By the time J.S. Bach began composing, Martin Luther’s Reformation had profoundly altered the Church’s traditional form of worship. In German churches, the customary Latin had been replaced with the country’s native language, although the Latin mass text -particularly the Kyrie and Gloria portions - remained in Protestant church music. These "incomplete" mass settings were named "Missa." Today, these compositions are frequently referred to as "Lutheran Masses."

The two Lutheran Masses recorded here, like their companion works, the Missae in G Minor and G Major (BWV 235 & 236), make wide use of previous compositions by Bach and incorporate reworkings of arias and choruses from his cantatas while still holding their own distinctive mechanisms. Bach did not only perform his own compositions, he also performed works by other composers, including Marco Gioseppe Peranda, whose Kyrie-Gloria Mass is featured on this disc. Bach likely performed Peranda’s mass in the latter years of his Leipzig period.

Review:

The Bach Collegium Japan alight on the aesthetic of the new liturgical context with supreme eloquence in both of these works. Suzuki judges the pacing with quiet authority, promoting a generous phraseology where voices and instruments cohabit with a glorious quasi-nonchalance. The two Masses are among the finest recorded.

– Gramophone

Keiko Matsui is an icon of contemporary jazz. With over 3 million units sold and sold-out appearances at concert halls across the globe, she is one of the most recognized artists in the genre. Her elegant piano melodies and gentle jazz grooves have enormous appeal and never disappoint the loyal fan base which she has cultivated with over a dozen albums and hundreds of stunning live shows! Euphoria, Keiko's most inspired release yet, elevates the artist to new heights. Featuring a full string orchestra and horn ensemble, performances that transcend musical genres and stellar, Grammy-winning special guests, Euphoria transcends musical genres while still maintaining Keiko's classic listener-friendly sound!! Featuring these contemporary jazz hit singles: the spirited "Steps On the Globe," the deeply moving "New Passage,"and Keiko's passionate collaboration with R&B icon Lalah Hathaway "Love and Nothing Less!! musical genres while still maintaining Keiko's classic listener-friendly sound!!

Keiko Matsui is an icon of contemporary jazz. With over 3 million units sold and sold-out appearances at concert halls across the globe, she is one of the most recognized artists in the genre. Her elegant piano melodies and gentle jazz grooves have enormous appeal and never disappoint the loyal fan base which she has cultivated with over a dozen albums and hundreds of stunning live shows! Euphoria, Keiko's most inspired release yet, elevates the artist to new heights. Featuring a full string orchestra and horn ensemble, performances that transcend musical genres and stellar, Grammy-winning special guests, Euphoria transcends musical genres while still maintaining Keiko's classic listener-friendly sound! Highlights include the beautiful "Steps On The Globe," Keiko's passionate collaboration with R&B icon Lalah Hathaway "Love and Nothing Else," the deeply moving "New Passage" and many more superb originals.

Keiko follows up 2012s critically acclaimed production THE ROAD with the brilliant new album, SOUL QUEST without a doubt her most heartfelt release yet. The impressive list of special guests includes saxophone greats Kirk Whalum, Andy Snitzer and Dave Mann, hit-making guitarist Chuck Leob, superstar bassists Marcus Miller and Will Lee, drummer and mega-producer Narada Michael Walden and more!

With THE ROAD Keiko Matsui brings her legions of fans on an exotic, sensual journey with influences and grooves from all over the planet. Keiko is joined on THE ROAD by an all-star cast of guest artists and producers including saxophone greats Kirk Whalum and Jackeim Joyner; producer/vocalist/bassist/guitarist the brilliant Richard Bona and producer/composer Derek Nakamoto. But it is the brilliance of Keiko Matsui that shines through above all, and makes THE ROAD a journey not to be missed.

Classical Music