Bach, J S: Köthener Trauermusik, BWV244a
Sabine Devielhe, Damien Guillon, Thomas Hobbs, Christian Immler
Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon
The choral sound is refreshing; the instrumental performance attractive...Pichon is unlikely to have the last word on the Trauermusik mystery but it's a fine recording nonetheless.
Bach, J S: Köthener Trauermusik, BWV244a
Sabine Devielhe, Damien Guillon, Thomas Hobbs, Christian Immler
Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon
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The choral sound is refreshing; the instrumental performance attractive...Pichon is unlikely to have the last word on the Trauermusik mystery but it's a fine recording nonetheless.
About
When Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen died in 1728, his former Kapellmeister had not forgotten the five brilliant years he had spent in the prince’s service. He dedicated to his memory a mourning cantata almost entirely based on the music of two major works of the mid-1720s, the Trauer-Ode and the St Matthew Passion. Although the score is lost, the wordbook and other sources of information have now made it possible to reconstruct the work. In his first recording for harmonia mundi, Raphaël Pichon invites us on an exciting musical treasure hunt.
Contents and tracklist
Awards and reviews
February 2015
The choral sound is refreshing; the instrumental performance attractive...Pichon is unlikely to have the last word on the Trauermusik mystery but it's a fine recording nonetheless.
Early Music Review December 2014
the band and the 17 singers perform with great conviction, and bring clarity and finesse to the music.
March 2015
The performance itself, luxuriating in the princely acoustic of the chapelle royale at Versailles, is well matched to the high quality of the music ... Pygmalion's performance [features]...fuller choral forces and generously appointed orchestral accompaniment, and beautifully recorded too.
16th December 2014
The Harmonia Mundi engineers excel in providing cool, clear, well balanced sound. I can report that full German texts are provided with translations in French and English together with several high quality articles. This captivating recording of Bach’s reconstructed Köthener Trauermusik for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen is beautifully performed by the Ensemble Pygmalion under Raphaël Pichon. It's excellently recorded too.
9th November 2014
Morgan Jourdain’s reconstruction follows Andrew Parrott’s pioneering first recording, with some differences...The performances under Raphaël Pichon are lithe and sprightly, almost too cheerful, but always transparent, with alto Damien Guillon outstanding.
