J S Bach: Christmas Cantatas from Leipzig

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Bach composed Christmas music for more than 30 years of his professional life, but none in such a short a space of time as when he arrived at Leipzig in 1723. He used the relatively quiet Advent... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Catalogue No: 901781.82
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Series: Herreweghe Bach Cantatas
Length: 55 minutes

Gramophone Magazine

December 2003

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Special offer ends: 13/11/2023

Bach, J S: Cantata BWV91 'Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ'

Work length16:53

$6.00

$7.80

Mark Padmore, Dorothee Mields, Ingeborg Danz
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe

Choral "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ"

Track length2:59

$1.00

$1.30

Recitativo (S) "Der Glanz der höchsten Herrlichkeit"

Track length1:53

$1.00

$1.30

Aria (T) "Gott, dem der Erden Kreis zu klein"

Track length2:48

$1.00

$1.30

Recitativo (B) "O Christenheit"

Track length1:18

$1.00

$1.30

Aria "Die Armut, so Gott auf sich nimmt"

Track length6:56

$1.00

$1.30

Choral "Das hat er alles uns getan"

Track length0:59

$1.00

$1.30

Bach, J S: Cantata BWV121 'Christum wir sollen loben schon'

Work length19:22

$6.20

$8.45

Mark Padmore, Dorothee Mields, Ingeborg Danz
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe

Choral "Christum wir sollen loben schon"

Track length2:45

$1.00

$1.30

Aria (T) "O du von Gott erhöhte Kreatur"

Track length5:41

$1.00

$1.30

Recitativo (A) "Der Gnade unermeßlichs Wesen"

Track length1:19

$1.00

$1.30

Aria (B) "Johannis freudenvolles Springen"

Track length7:29

$1.20

$1.95

Recitativo (S) "Doch wie erblickt es dich in deiner Krippen"

Track length0:59

$1.00

$1.30

Choral "Lob, Ehr und Dank sei dir gesagt"

Track length1:09

$1.00

$1.30

Bach, J S: Cantata BWV133 'Ich freue mich in dir'

Work length19:42

$6.20

$8.45

Mark Padmore, Dorothee Mields, Ingeborg Danz
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe

Choral "Ich freue mich in dir"

Track length4:15

$1.00

$1.30

Aria (A) "Getrost! es faßt ein heiliger Leib"

Track length4:35

$1.00

$1.30

Recitativo (T) "Ein Adam mag sich voller Schrecken"

Track length1:06

$1.00

$1.30

Aria (S) "Wie lieblich klingt es in den Ohren"

Track length7:36

$1.20

$1.95

Recitativo (B) "Wohlan! Des Todes Furcht und Schmerz"

Track length1:01

$1.00

$1.30

Choral "Wohlan, so will ich"

Track length1:09

$1.00

$1.30

Reviews
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Reviews

2010

Bach composed Christmas music for more than 30 years of his professional life, but none in such a short a space of time as when he arrived at Leipzig in 1723. He used the relatively quiet Advent period to prepare for the onslaught of commitments around Christmas. This recording celebrates his vibrant representation of all the major themes of the season.
The Magnificat was his major contribution in his first year, as it was needed for Christmas Day.
One his few works in Latin, this grandiloquent 16-movement canticle enabled the new Cantor to make his mark with a supreme exhibition of compositional mastery and acoustical opulence.
Today's audiences usually hear the Magnificat in D, but it was originally composed in E flat, with four interpolated movements reflecting the special seasonal context. Philippe Herreweghe presents as tailored and tonally refined a reading as you are likely to find, as indeed he did in his more intimate but prosaic account of the D major version from 1990. This new performance also ranks with the best in terms of varied coloration and sonic choral brilliance.
Bach's Christmas cantatas from 1723 and 1724 comprise works of fascinating range. 'Christen, ätzet diesen Tag' (No 63) is another extrovert celebration, with trumpets and drums, originally conceived in Weimar and smartened up for its new surroundings. Most interesting is 'Christen wir sollen', which presents the idea of thanksgiving as coming from within the dark recesses of Advent, preparation and expectation; Collegium Vocale are supreme in austerity, and the distilled stilo antico.
Herreweghe can be a touch anodyne, but this is a mild gripe for what is, overall, an outstanding collection of performances to celebrate a Bach Christmas – beyond the great Oratorio.

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