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Freue dich, du Tochter Zion
Carus Nov 2013
CD
$20.99

Hallelujah: Gospels & Spirituals for Mixed Choir

Carus

$16.99 Mar 15, 2019

"Hallelujah. Gospels and Spirituals" transports us into the fascinating world of African American Folk Songs. The arrangements for mixed voice choir are extremely varied – sometimes rhythmic, sometimes solemn, but always emotional and exciting – in all their highs and lows. The Europäischer Kammerchor conducted by Michael Reif presents classics (Go down Moses, Kumbaya, Good news, Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen) as well as some discoveries from the beginnings of spirituals, in some new and some well-known arrangements. Matching the album, Carus-Verlag also publishes the choral collection Hallelujah, which includes many more settings of gospels and spirituals.

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Hallelujah: Gospels & Spirituals for Mixed Choir
Carus Mar 2019
CD
$16.99

The Leipzig Chorales of J.S. Bach
Gothic Jan 2009
CD
$18.99

Mendelssohn: Sacred Choral Music [14 CD] / Bernius, Stuttgart Chamber Choir

Carus

$87.99 Jul 08, 2022

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.

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Mendelssohn: Sacred Choral Music [14 CD] / Bernius, Stuttgart Chamber Choir
Carus Jul 2022
CD
$87.99

The Sacred Apocryphal Bach / Helbich, Alsfelder Vokalensemble [8-CD Set]

CPO

$74.99 Feb 25, 2014

BACH (attr.) THE SACRED APOCRYPHAL BACH • Wolfgang Helbich, cond; Alsfelder Vocal Ens; various performers • CPO 777 878-2 (8 CDs: 432: 03 Text and Translation)

BACH (attr.) Cantatas, BWV 217–222 • Wolfgang Helbich, cond; Johanna Koslowsky (sop); Kai Wessel (alt); Harry Geraerts (ten); Phillip Langshaw (bs); Alsfelder Vocal Ens; Steintor Barock Bremen • CPO 999 139-2 (2 CDs: 101:27 Text and Translation)

BACH (attr.) Motets, BWV Anh. 159, 160, 162–165 • Wolfgang Helbich, cond; Alsfelder Vocal Ens • CPO 999 235-2 (55:27 Text and Translation)

BACH (attr.) St. Luke Passion, BWV 246 • Wolfgang Helbich, cond; Rufus Müller ( Evangelist ); Stephan Schreckenberger ( Jesus ); Mona Spägele (sop); Christiane Iven (alt); Harry van Berne (ten); Marcus Sandmann (bs); Alsfelder Vocal Ens; Barockorchester Bremen • CPO 999 293-2 (2 CDs: 106:17 Text and Translation)

BACH (attr.) Masses, BWV Anh. 25 and 26. Magnificat, BWV Anh. 21 • Wolfgang Helbich, cond; Dorothee Mields (sop); Henning Voss (alt); Henning Kaiser (ten); Ralf Grobe (bs); Alsfelder Vocal Ens; I Febiarmonici • CPO 999 834-2 (51:47 Text and Translation)

BACH (attr.) Cantatas, BWV 15, 141, 142, 160 • Wolfgang Helbich, cond; Dorothee Mields (sop); Henning Voss (alt); Henning Kaiser (ten); Ralf Grobe (bs); Alsfelder Vocal Ens; I Febiarmonici • CPO 999 985-2 (58:48 Text and Translation)

BACH (attr.) Cantata, BWV 150. Magnificat, BWV Anh. 30. Masses, BWV Anh. 24 and 167. Sanctus, BWV 237, 239, and 240 • Wolfgang Helbich, cond; Bremen Musikhochschule Solo Qrt; Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam; Alsfelder Vocal Ens; Hannover Hofkapelle • CPO 777 561-2 (58:17 Text and Translation)

Conductor Wolfgang Helbich died of a stroke on his 70th birthday, on April 8, 2013. Here, CPO has assembled (by simple virtue of an outer cardboard box around the original separate releases) the six sets of eight CDs comprising Helbich’s project of recording vocal works once attributed to Bach but now (with two exceptions) generally considered to be spurious or dubious, or now definitely known to be by another composer. The dates of the recordings span 1991 to 2009 and are listed above in their original order of release. Three of them were previously reviewed in these pages: the two-CD set of cantatas by George Chien in 16:2, the St. Luke Passion by Ralph V. Lucano in 21:1, and the second disc of masses and mass movements by yours truly in 36:2. All of those performances were highly praised, and that praise is equally applicable to the other three discs in the series as well.

