The Polish label Sarton has issued a few volumes exploring Baroque church music associated with Gdan´sk (Danzig). Thuringian composer Johann Balthasar Christian Freislich or Freisslich (1687-1764) was music director of the Hofkapelle at Sondershausen, possibly from about 1714, but in 1731 he succeeded his half-brother as Kapellmeister of Danzig’s Marienkirche. This Passion is adapted from a famous libretto by the Hamburg poet Brockes (set by Keiser, Handel and Telemann, and used for some of Bach’s St John Passion). Scholars think it was probably composed in the mid-1720s for Sondershausen but the manuscript is preserved in Gdan´sk. This recording seems to be the first of any kind seriously to investigate Freislich’s music – which is praised by The New Grove ‘for its warmth and fluency’.

The reverberant acoustic results in a close yet detailed sound and the Goldberg Baroque Ensemble play sincerely; occasional oboe parts are particularly effective (eg the poignant Sonatina that begins Act 3). The Polish-German team of eight capable soloists combine effectively in the nicely shaped chorales. Several singers are established specialists: Georg Poplutz (Evangelist) is a current member of Cantus Cölln, although he does not have much to do here. In fact, few of the singers get extended individual opportunities to flex their vocal muscles because the majority of arias are incredibly short-winded and last under two minutes – albeit with plenty of attractive passing moments: Peter’s ‘Gift und glut’ (sung competently by Franz Vitzthum) is one of numerous brief moments of extrovert theatrical fantasy but is over almost as soon as it begins. However, Peter’s grieving accompanied recitative and aria that follow his denial of Christ show more emotionally powerful qualities (‘Welch ungeheurer Schmerz…Heu, du Schaum der Menschenkinder!’, during which recorders softly play the famous chorale tune ‘O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden’), and bright-toned soprano Julia Kirchner’s delightful ‘O Pein, o Schmerz’ is accompanied sweetly by pizzicato strings and solo oboe. Lacking English documentation, it is unlikely this accomplished recording will bring Freislich to a larger audience hungry for more but it certainly illuminates the wider musical context in which the Passion oratorio genre flourished.