Many questions persist surrounding J. S. Bach’s Mass in B minor, one of the master’s most frequently performed vocal works, enigmas and problems that musicologists and performers continue to research or grapple with, including early performance, textual and revision issues. The present new live 2015 recording by the combined forces of the Gächinger Kantorei, Freiburger Barockorchester, conductor Hans-Christoph Rademann and vocal soloists rigorously follows – in the Kyrie and Gloria – Bach’s own meticulously configured “Dresdner Stimmen” [Dresden parts] and is therefore based, for the first time, exclusively on the musical text that emanated from Bach’s pen. Additional movements with marked deviations from the familiar version are accessible as variants as bonus material on Disc Two. Renowned Bach and Mozart scholar Ulrich Leisinger, upon whose new edition of the work this recording is based, also prepared the notes in the accompanying booklet. The Deluxe version also contains a bonus DVD with additional material: Film: Bach’s Secret Legacy – Hans-Christoph Rademann in search of the true B-minor Mass. Also: Bach’s Manuscript: The “Dresden Parts“ of 1733 in PDF format.

Two of Bach’s most beautiful cantatas prove ideal for Emma Kirkby’s artistry

One of the world’s brightest Baroque ensembles performing with one of the world’s most admired Baroque sopranos sounds an enticing proposition‚ and so it should. What is more‚ the solo cantatas on offer here are two of Bach’s most moving: Ich habe genug‚ that serene contemplation of the afterlife; and Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut‚ a relatively early work with a text which moves from the wallowing self­pity of the sinnner to joyful relief in God’s mercy. Each contains music of great humanity and beauty‚ and each‚ too‚ contains an aria of aching breadth and nobility – the justly celebrated ‘Schlummert ein’ in the case of Ich habe genug‚ and in Mein Herze the humble but assured supplication of ‘Tief gebückt’. This aria alone ought to make the cantata a more familiar one‚ but there is plenty more to recommend it‚ including a grief­laden first aria with obbligato oboe‚ a dignified chorale with obbligato cello‚ and recitatives whose expressiveness is enhanced by stoical string accompaniment. Both could have been written for Emma Kirkby‚ who‚ thrillingly virtuosic though she can be‚ is perhaps at her best in this kind of long­breathed‚ melodically sublime music in which sheer beauty of vocal sound counts for so much. Not that technique does not come into it‚ and Kirkby’s allows her to shape vibrato­less long notes and phrases with utter security and ravishing vocal quality‚ with only the occasional high note sounding slightly pinched. Above all‚ however‚ her intelligence and unfailing attention to text are a lesson to all; in ‘Schlummert ein’‚ the way her voice subsides almost to nothing‚ retreating into the orchestral texture at ‘fallet sanft’ (fall asleep)‚ is entrancing. The support of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra is total‚ combining tightness of ensemble with such flexibility and sensitivity to the job of accompaniment that you really feel they are ‘playing the words’. The obbligato contributions of flautist Karl Kaiser and oboist Katharina Arfken‚ furthermore‚ are outstandingly musical. And if that were not enough‚ the Freiburgers also give one of the most satisfyingly thoroughbred accounts of the Violin and Oboe Concerto that I have heard. Add a recorded sound which perfectly combines bloom‚ clarity and internal balance‚ and you have a CD to treasure.

-- Gramophone [11/2001]

Two superlative German ensembles assemble for an eminently creative summit meeting: the Calmus Ensemble and the musicians of Wolfgang Katschner’s Lautten Compagney meet one another under “Bach Arcades”: Johann Sebastian Bach’s chorales, so to speak, form the pillars on which the musicians, with curiosity and a willingness to experiment, erect a new and fascinating cupola of sound with works by Arvo Pärt, Guillaume Dufay, John Tavener and others. In addition, the timbres of the marimba and saxophone imbue the sound of the works recorded here with freshness and ease, time and again. With much humor and charm, unusual and surprising elements flow into many a familiar chorale, thus causing us to prick up our ears. Surprising arches of sound, supported by the foundation of Bach’s music, come into being and, with every Bach chorale, open up new musical spaces for the listener.

