(A mighty fortress is our God) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, oboe I–III, oboe d’amore I–II, oboe da caccia, taille, trumpet, timpani, organ, strings and basso continuo Bach’s cantata BWV 80, “A mighty fortress is our God”, is set to Luther’s spirited hymn from 1529 that first entered the Protestant canon after … Read More
(Sound, all ye drums now! Resound, all ye trumpets!) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, transverse flute I+II, oboe I+II, timpani, strings and basso continuo The words “Jauchzet, frohlocket!” (Triumph, rejoicing!) open one of Bach’s most instantly recognised works: the introductory chorus of the Christmas Oratorio BWV 248, which is indeed a parody of the … Read More
(Joyful be, O ransomed throng) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, transverse flute I+II, oboe I+II, oboe d’amore, violino concertato, strings and basso continuo Recent research has corroborated the long-held assumption that Bach composed the greater part of his Leipzig cantatas during his first years there as Thomascantor. From 1730 onward, he then … Read More
(Mass in B minor) for soloists, choir and orchestra The Mass in B Minor, hailed in 1818 as the “greatest musical composition of all times and all cultures” by its first publisher, Hans-Georg Nägeli of Zurich, is today revered as one of the greatest works in the history of classical music. Not only has the composition … Read More
(I will the cross-staff gladly carry) for bass, vocal ensemble, oboe I+II, taille, violoncello, strings and basso continuo. The cantata “I will the cross-staff gladly carry” was written for the 19th Sunday after Trinity in 1726. Thanks to recent scholarship, the long unknown librettist has been identified as Christoph Birkmann (1703–1771), a theologian from Nuremberg. … Read More
(Insincere and fickle spirits) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, transverse flute, trumpet, oboe, bassoon, strings and basso continuo
(Who himself exalteth, he shall be made to be humble) for soprano and bass, vocal ensemble, oboe I+II, bassoon, strings and continuo
(See now, we’re going up to Jerusalem) for alto, tenor, bass and soprano section of the vocal ensemble, oboe, bassoon, strings and continuo The cantata “Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem” (See now, we’re going up to Jerusalem) BWV 159, was written for Estomihi, the last Sunday service with concerted music prior to the musical … Read More
(In all my undertakings) for soprano, alto, tenor and bass, vocal ensemble, oboe I+II, bassoon, strings and continuo The cantata “In allen meinen Taten” (In all my undertakings) is set to a hymn by the brilliant baroque poet Paul Fleming (1609–1640), whose all-too-short life led him from Hartenstein in the Ore Mountains to Leipzig, Russia … Read More
