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Coro

Bach: Lutheran Masses, Vol. 1

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Details

Composer
BACH, J.S.
Artist
V1: Lutheran Masses
Format
CD
Label
Coro
Released
Sep 30, 2013
Catalog #
COR16115
UPC
828021611520

About



BACH Masses, in g, BWV 235; in F, BWV 233. Cantata No. 102 • Harry Christophers, cond; The Sixteen Ch & O (period instruments) • CORO 16115 (74:07 Text and Translation)


It’s getting harder to lament the curious neglect of Bach’s short or “Lutheran” Masses. Within recent memory I’ve had the privilege of auditioning new sets by Ton Koopman, (Challenge), Konrad Junghänel (Harmonia Mundi), and Raphaël Pichon (Alpha). Philippe Herreweghe’s excellent set was reissued by Virgin, and Brilliant has even revived Hanns-Martin Schneidt’s 1974 version in its complete Bach Edition box. Helmuth Rilling on Hänssler is still around. Now comes the first installment of a new set by Harry Christophers. Nevertheless, the short Masses do get considerably less attention than the cantatas, which they resemble in every way except for the absence of recitatives and closing chorales. The cantatas, after all, tell stories; the Masses do not. In fact, most—probably all—of the music in the Masses is recycled from pre-existing cantatas.


In these performances Christophers has reduced The Sixteen by a half, to eight singers only: Grace Davidson and Julia Doyle, sopranos; Robin Blaze and William Purefoy, countertenors; Jeremy Budd and Mark Dobell, tenors; Ben Davies and Eamonn Dougan, basses. The voices are accompanied by a slightly larger instrumental ensemble: 3, 3, 2 (or 3), 2, and 1 of strings, plus the necessary winds and continuo. All of the singers take solo turns, except Doyle. The only soprano aria on the disc, in the F-Major Mass, went to Davidson.


One lesson we might take from this release is that Bach rocks, although we already knew that. The Kyrie of the G-Minor Mass, a real toe-tapper, gets the ball rolling, and Christophers takes it from there, injecting the choral movements, especially, with abundant energy. The double quartet is very effective throughout. I was a little less enthralled by some of the arias, but not enough to discourage me from giving the whole enterprise a thumbs up. Because the combined Masses run just over 52 minutes, Coro has generously added a Cantata, No. 102, between the Masses, a welcome bonus. I’m looking forward to Volume II.


FANFARE: George Chien

Tracklist 19 tracks

  1. 1 Kyrie (Chorus) 07:09
    Track
    1
    Title
    Kyrie (Chorus)
    Duration
    07:09
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  2. 2 Gloria (Chorus) 03:05
    Track
    2
    Title
    Gloria (Chorus)
    Duration
    03:05
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  3. 3 Gratias (Bass) 02:57
    Track
    3
    Title
    Gratias (Bass)
    Duration
    02:57
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Eamonn Dougan
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  4. 4 Domine Fili (Alto) 05:24
    Track
    4
    Title
    Domine Fili (Alto)
    Duration
    05:24
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Robin Blaze
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  5. 5 Qui tollis - Quoniam (Tenor) 04:06
    Track
    5
    Title
    Qui tollis - Quoniam (Tenor)
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Mark Dobell
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  6. 6 Cum Sancto Spiritu (Chorus) 04:39
    Track
    6
    Title
    Cum Sancto Spiritu (Chorus)
    Duration
    04:39
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  7. 7 Part I: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben (Chorus) 06:29
    Track
    7
    Title
    Part I: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben (Chorus)
    Duration
    06:29
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  8. 8 Part I: Recitative: Wo ist das Ebenbild, das Gott uns eingepraget (Bass) 01:07
    Track
    8
    Title
    Part I: Recitative: Wo ist das Ebenbild, das Gott uns eingepraget (Bass)
    Duration
    01:07
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Ben Davies
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  9. 9 Part I: Aria: Weh der Seele, die den Schaden nicht mehr kennt (Alto) 04:40
    Track
    9
    Title
    Part I: Aria: Weh der Seele, die den Schaden nicht mehr kennt (Alto)
    Duration
    04:40
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    William Purefoy
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  10. 10 Part I: Arioso: Verachtest du den Reichtum seiner Gnade (Bass) 02:53
    Track
    10
    Title
    Part I: Arioso: Verachtest du den Reichtum seiner Gnade (Bass)
    Duration
    02:53
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Ben Davies
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  11. 11 Part II: Aria: Erschrecke doch, du allzu sichre Seele (Tenor) 03:22
    Track
    11
    Title
    Part II: Aria: Erschrecke doch, du allzu sichre Seele (Tenor)
    Duration
    03:22
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Jeremy Budd
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  12. 12 Part II: Recitative: Beim Warten ist Gafahr (Alto) 01:17
    Track
    12
    Title
    Part II: Recitative: Beim Warten ist Gafahr (Alto)
    Duration
    01:17
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    William Purefoy
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  13. 13 Part II: Chorale: Heut lebst du, heut bekehre dich (Chorus) 02:02
    Track
    13
    Title
    Part II: Chorale: Heut lebst du, heut bekehre dich (Chorus)
    Duration
    02:02
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  14. 14 Kyrie (Chorus) 04:16
    Track
    14
    Title
    Kyrie (Chorus)
    Duration
    04:16
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  15. 15 Gloria (Chorus) 05:20
    Track
    15
    Title
    Gloria (Chorus)
    Duration
    05:20
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  16. 16 Domine Deus (Bass) 03:21
    Track
    16
    Title
    Domine Deus (Bass)
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Ben Davies
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  17. 17 Qui tollis (Soprano) 05:11
    Track
    17
    Title
    Qui tollis (Soprano)
    Duration
    05:11
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Grace Davidson
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  18. 18 Quonian (Alto) 04:03
    Track
    18
    Title
    Quonian (Alto)
    Duration
    04:03
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Robin Blaze
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers
  19. 19 Cum Sancto Spiritu (Chorus) 02:33
    Track
    19
    Title
    Cum Sancto Spiritu (Chorus)
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    The Sixteen Choir
    Conductor
    Harry Christophers