Jan Reetze

Johann Sebastian Bachin (1685–1750) musiikki tunnettiin hänen kuolemansa jälkeen pitkään lähinnä alan harrastajien keskuudessa. Felix Mendelssohnin (1809–1847) johtamasta Matteus-passion esityksestä Berliinissä 1829 alkoi Bach-renessanssi, joka nosti barokin mestarin suuren yleisön tietoisuuteen. Samalla Bachin teokset saivat alistua sovituksille, jotka olivat suosittuja aina 1900-luvulle saakka. Sovittaminen oli osa ajan esittämiskäytäntöä, sillä ennen autenttisuuskäsitteen syntyä kaikki musiikki sovitettiin vallitsevan tyylin mukaiseksi, ja niinpä myös Mendelssohnin johtama Matteus-passio oli mukautettu vastaamaan ajan musiikillis-esteettisiä haasteita.

Actus Tragicus The words ‘art of dying’ sound strange to modern ears, perhaps. Although there are related philosophical, religious and ‘end of life’ health care, and much-debated legal concerns today surrounding the subject of dying, we moderns probably rarely, if ever, think of preparing for death as an art form. A central topic in sermons, hymns and contemplative literature, death and dying was a chief pastoral concern of the church of Johann Sebastian Bach’s day. Finding consolation and facing fears and anxieties near the time of death, and also as a part of everyday living, are arguably at the heart of the sacred vocal works of Bach, who is regarded by many as a kind of theologian in music.

"The Nymphs" tells the story of a wandering mortal who ends up in the realm of the Queen of the Nymphs. The late Scottish entertainer Jimmy Logan narrates the story, interwoven with hauntingly beautiful music composed by Jan Kisjes and magical poems recited by Bryan Maguire. The combination of story, music and poems results in a fairytale decor. The package also contains a second music-only CD.

This offering from the combined forces of Musica Amphion and the Gesualdo Consort is presented as a hardback book with a CD tucked into the back cover. It is the second in the Bach in Context series. The aim of the project is to present Bach’s works in a liturgical format. The book goes to considerable lengths to explain Lutheran liturgy and how Bach’s compositions would have fitted into a Sunday morning service, thus presenting a prelude, cantata, choral, motet, choral and postlude - in this case the fugue. The performers also give concerts using this format.

The Prelude and Fugue in E Minor forms a frame, as it did in Bach’s time, around this program, designed to fit the liturgical format that gave Bach’s music its purpose; the Fantasia precedes the motet on which it is based and follows Cantata BWV 64, which quotes the fifth stanza of Johann Franck’s poem “Jesu, meine Freude.” The recording was made in the Arnstadt church where Bach served from 1703 to 1707 (the 1699 organ has recently been restored), but the two cantatas and the motet date from his first year in Leipzig. This impressive presentation, the first in a series called Bach in Context, is a hardbound book of 84 pages. The notes favor Joshua Rifkin’s understanding of one voice to a part in Bach’s vocal/choral music, the use of a harpsichord as well as the church organ (not the more versatile chest organ), and the liturgical context in which the music was originally sung.

Beautiful music inspired by the magical moments in life when you are in harmony and life unfolds before your eyes in it's uttermost beauty.

Gold buried deep in the BIS back-catalog since 1980 (but readily available), this CD adds a couple of apt fillers from 1981 to the program of the original analog LP. Larsson’s Pastoral Suite is the best-known music here, and makes a fine overture in its most sprightly recorded chamber performance. The Romance has live intensity, helped by the sound, a classic piece of minimalist work by Bis proprietor, Robert von Bar: just a small Revox half-track reel-to-reel machine, and a couple of mikes above and in front of the conductor. T

Recorded at the Palais in the Großer Garten Dresden, Concerti di Venezia was released on October 24 on SONY Classical. The CD focuses on Venetian cello concertos and includes the Vivaldi double concerto with violinist Giuliano Carmignola and a world premiere recording of Vandini’s cello concerto in D major.