Given the detailed coverage given to three of the releases, I will confine myself here to an overview of the set as a whole, with a few specific comments on the three discs not previously covered. First, a scorecard of current attributions, if any, of the various compositions, in order of the sets listed above and using their front tray card titles:

Apocryphal Bach Cantatas:

BWV 217, 220, and 221—Anonymous

BWV 218 and 219—Georg Philipp Telemann

BWV 222—Johann Ernst Bach (1722–1777)

Apocryphal Bach Motets:

BWV Anh. 159—authentic J. S. Bach

BWV Anh. 160—Georg Philipp Telemann, portions reworked by Bach

BWV Anh. 162—Georg Gottfried Wagner (1698–1756)

BWV Anh. 163—Bach “di Eisenach”—unknown; possibly Johann Ernst Bach?

BWV Anh. 164—Johann Christoph Altnickol (1719/20–1759)

BWV Anh. 165—Johann Ernst Bach

Apocryphal St. Luke Passion:

BWV 246, Anh. II 30—unknown; possibly Johann Melchior Molter (1696–1765)

Apocryphal Bach Masses (and Magnificat):

BWV Anh. 21 (Magnificat)—Georg Melchior Hoffmann (c. 1679–1715)

BWV Anh. 25—unknown; Italianate in style, probably by a Neapolitan composer

BWV Anh. 26—Francesco Durante (1684–1755), revised by Bach

Apocryphal Bach Cantatas II:

BWV 15—Johann Ludwig Bach (1677–1731)

BWV 141 and BWV 160—Georg Philipp Telemann

BWV 142—unknown; possibly Johann Kuhnau (1660–1722)

Apocryphal Bach Masses II:

BWV 150 (Cantata)—authentic J. S. Bach

BWV Anh. 24 (Mass)—Johann Christoph Pez (1664–1716)

BWV Anh. 167 (Mass)—unknown

BWV Anh. 30 (Magnificat)—unknown

BWV 237, 239, and 240 (Sanctus movements)—unknown

Second, a few remarks on the three previously unreviewed discs. The unaccompanied motets all set German texts; the most substantial in terms of length are BWV Anh. 160 and BWV Anh. 163. For the latter, the suggestion of Johann Ernst Bach (the son of a second cousin of J. S. Bach) as the most likely of the Eisenach Bach clan to be the work’s author is mine, on the grounds that he personally studied with J. S. Bach, who copied out two other works by him listed above, including another motet. The one apocryphal motet that sounds most like an authentic piece by J. S. Bach, however, is BWV Anh. 164 of Johann Christoff Altnickol, a son-in-law of J. S. Bach who served as organist at the Wenzelkirche in Naumburg until his untimely death. Georg Gottfried Wagner was a pupil of J. S. Bach and of Bach’s predecessor in Leipzig, Johann Kuhnau. Like Altnickol, he obtained a lifetime appointment on the strength of a recommendation from his teacher, in Wagner’s case as Kantor to the Johanniskirche in Plauen. Only one other composition of his besides this motet is known to have survived.

Regarding the two apocryphal masses, it beggars belief that anyone would have thought either one to be by Bach given how obviously Italian they are in compositional style, though in the case of BWV Anh. 26 Bach did make some emendations to the score, particularly in the Kyrie. Francesco Durante was a Neapolitan composer of sacred music and a noted pedagogue (particularly notorious for his insistence that all his students rigidly adhere to a single unvarying set of compositional rules) who successively taught at the Conservatorio di Sant’ Onofrio and the Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto. For his part, Georg Melchior Hoffmann studied first in Dresden and then in Leipzig, where he succeeded Telemann as director of the famed Collegium Musicum which J. S. Bach also would later head. During his short life-span he was both quite prolific and highly regarded. As with the apocryphal motets, his Magnificat lies squarely within the stylistic confines of the late German Baroque. As for the second disc of apocryphal cantatas, Johann Ludwig Bach was an uncle of J. S. Bach. Both the BWV 15 cantata now attributed to him, and the BWV 142 that is possibly by Bach’s Leipzig predecessor Kuhnau, exemplify the less elaborate compositional style of the generation before Bach, whereas the works by Telemann bear all the hallmarks of that composer’s sophisticated and more eclectic musical palette.

