Bach Motets
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Johann Sebastian Bach
Label: Hyperion
Magazine Review Date: 11/1990
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: KA66369
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (6) Motets |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
(The) Sixteen Harry Christophers, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
Composer or Director: Johann Sebastian Bach
Label: Gaudeamus
Magazine Review Date: 11/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 59
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: CDGAU118
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (6) Motets, Movement: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV225 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
| (6) Motets, Movement: Jesu, meine Freude, BWV227 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
| (6) Motets, Movement: Fürchte dich nicht, BWV228 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
| (6) Motets, Movement: Lobet den Herrn, BWV230 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
Composer or Director: Johann Sebastian Bach
Label: Hyperion
Magazine Review Date: 11/1990
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 68
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CDA66369
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (6) Motets |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
(The) Sixteen Harry Christophers, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
Composer or Director: Johann Sebastian Bach
Label: Gaudeamus
Magazine Review Date: 11/1990
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: ZCGAU118
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| (6) Motets, Movement: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV225 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
| (6) Motets, Movement: Jesu, meine Freude, BWV227 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
| (6) Motets, Movement: Fürchte dich nicht, BWV228 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
| (6) Motets, Movement: Lobet den Herrn, BWV230 |
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford Francis Grier, Conductor Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer |
Author: Nicholas Anderson
Bach's motets present among the greatest challenges to choirs and few manage to do them consistent justice. One of these recordings, featuring The Sixteen directed by Harry Christophers, is a new one; the other, with Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford under Francis Grier is a reissue of an LP released in 1983. Christophers performs six of the seven works published in the Neue Bachausgabe in 1965. Understandably, perhaps, he omits O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV118 since it, alone among the motets has obligatory instrumental support. Grier gives us only four, omitting not only BWV118, but also Komm, Jesu, komm!, BWV229, and Der Geist hilft, BWV226. Both directors prefer continuo support to the colla parte approach where each vocal strand is doubled by an instrument; but whereas the Christ Church Choir consists only of male voices, The Sixteen embraces both men's and women's voices.
In my initial review of the Christ Church album I remarked on unstable intonation which marred otherwise fresh and engaging performances. This is still my impression on hearing them again several years later. No such problem exists in the singing of The Sixteen where intonation, though not always impeccable, is much more secure. It is in the middle strands of the texture that I sometimes sensed a lack of clear tonal focus but the overall achievement is none the less impressive. What I felt lacking in these performances was sufficient characterization. These are elegant readings, often well shaped and which achieve an almost consistent beauty of sound; but too often the words and therefore the music are underplayed. Surely more could have been made of reiterated statements such as the ''Ich starke dich'' of Furchte dich nicht. It is not that the significance of the words is overlooked but rather that insufficient contrasts are made. The great chromatic fugue for the lower voices which occupies the second half of this motet tends to meander comfortably following the music's contours in an easygoing uninterrupted legato. Crisper articulation and more clearly defined phrases are required to bring this music to life. In these respects the five-partJesu, meine Freude and the eight-part Singet dem Herrn come over more convincingly with well balanced and well sustained singing in the full and trio sections.
At present there is no shortage of recordings of the motets available to the prospective buyer and the choice is a difficult one. If you prefer not to have instrumental doubling then my choice would be between The Sixteen and Trinity College Choir, Cambridge under Richard Marlow on Conifer. Marlow's continuo is further reduced to an organ only but his choir like that of The Sixteen consists of men and women's voices. The Christ Church Choir under Grier is also worth considering but then you must settle for four rather than six works and the omission ofKomm, Jesu, komm! is a serious one. If you enjoy the music with colla parte instrumental support then my choice is between Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Stockholm Bach Choir (Teldec—temporarily unavailable) and Philippe Herreweghe's La Chapelle Royale and Collegium Vocale on Harmonia Mundi. It is unlikely, however, that any one of these performances will satisfy your every requirement.'
In my initial review of the Christ Church album I remarked on unstable intonation which marred otherwise fresh and engaging performances. This is still my impression on hearing them again several years later. No such problem exists in the singing of The Sixteen where intonation, though not always impeccable, is much more secure. It is in the middle strands of the texture that I sometimes sensed a lack of clear tonal focus but the overall achievement is none the less impressive. What I felt lacking in these performances was sufficient characterization. These are elegant readings, often well shaped and which achieve an almost consistent beauty of sound; but too often the words and therefore the music are underplayed. Surely more could have been made of reiterated statements such as the ''Ich starke dich'' of Furchte dich nicht. It is not that the significance of the words is overlooked but rather that insufficient contrasts are made. The great chromatic fugue for the lower voices which occupies the second half of this motet tends to meander comfortably following the music's contours in an easygoing uninterrupted legato. Crisper articulation and more clearly defined phrases are required to bring this music to life. In these respects the five-part
At present there is no shortage of recordings of the motets available to the prospective buyer and the choice is a difficult one. If you prefer not to have instrumental doubling then my choice would be between The Sixteen and Trinity College Choir, Cambridge under Richard Marlow on Conifer. Marlow's continuo is further reduced to an organ only but his choir like that of The Sixteen consists of men and women's voices. The Christ Church Choir under Grier is also worth considering but then you must settle for four rather than six works and the omission of
Bach Motets
Bach Motets
Bach Motets
Bach Motets
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