Joseph Haydn’s oratorios "Die Jahreszeiten" [The Seasons] and "Die Schöpfung" [The Creation] are closely intellectually connected with each other: whilst The Creation paints a picture of the world coming into existence, The Seasons is about its existence and the cyclical growth and decay of nature over the course of a year. With its powerful depictions of nature, this musical journey through the year is one of the most popular compositions by the Viennese classical composer. In many respects, Haydn’s late work The Seasons follows on from formal elements in The Creation, but he continues these in independent, innovative ways, and draws on the full range of compositional effects. Conducted by Marcus Creed, this recording with the Orpheus Vocal Ensemble, renowned soloists, and the musicians of Concerto Köln uses the new critical edition of the work from Carus-Verlag.

This 14-album box contains all the recordings of the complete sacred vocal music of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy with the Kammerchor Stuttgart under the direction of Frieder Bernius. The complete recording on the CARUS label, which took more than two decades to complete, was highly praised by the press and won many awards. Now Bernius' masterful interpretations, which unfold Mendelssohn's sense of cantabile melody and differentiated harmony in a high sound culture and colorful, transparent diction, are available in a complete set.

The Choralis Constantinus is one of the most important motet collections of the Renaissance period. Heinrich Isaac wrote it during 1508 to a commission from the chapter of Constance Cathedral. A large number of the total of 375 motets are now largely unknown. ensemble cantissimo, founded in 1994, is one of the most sought-after vocal ensembles in German-speaking countries. The name “cantissimo“ says it all: a concentration on a cappella singing, the highest discipline of choral music. A special emphasis is also put on discovering and rediscovering the works of forgotten (and new) composers. With their characteristic style of interpretation and exciting program selections, the German and Swiss singers under the direction of their founder Markus Utz delight critics and audiences alike. ensemble cantissimo has worked intensively on the collection for several years. The singers present a selection of festive motets on this album – an impressive testament to the first musical golden age of the Renaissance. A magnificent rediscovery!

Johann Simon Mayr, born in Upper Bavaria, left a legacy of sixty operas and more than six hundred sacred and chamber music compositions. In the early 18th century, this extremely productive composer was one of the most successful opera composers in Northern Italy and his works were played all over Europe. It is all the more remarkable that he is practically unknown today. The quality of the music cannot be the reason, as is proved by the present recording of the Mass in C minor and the Stabat Mater. Excellent soloists, the Orpheus Vokalensemble und Concerto Koln under the baton of Florian Helgath do justice to the music.

For the 500th anniversary of the Reformation a collection of all 35 hymns by Luther is being released on a double CD for the first time. The Lutheran hymns in choral settings and chorale cantatas from the 16th century to the present day (including works by Praetorius, Scheidt, Bach, Mendelssohn, Jennefelt, and Schwemmer) are performed by the Kammerchor Stuttgart under the direction of Frieder Bernius and the Athesinus Consort Berlin conducted by Klaus-Martin Bresgott. These choral settings are complemented by chorale arrangements for organ. Margot Kassmann, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Markus Meckel, Judith Zander, and others have offered extensive liner notes with meditations on the selected hymns, and Johann Hinrich Claussen, Cultural Officer of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, has provided a knowledgeable forward.

The Carus Classics series features outstanding album productions from Carus’ past library of recordings. The series has been designed exclusively by the well-known graphic artists Friedrich Forssman und Cornelia Feyll. The Philharmonia Chor Stuttgart under the direction of Helmut Wolf presents sacred vocal music from two highly gifted female composers: Formally, Fanny Hensel’s Oratorio to words from the Bible is reminiscent of Bach and Handel, whereas it displays the clear tonal language of the early Romantic era. The two imposing psalms by Lili Boulanger are characterized by an impressive array of sound and by a moving intensity.