Each set within this compilation has its own booklet with CPO’s usual copious notes, artist biographies, and complete original texts with English translations. Aside from being a posthumous tribute to Helbich, however, one must also wonder if the issuance of this set also signals the end of CPO’s Apocryphal Bach project. One hopes that is not the case, for there still remain some items to be covered that could all fit onto one or two CDs. Using the Teldec Complete Bach Edition that I reviewed in 36:2 as a guide, still eligible for inclusion in this series are:

- Cantatas BWV 53 and 189 (both composed by Georg Melchior Hoffmann);

- Cantata fragments BWV 216, 223, and 224;

- Motet BWV 231 (a contrafactum of the second movement of the Cantata BWV 28, presumed to be by another hand);

- Miscellaneous fragments BWV 1081 (an introduction to a Credo by Giovanni Battista Bassani), 1082 (an adaptation of a Magnificat by Antonio Caldara), 1083 (a transcription of a Stabat mater by Giovanni Pergolesi), and 1088 (a bass arioso contributed by Bach to a Passion pastiche, the majority of it composed by Carl Heinrich Graun but also including movements by Telemann, Kuhnau, and Altnickol).

In any case, this entire set deserves a warm recommendation, which I am happy to provide.

FANFARE: James A. Altena

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The Sacred Apocryphal Bach / Helbich, Alsfelder Vokalensemble [8-CD Set]
CPO Feb 2014
CD
$74.99

A German Passion - 17th C. Music for the Time of Lent and Easter

Naxos

$19.99 Nov 10, 2023

The Hanseatic wealth of North Germany in the 17th century is reflected in its magnificent cathedrals, and the enormous grandeur of its church music was composed to fill the rich acoustics of these spaces. This programme presents a wide range of Easter music that displays the wealth of inventiveness in this period, enhancing the texts and finding different colors and surprising effects through improvisation and adaptation of the manuscripts. This early music is brought vividly to life by the acclaimed Margaretha Consort.

REVIEW:

This recording offers an excellent overview of the kind of Lutheran Church music one would have heard in the major cities and noble courts of northern Germany in the 17th Century. Jacob Handl’s ‘Ecce, Quomodo Moritur Iustus’ stands out as the only Latin motet on the program. Otherwise, it consists of German sacred concertos of varying dimensions. For instance, ‘Jesu Meines Lebens Leben’ by Dietrich Buxtehude sounds like a polychoral concerto, and Schütz’s ‘O Süsser, O Freundlicher’ sounds more like a sacred cantata, scored for solo tenor and continuo. Some pieces sound as though they replicate the timbre of a church congregation performing a strophic chorale melody to Sietze De Fries’s improvised organ part. Between the choral works, De Fries offers further improvisations, for example on the chorale melody ‘Jesu, Meine Freude’.

I am very taken with this recording, both for the selections and for the quality of the performances. Most of these works exhibit hallmarks of the stile moderno and indulge in the expressive properties of chromaticism and unusual harmonic juxtapositions. The notes are in English, but one will have to look elsewhere for the texts.

-- American Record Guide

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A German Passion - 17th C. Music for the Time of Lent and Easter
Naxos Nov 2023
CD
$19.99

Bach: St. Matthew Passion

Avie Records

$33.99 ~~$44.99~~ Save 25% Apr 17, 2026

The Bay Area-based Cantata Collective, under the direction of Nicholas McGegan, launched their series of J. S. Bach's large-scale choral masterworks with a "bold and beautifully constructed" St. John Passion (BBC Radio 3 Record Review). The Mass in B minor, and the Easter Oratorio paired with Magnificat, followed to equally glowing acclaim, setting the stage for the other of Bach's great Passions, the masterful St. Matthew Passion for double choir and double orchestra. Completing the cast is the Cantata Collective's own chorus, the inspirational San Francisco Girls Chorus, and a superlative sextet of soloists-tenor Tom Cooley as the Evangelist, bass-baritone Paul Max Tipton as Jesus, baritone Harrison Hintzsche as Pilatus, soprano Sherezade Panthaki as Pilatus' wife, alto Reginald Mobley, and tenor James Reese. With texts blending gospel with poetry, the recording-captured live in the glowing acoustic of Berkeley, California's First Church-is by turns expressive and contemplative. Presented across three CDs and available digitally in Dolby Atmos, the sumptuous presentation includes insightful booklet notes by Daniel R. Melamed, esteemed Bach scholar and President of the American Bach Society.

