu Christ, mein’s Lebens Licht and BWV Anh. 159 Ich lasse dich nicht.

This recording is the result of many years of rewarding collaboration between Maria Lindal’s REbaroque ensemble and the St. Jacobs Chamber Choir.

For their first joint recording they have chosen to perform all of J.S Bach’s motets; a collection of strikingly dance-like, varied and virtuosic works for choir and instrumental ensemble.

Almost all Bach’s motets – including Ich lasse dich nicht – were occasional compositions for funeral ceremonies, although we only really know the occasion for which one of the motets was written: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf.

In the case of the other motets we can only conjecture the occasions for which Bach composed them; indeed we cannot even date most of them since, apart from Der Geist hilft, only Bach’s original manuscript for Singet dem Herrn has survived.

Frieder Bernius founded the Stuttgart Chamber Choir whilst still a student and with this group, has forged a refined sound which is both internationally recognized and influential, particularly in the area of romantic choral music.

His previous recordings for CARUS have received wonderful reviews from the critics, including Gramophone Editor’s Choices, BBC Music Magazine Choral Choice of the Month and a Disc of the Week on BBC Radio 3’s CD Review.

Dorian Sono Luminus is proud to present this masterful period-accurate rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach: Motets, performed on period instruments and accurate vocal part assignments by The Bach Sinfonia, under the direction of renowned conductor and scholar Daniel Abraham. This performance transports the listener to a different time and place, and gives a listening experience as would have been heard by the original audiences.

No music by J. S. Bach performed as often as his motets leaves so many unanswered questions. Bach’s motets evidently did not have a regular place in the liturgy but were rather for special occasions, and only in one instance do we know for what purpose Bach used a motet. Only two motets are preserved in Bach’s hand or in manuscripts copied for his use, so we are denied the source-critical clues that help to establish the date and function of much of his other vocal music. The lack of original sources also limits our ability to trace the genesis of the pieces, several of which apparently had origins in older material that Bach reworked. And the limited survival of original performing parts restricts our knowledge of Bach’s performance practices in his motets.

The Bach Sinfonia is dedicated to excellence in performance, public education and disseminating a greater understanding of the variety of styles, composers, and masterpieces of the baroque, pre-classical, and classical periods. Specialists in the performance of music of the 17th and 18th centuries, the ensemble presents concerts, lectures, and other cultural events designed to be not only entertainment but also an educational experience. The Bach Sinfonia has performed for Meetings of the American Musicological Society, for the International Conference Attending to Early Modern Women, at the Concert Hall at Strathmore and other prestigious venues and regularly sells out their performances. Their performances and recordings have received outstanding reviews and international recognition.

The work of conductor Daniel Abraham has garnered praise from many noteworthy sources including The Washington Post, Choral Journal, the BBC and Early Music America. Abraham’s performances have been nationally broadcast on National Public Radio’s Performance Today, he has appeared at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Concert Hall of the Music Center at Strathmore, The National Women’s Museum of the Arts, and has prepared choruses for the national broadcasts of the Kennedy Center Honors Gala (PBS) and Christmas in Washington (TNT). Abraham is associate professor of music and director of choral activities at American University in Washington, D.C., and is a sought after clinician who has given master classes and clinics throughout the United States, Canada, and as far as Cairo, Egypt.

This album is sure to charm and intrigue lovers of Bach, period performance practice, and stellar choral music. This release is supported by a three-part interview with Daniel Abraham, available online.

Sette Voce was founded in 2001 and its members are from a number of European countries. They are directed by the renowned Dutch baritone Peter Kooij and the ensemble has been invited to appear at several important national and international festivals.