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J.S. Bach - Cantatas, Vol.55 (BWV 69, 30, 191)

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Label
Catalogue numberBIS-2031 SACD
Release date2013-11-10
Discs1
Orig. sample rate96000Hz
Total time68:40

“Recording of the Month”, BBC Music Magazine
“Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Bestenliste 1/2014” Fono Forum
"Empfehlung", Klassik-Heute.de

“Musically, Volume 55 offers a sumptuous climax to the series… The final chorus is a miracle… It’s utterly thrilling.” International Record Review

In classical music, one of the most monumental tasks that anyone could undertake is that of recording the complete church cantatas by J.S. Bach. Masaaki Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan recorded the first instalment of their cycle in 1995.

Now, 18 years and 55 discs later, a great adventure is brought to a close. The chronological approach adopted by Suzuki means that the three works included here are the last extant cantatas by Bach’s hand.

But as so often with the sacred music from his late period, in all three Bach turned to earlier works. Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV69, was first performed at a Leipzig church service in 1748 celebrating the annual change of municipal leadership. With its rich orchestral scoring it was excellently suited to the task of lending appropriate artistic splendour to the political festivities, and the fact that its central movements had already been performed at a similar occasion some 25 years earlier was probably not recognized by anyone in the illustrious congregation.

In Freue dich, erlöste Schar, BWV30, Bach also harks back to an earlier work, but this time of a secular nature, which explains various unusual features, such as the surprising beginning of the introductory chorus, without any instrumental prelude, and Bach’s liberal use of dance models such as the passepied, the gavotte and the gigue. The closing work of the disc – and of the entire series – isn’t really a cantata in the usual sense of the word: with its Latin text, it could never have been performed at a regular church service in Lutheran Leipzig in Bach’s time.

A reworking of the Gloria from the B minor Mass, BWV232, its three movements were possibly prepared by Bach at short notice for a special ceremony at the Leipzig University Church on Christmas Day 1745, to celebrate a peace treaty between Prussia and Saxony.

Even though its connections to the genre may be regarded as tenuous, Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV191 is traditionally included among the church cantatas – and it is difficult to think of a more suitable finale to a recording project remarkable not just for its musical qualities but also for the performers’ approach to the religious dimension of these works: ‘Glory to God in the highest’.
 
  • STUDIO QUALITY
    File formats included in STUDIO QUALITY
    • FLAC 24-bit Stereo
    • FLAC 24-bit Surround 5.0
    • FLAC 16-bit Stereo
    • MP3 Stereo
  • CD QUALITY | MP3
    File formats included in CD QUALITY | MP3
    • FLAC 16-bit Stereo
    • MP3 Stereo
$ 16.14
 
Extra material for download
 
 
  Composer: Bach, Johann Sebastian
  Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69 19:00
01 1. [Chorus]. Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele... 04:56 $ 1.18 USD
02 2. Recitativo (Soprano). Wie groß ist Gottes Güte doch!... 01:15 $ 0.30 USD
03 3. Aria (Alto). Meine Seele... 05:58 $ 1.43 USD
04 4. Recitativo (Tenore). Der Herr hat große Ding an uns
getan...
02:12 $ 0.53 USD
05 5. Aria (Basso). Mein Erlöser und Erhalter... 03:16 $ 0.78 USD
06 6. Choral. Es danke, Gott, und lobe dich... 01:23 $ 0.33 USD
 
  Freue dich, erlöste Schar, BWV 30 33:57
07 1. Chorus. Freue dich, erlöste Schar... 03:59 $ 0.96 USD
08 2. Recitativo (Basso). Wir haben Rast... 00:54 $ 0.22 USD
09 3. Aria (Basso). Gelobet sei Gott, gelobet sein Name... 04:33 $ 1.09 USD
10 4. Recitativo (Alto). Der Herold kömmt und meldt den König
an...
00:44 $ 0.18 USD
11 5. Aria (Alto). Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sünder... 05:19 $ 1.28 USD
12 6. Choral. Eine Stimme lässt sich hören... 01:12 $ 0.29 USD
13 7. Recitativo (Basso). So bist du denn, mein Heil,
bedacht...
00:57 $ 0.23 USD
14 8. Aria (Basso). Ich will nun hassen... 05:38 $ 1.35 USD
15 9. Recitativo (Soprano). Und ob wohl sonst der Unbestand... 00:56 $ 0.22 USD
16 10. Aria (Soprano). Eilt, ihr Stunden, kommt herbei... 04:29 $ 1.08 USD
17 11. Recitativo (Tenore). Geduld, der angenehme Tag... 01:14 $ 0.30 USD
18 12. Chorus. Freue dich, erlöste Schar... 04:02 $ 0.97 USD
 
  Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 14:17
19 1. [Chorus]. Gloria in excelsis Deo... 06:13 $ 1.49 USD
20 2. [Duetto] (Soprano, Tenore). Gloria Patri et Filio et
Spiritui sancto.
04:04 $ 0.98 USD
21 3. [Chorus]. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper... 04:00 $ 0.96 USD
 
  Album total 68:40
ComposerBach, Johann Sebastian
ConductorSuzuki, Masaaki
OrchestraBach Collegium Japan
AltoBlaze, Robin
BassKooij, Peter
SopranoBlažíková, Hana
TenorTurk (Türk), Gerd
Türk, Gerd

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