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Bach: St. Matthew Passion
Avie Records Apr 2026
CD
~~$44.99~~ $33.99

Handel: Messiah – The Choruses

Carus

$10.99 Feb 12, 2016

Already during his lifetime Handel's "Messiah" became his most frequently performed work, achieving virtually cult status. The many outstanding choruses in this oratorio are among the most beloved, well known pieces in the history of choral music. This new release contains all of the choruses from the internationally acclaimed recording conducted by Frieder Bernius. The special sound and musical refinement displayed by his ensembles - the Stuttgarter Kammerchor and the Barockorchester Stuttgart - which, according to the MDR Figaro (April 2009) breathe "liveliness and new energy" into the work, make it a most musically exciting listening experience.

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Handel: Messiah – The Choruses
Carus Feb 2016
CD
$10.99

Harmonische Freude: Works For Baroque Oboe, Trumpet And Chamber Organ

Chandos

$21.99 Jul 31, 2015

Harmonische Freude features chamber music by J.S. Bach and his extended circle, as played on period instruments by Austral Harmony, an Australian ensemble specializing in 18th c. music. • Inspiration comes from the organ preludes in Kauffmann’s collection Harmonische Seelenlust musikalischer Gönner und Freunde, which specifies use of an oboe so placed to give the impression that it is an organ stop. • Kauffmann’s pupil Tag illustrates the emerging 18th c. Empfindsamkeit (‘expressive’ style. • Krebs and Homilius were pupils of Bach who aspired to perpetuate the tradition of their great teacher.

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Harmonische Freude: Works For Baroque Oboe, Trumpet And Chamber Organ
Chandos Jul 2015
CD
$21.99

CANTUS / REVE / PEER GYNT

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

$14.62 Dec 05, 2025

CANTUS is a carefully selected bundle of 6 tracks, each based on a choral or aria-melody. The first single is a stunningly beautiful arrangement by Elizabeth Joy Roe and Greg Anderson of 'Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben,' an aria from Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

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CANTUS / REVE / PEER GYNT
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Dec 2025
CD
$14.62

Mix & Match

Bach: Goldberg Variations & Chorale, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Des

Centaur Records

$18.99 Sep 06, 2019

On this new release, Lilia Boyadjieva presents a programme of works by J. S. Bach, including his famous Goldberg Variations. Born and educated in Sofia, Bulgaria, Lilia Boyadijeva completed her studies at the Moscow Conservatory "P. I. Tchaikovsky," with Professor T. D. Gutman. Her awards at international piano competitions include prizes at Senigallia (Italy - 1979), Vianna da Motta (Portugal - 1983), Maria Callas (Greece - 1985) and more. Lilia Boyadjieva pursues a brilliant soloist career mainly in Europe. Invited by prestigious Festivals (Montpellier, Auvers-sur-Oise, Sofia, Athens, Dublin) she performs in recitals as a soloist, with orchestras and with chamber music ensembles in various countries. Radio and television organizations in different countries often broadcast her concerts. Very appreciated for her teaching abilities, she has taught at the Sofia Musical Academy, in Athens and Paris (CNR, Schola Cantorum). She gives numerous master classes in Greece, France and the U.S.

