(To ruin you an end of terror) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, trumpet, strings and continuo It is said that Bach’s musicians had precious little rehearsal time and often sight-read their performances. If this is true, the shock they must have suffered in the dim light of an autumn morning on 14 November 1725 … Read More
(Ah, how fleeting, ah, how empty) for alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, horn, flute, oboe I–III, bassoon, strings and continuo. Composed for the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity, the cantata “Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig” (Ah, how fleeting, ah, how empty) is pervaded by an atmosphere of late autumnal gloom and loss, in which … Read More
(Ah Lord, me a poor sinner) for alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, oboe I+II, bass trombone, bassoon, strings and continuo.
(Give honour to the Lord, my God) for soprano, alto and bass, vocal ensemble, trumpets I-III, timpani, flute, oboe I+II, bassoon, strings and continuo. In his cantata “Gelobt sei der Herr, mein Gott” (Give honour to the Lord, my God) BWV 129 Bach presents a celebratory work of great magnificence and yet extraordinary efficiency. Written … Read More
(Soar joyfully aloft) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, oboe d’amore I+II, bassoon, strings and continuo. Cantata BWV 36, “Schwingt freudig euch empor!” (Soar joyfully aloft), is a work of clarity and elegance that seems especially well-suited to the preparatory period of Advent – a time that, while not yet festive, still seems … Read More