Familiar Christmas melodies from German-speaking countries as well as a selection of the most beautiful Christmas carols from all over the world have been put together by the renowned Calmus Ensemble from Leipzig on their new Christmas album. The arrangements of Es kommt ein Schiff geladen, Barn Jesus i en krybbe lå, Stille Nacht and, of course, White Christmas for the vocal quintet give the traditional songs a fresh, sonorous and sometimes surprising guise. Always touching, but never kitschy, White Christmas by Calmus is a real "must have" for the Advent and Christmas season!

The figure humaine kammerchor under the direction of Denis Rouger devotes its new album “Wo die Zitronen blühen...” once again to the wonderful German and French songs of the Romantic period. In these sensitive arrangements for choir and piano, the singers take the listeners down the most diverse paths of love in the poetry of both these countries. The well-known art songs, originally composed for solo voice and piano, are experienced in a completely new way when chorally interpreted. True gems of these two great European musical cultures have been selected for this recording, with songs by Georges Bizet, Gabriel Fauré, Henri Duparc, Fanny Hensel, Camille Saint-Saëns and Clara Schumann, among others. In addition, original choral works by Johannes Brahms, Hugo Wolf and Gabriel Fauré can be heard. The outstanding chamber choir is accompanied by the pianists Julia Kammerlander and Katharina Schlenker. The additional horns heard in some of the compositions complete the Romantic sound world.

In German-speaking countries, carolers go from door to door every year between Christmas and Epiphany. They collect donations for children in need and, with their songs, carry the blessing of God into every house. Children and young people from choirs belonging to the German Pueri Cantores Choir Association have sung a total of 25 carols for this album, including established classics such as “Stern über Bethlehem”, but also surprises such as the “Sternsinger-Rap”. This release heightens the joyful anticipation of carol singing, making it easier to learn the new songs as well as motivating people to sing.

Together with Frieder Bernius the multiple prizewinning singers of the Tapei Male Chor (TMC) have completed a CD recording featuring sacred works for men's choir from the turn of the 19th to the 20th century as well as from the flowering of German men's choirs at the beginning of the 19th century. The Taiwanese choir presents a masterly performance of German men's choral literature and it is admirable the way in which it is dedicated to following the diction of the foreign language and achieving the differentiated tone colors of this repertoire. Since it's founding in 1994 the Taipei Male Choir has been invited to sing at many international choir festivals and has been honored with many prestigious prizes.

O charming night – like a common thread, the romantic motifs of yearning for peace, farewell to lovers and mystical experiences of nature run through the works in this recording. With particular sensitivity and subtle harmonic effects, Rheinberger brings the world of elves and mermaids to life. Brahms’s “charming night,” moonlit and enhanced by the song of the nightingale, serves as the backdrop for an implied amorous adventure. And Herzogenberg’s Notturnos evoke an entirely otherworldly reverie. The Orpheus Vokalensemble, consisting of singers from all over the world, was founded in 2005 as the Landesakademie Ochsenhausen’s professional chamber choir. Since then, the ensemble has grown into a significant chamber choir enjoying international respect, working with renowned choral conductors such as Michael Alber, Gunnar Eriksson, Gary Graden, Florian Helgath, Bo Holten and others. The musical and stylistic spectrum of the ensemble is documented by further artistic partners such as Ida Bieler, Konrad Elser, Jürgen Essl, Edita Gruberová, Dieter Ilg, Sibylla Rubens, the Stenzl Piano Duo, Ars Antiqua Austria, Concerto Köln, the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden/Freiburg and many more.

The Calmus Ensemble and the Lautten Compagney embark on a musical journey into the 16th century: Using Martin Luther’s paean “Mitten wir im Leben sind” as its starting point, the musicians paint a lively picture of life during the Reformation era. In both the sacred and secular works we encounter joyful delight and high-spirited merriment just as much as never-ending distress and grievous misery. The apparent parallels with the present time cause us to smile quietly, while statements to themes such as nature and home cause us to be pensive. In addition to the many original compositions, a whole series of new arrangements – which make the 16th century songs swing – have come into being through the collaboration of the two ensembles.