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Bach: Goldberg Variations & Chorale, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Des
Centaur Records Sep 2019
CD
$18.99

Buxtehude: Membra Jesu Nostri / Bronda, Luthers Bach Ensemble

Brilliant Classics

$10.99 ~~$13.99~~ Save 20% Mar 25, 2022

Membra Jesu nostri consists of seven cantatas which graphically depict the suffering of Christ and the different parts of his tormented body. The surprising beauty and integrity of the cycle as a whole lies in its combination of the strict Protestant North German style with that of the Italian school, the symbiosis of mystical outbursts and dancing, transparent and almost ethereal textures. The Groningen-based Luthers Bach Ensemble recorded this in spring 2021, at the height of the pandemic, through which they have played as active a part in the city’s cultural scene as possible with socially distanced concerts and music-making. Formed in 2006, the LBE can call upon a pool of highly practiced early-music specialists in both voices and instruments, as well as the longer Dutch history of historically informed performance praxis. The stylistic pedigree of this new recording of Membra Jesu nostri places it alongside the great recordings of the cycle over the course of the last half-century. A fine balance is struck between the solemn piety of the cycle’s text and the assuaging pathos of its expression, with its many striking contrasts of solo and large-scale textures, its passionate outbursts and reflective melismas.

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Buxtehude: Membra Jesu Nostri / Bronda, Luthers Bach Ensemble
Brilliant Classics Mar 2022
CD
~~$13.99~~ $10.99

Die Schuke-orgel Der Erloserkirche Jerusalem

Antes Edition

$12.49 ~~$24.99~~ Save 50% Jan 08, 2016

Anyone standing on top of the walls of Jerusalem gazing across the old city will notice a massive spire made from white stone and covered with a pyramidal roof made from whitish slate. This spire belongs to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, a Neo-Romanesque structure situated in the middle of the old city. The church today, is a major magnet for tourists and the center of a vibrant congregation. Playing this famous Schuke organ from this great church is the organist Gunther Martin Goettsche. Goettsche plays Buxtehude, Bach and Mendelssohn beautifully leaving no doubt why he is not only a great composer in his own right but one of the most celebrate organists of his time.

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Die Schuke-orgel Der Erloserkirche Jerusalem
Antes Edition Jan 2016
CD
~~$24.99~~ $12.49

J.S. Bach: Clavierubung dritter Theil

Brilliant Classics

$12.74 ~~$14.99~~ Save 15% Sep 11, 2026

Published in 1739, Johann Sebastian Bach's Dritter Teil der Clavierubung (Third Part of the Keyboard Practice) is one of the most profound monuments of organ literature. Conceived as a theological and musical summa, this cycle of chorale preludes framed by a majestic Prelude and Fugue reflects Bach's deep Lutheran faith and his consummate mastery of counterpoint. Intended 'for amateurs and especially for connoisseurs for the recreation of the spirit,' it invites us into a world where intellect and devotion meet in perfect harmony. This collection is not merely a set of organ pieces-it is a spiritual architecture in sound. Every element, from it's opening tri-thematic Prelude to it's closing five-voice Fugue, is imbued with symbolism, theological meaning, and artistic grandeur. For Bach, music was never just ornament; it was a language of faith, capable of expressing the mysteries of doctrine with clarity and beauty. Bach's models for this work were inspired from two great traditions: Italian Liturgical Collections - Above all, Girolamo Frescobaldi's Fiori Musicali (1635), which provided organ music for the Catholic Mass. Frescobaldi's influence is evident in the structural parallels: preludes before the service, organ verses alternating with chant, and pieces for specific liturgical moments. The other influence is the French Baroque Livres d'Orgue - Especially Nicolas de Grigny's Premier Livre d'Orgue (1699), which Bach copied in his youth, and Francois Couperin's organ masses. These works introduced Bach to the elegance of French ornamentation, the grandeur of the plein jeu, and the expressive possibilities of contrasting registrations. Bach absorbed these influences and reimagined them within the Lutheran framework, creating a cycle that parallels the structure of the Mass but substitutes chorales central to Reformed doctrine. In doing so, he forged a synthesis of Italian rhetorical expressiveness, French coloristic refinement, and German contrapuntal rigor. Played with intense devotion and understanding by Sergio Vartolo. Sergio Vartolo is an Italian organist, harpsichordist, and conductor known for his expertise in early music, especially the works of Baroque composers. Born in Bologna in 1944, he studied organ, composition, and musicology, developing a deep interest in historically informed performance. Vartolo has performed widely across Europe and recorded extensively, bringing renewed attention to lesser-known Italian composers. His interpretations combine scholarly research with expressive musicianship, making him an influential figure in the early music movement.

