Hailed by the Washington Post as “One of the area’s important chamber ensembles”, The Bach Sinfonia, under the direction of conductor Daniel Abraham, gives an exciting and reflective performance exploring the beauty and tonal intricacies of some of the most stellar choral works of the 17th century on their second release with Dorian Sono Luminus – Passion and Lament : Choral Masterworks of the 17th Century.
Singers and Instrumentalists join forces for this recording of Biber’s Stabat Mater, a work music director Daniel Abraham prepared from original manuscripts for the modern concert premiere in May 2008. In addition to this forgotten masterwork, this recording offers the rare opportunity to explore six of Rossi’s radiant polyphonic Hebrew settings from Hashirim asher lish’lomo (The Songs of Solomon), the composer’s important choral offering of choral compositions for the standard Jewish liturgy.
Also on the album is Carissimi’s beautiful oratorio Histori di Jepthe, the first true masterwork in this genre which tells the story of Jepthe, the military general who must uphold his promise and sacrifice his daughter as an offering for his victory in battle. The dramatic musical imagery of this early oratorio includes songs of triumph and victory, innocence and praise, and anguish and lament which unfold in stunning solo passages and some of the most stirring choruses in all of the Baroque era.
Recorded in the heart of the Nation’s Capital, this album’s beautiful choral passages matched with the power and passion of the soloists’ performance, in addition to a premier recording, are sure to put this album at the top of every music lovers list.