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J.S. Bach: Clavierubung dritter Theil
Brilliant Classics Sep 2026
CD
~~$14.99~~ $12.74

Messiah Choruses

Coro

$18.99 Apr 18, 2025

Handel's Messiah needs no introduction. This mighty yet majestic masterpiece is the most popular oratorio ever written and includes, arguably, the most famous chorus of all time-the iconic Hallelujah! Handel was a master chorus writer and for Messiah he certainly pulled out all the stops, placing the choir front and centre throughout. Although it has become synonymous with Christmas, Messiah was originally written as an Easter offering, bursting onto the stage of the Musick Hall in Dublin in April 1742. Taken from it's Award-winning 2008 complete recording of Messiah (COR16062), this collection from The Sixteen celebrates the wonderful choruses that have given so many singers, both amateur and professional, such joy and inspired an enduring love for this epic work.

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Messiah Choruses
Coro Apr 2025
CD
$18.99

Bach: Preludes & Fugues
Gothic Jan 2009
CD
$18.99

Schumann: An die Sterne Weltliche Chormusic
Carus Jul 2013
CD
$16.99

BOOK OF CHORALE-SETTINGS FOR J
Haenssler Classic Oct 1999
CD
$5.99

Du Treuer Gott / Leipzig Cantatas

PHI

$20.99 Oct 06, 2017

For the third time on the Phi label, Philippe Herreweghe gives us the opportunity to (re)discover three cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach – Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101, Ihr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103 and Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115. After two albums of cantatas written during the composer’s first year in Leipzig (LPH006 and LPH012), the Belgian conductor and his Collegium Vocale Gent, orchestra and choir, will be performing three cantatas he composed during his second year as Kantor at St Thomas’s. The choir and vocal soloists are once again challenged to produce performances of subtlety and refined virtuosity, and the instrumentarium is as rich and colourful as those heard previously in this series. This album, a genuine delight for aficionados and novices alike, precedes a further disc of cantatas which will be released in spring 2018.

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Du Treuer Gott / Leipzig Cantatas
PHI Oct 2017
CD
$20.99

Herzogenberg: Die Geburt Christi / Grube, Ensemble Oriol

Haenssler Classic

$12.49 ~~$24.99~~ Save 50% Oct 30, 2012

Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843-1900) was a singular composer for the 19th Century. He found inspiration in the music of Wagner and Schumann, but was also the founder of the Bach Society and championed works of older composers such as Schütz as well as a personal friend of Brahms. While attracted to the music of the Lutheran church, he was a devout, life-long Catholic.

Herzogenberg's oratorio "The Birth of Christ" was quite extraordinary for its time. Large-scale religious music was no longer fashionable, and even most "Masses" were written for the concert hall rather than the Church. Herzongenberg's Die Geburt Christi is scored for a large orchestra, choir, children's chorus, soloists and organ and deftly combines the countrapuntal textures of Bach with the late Romantic harmonic language of Brahms. The result is a serene and oddly moving score, achieving some of its most touching moments with the simplest of forces (a lovely setting of Jesu, Lieber Jesu Mein" for solo voice and cello is just one highlight).

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Herzogenberg: Die Geburt Christi / Grube, Ensemble Oriol
Haenssler Classic Oct 2012
CD
~~$24.99~~ $12.49

Bach: Cantatas, Motets & Organ Music / Belder, Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam

Brilliant Classics

$48.99 ~~$64.99~~ Save 25% Feb 10, 2023

In 2012-14, these six albums were issued as individual books, in which format they attracted praise both for the depth of their insights and the excellence of the performances: ‘”Elegant” is the word for this production, equally worthy to give or to keep’ Fanfare (Volume 1). This box makes them available once again at a superbudget price, with a new introductory essay by Peter Quantrill in the booklet, and all the original essays republished at brilliantclassics.com. The result is a highly attractive box for both Bach collectors and for newcomers to the inexhaustible treasure-trove that is his output of cantatas.

The selection of repertoire ranges chronologically from early masterpieces such as Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV4 and the Passacaglia BWV582 to the long period of his maturity as Cantor in Leipzig, when Bach wrote five cycles of cantatas for each feast-day in the church calendar. An important feature of Bach in Context is the use of the church organ as both a continuo and solo instrument. Each album opens with a piece of organ music (a Toccata or Prelude) and ends with another voluntary such as the corresponding fugue.

The albums explore resonant themes which run through Bach’s music, in several cases linked by the chorale hymns on which he based organ and vocal fantasias in his cantatas and motets. Led by the experienced Bach performer Pieter-Jan Belder, who has recorded all of the composer’s harpsichord music for Brilliant Classics, these performances feature one voice per part in a tightly knit vocal consort, according to the theories outlined by Joshua Rifkin, and which have since won wide acceptance. The singers are led by Harry van der Kamp, who has recorded cantatas with many other distinguished early-music directors such as Gustav Leonhardt and Ton Koopman.

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Bach: Cantatas, Motets & Organ Music / Belder, Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam
Brilliant Classics Feb 2023
CD
~~$64.99~~ $48.99

Bach: Secular Cantatas, Vol. 6 - Trauerode / Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan

BIS

SACD

$21.99 Apr 08, 2016

Bach’s secular cantatas, in contrast to his sacred works, were not always intended to be performed for a specific church service. They were frequently commissioned for weddings, funerals, or other occasions. This new release is the sixth volume of Bach’s secular cantatas, and includes Trauerode alongside others. This album is performed by the Bach Collegium Japan.

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Bach: Secular Cantatas, Vol. 6 - Trauerode / Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan
BIS Apr 2016
SACD
$21.99

Choral Music - DUPRE, M. / MULET, H. / RHEINBERGER, J. / FAR
Delos Jan 1992
CD
$18.99

Homilius: St. Mark Passion / Mauch, Sandhoff, Mammel, Laske, Naf

Carus

$29.99 Feb 26, 2013

A worthy addition to the repertoire for Passiontide.

About ten years ago the German label Carus started a project of recording compositions by Gottfried August Homilius and publishing the scores. This has borne fruit in a series of remarkable productions, with cantatas, motets and passions (see below). No fewer than three of the latter genre have been released so far, the latest being this setting of the St Mark Passion. It is not documented when it was written, but there is evidence that it was performed a couple of years before 1765 in Berlin. Homilius' Passions were quite famous and were performed in the German-speaking world well into the 19th century. That is the more remarkable as they had to compete with the then most celebrated Passion, Der Tod Jesu, by Carl Heinrich Graun, which dates from 1755.

The latter is a so-called passion oratorio. This was mostly a combination of a paraphrase of and contemplation on the story of the Passion. Passion oratorios were usually performed outside the church, in the form of a concert, but in the second half of the century they became part of religious services as well. This St Mark Passion belongs to the older type of the oratorio passion like those by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is based on the Biblical account of the suffering and death of Jesus, with additional chorales and arias. Even so, this work is quite different from Bach's Passions in various ways.

It is interesting to compare Homilius's Passion with Bach's St Matthew Passion. This will reveal in what way the Passions from the Enlightenment differ from those of the previous era. Bach's Passion is written in the spirit of Luther's theology of the Cross, which emphasized that the suffering and death of Jesus for the sins of mankind are an absolute precondition to receiving the grace of God. In order to imprint this into the minds of the congregation it should 're-experience' as it were Jesus' sufferings and take part in the unfolding of the events as described in the gospels. To that end the references to the happy outcome of Jesus' passion are very limited. It is telling that Bach's St Matthew Passion ends with an expression of grief on Jesus' death. This Passion by Homilius ends on a positive note: "God is reconciled, he layeth down his thunders. (...) The heavens exult, with hallelujahs echoing. Join forces with them in this solemn song!" The scene which describes the Last Supper is followed by an aria of an uplifting character, referring to the Lord's Supper which is celebrated in the Christian church: "If by sin ye are distressed, come and the Lord will refresh you. (...) O taste and see how gracious he is!" It is followed by a chorus which expresses the same thought. This connection is completely absent in Bach's Passion.

The purpose of the congregation 're-experiencing' the events also explains the dramatic character of Bach's St Matthew Passion. Homilius's St Mark Passion is considerably less dramatic. A typical example is the scene where the High Priest asks Jesus whether he is the son of God. Jesus answers: "I am, and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." In Bach's Passion the Evangelist immediately mentions the High Priest rending his clothes and saying that Jesus has spoken blasphemy. Homilius inserts a chorale, and only then the Evangelist recounts the response of the High Priest. The same happens in the scene of Peter denying Jesus. After his last denial Bach's Evangelist tells that the cock crew and that Peter wept bitterly. In Homilius's Passion the last denial is followed by an aria: "Do not misconceive the God of gods! His anger flares, go, kiss the Son!" In these passages the inclusion of a chorale and an aria respectively interrupt the dramatic flow of the story.

The aria just mentioned reveals a feature of this Passion which clearly reflects the spirit of the Enlightenment. In Bach's Passions the arias express the emotions the congregation is supposed to feel while witnessing the sufferings of Jesus: "May my weeping and my mourning be a welcome sacrifice" (Buss und Reu), "I wish my heart to offer thee" (Ich will dir mein Herze schenken), "Have mercy, Lord, on me" (Erbarme dich). It is the congregation speaking; in Homilius the congregation is addressed. They are warned: "Be merciful, o mortal man, break thou thy bread with the hungry". That is the opening sentence of the first aria which follows the scene when Jesus' disciples complain about the woman pouring ointment on Jesus' head. This shows that the arias often have a strong moral content. In other arias participants in the story are addressed: "Condemn him, if ye must, ye unjust judges", but "when the Son of Man shall return as judge on the clouds of heaven, then flee, evildoers, flee!"

The recitatives of the Evangelist bear witness to the less dramatic character of Homilius's St Mark Passion as well. They are more straightforward, and the text is less drastically depicted in the music. The compass of this part is considerably narrower and there are far fewer modulations. The most dramatic parts of this Passion are the arias. The tenor aria mentioned above, 'Verdammt ihn nur, ihr ungerechten Richter' is a kind of operatic rage aria. There’s drama also in the two accompanied recitatives of the soprano in the second part, which strongly contrast with the ensuing arias. Some arias are quite long: several take seven or eight minutes. The most expressive of these is also the longest: 'Ich geh, von Leiden ganz'. The words are put into the mouth of Jesus (another feature of Enlightenment Passions): "I go hence, surrounded by sorrow on all sides, and there is none to ask: Whither goest thou?" Its expressive character is reinforced by the strings playing with mutes.

The mixture of 'old' and 'new' elements has resulted in a compelling Passion with music of great beauty and incisive expression. The performance does full justice to its character and quality. Hans Jörg Mammel gives an excellent account of the part of the Evangelist, in a true declamatory manner. The part of Jesus is lighter than in other Passions: Thomas Laske is a baritone rather than a bass, and his agile voice perfectly suits this part. His aria which I already mentioned is one of the most moving parts and is exquisitely sung. His voice is more powerful in the aria 'Mit Preis und Ruhm gekrönt'. Monika Mauch has a beautiful and clear voice; especially moving is the aria in the second part, following the death of Jesus: "Flow, flow, ye tears!" The dramatic accompanied recitatives I referred to are not lost on her either. No less beautiful is the voice of Ruth Sandhoff, whose warm timbre suits the aria 'Wenn euch eure Sünden drücken'.

The Basler Madrigalisten are a vocal ensemble of twenty voices and sing the turbae in a fitting dramatic fashion. The chorales are often a weak spot in recordings of works like this, but not here. Words and phrases are effectively singled out, for instance through dynamic accents, such as in the last lines of 'O weh demselben' (CD 1, track 13). The articulation is also immaculate. The orchestra gives full weight to the dramatic aspects, and displays its expressive powers in the arias.

This recording shows why Homilius was considered the greatest German composer of sacred music in his time. It is a worthy addition to the repertoire for Passiontide.

-- Johan van Veen, MusicWeb International

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Homilius: St. Mark Passion / Mauch, Sandhoff, Mammel, Laske, Naf
Carus Feb 2013
CD
$29.99

Choral Music, Vol. 1 – Sometimes I Feel Alive / Rilke Songs / Introit For The Season Of Epiphany / Arise, my Love / Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing / Ave, Dulcissima Maria / Missa Brevis / Aaronic Benediction / Behold The Tabernacle Of God
Naxos Mar 2010
CD
$19.99