Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Performer: Kammerchor Stuttgart
Conductor: Frieder Bernius
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Carus
Catalogue: CAR83298
Release: 2012
Size: 272 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Motet BWV225 ‘Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied’
01. I. “Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied”
02. II. Choral: “Wie sich ein Vat’r erbarmet” – Aria: “Gott, nimm dich ferner unser an”
03. III. Doppelchor: “Lobet den Herrn in seinen Taten”, “Alles, was Odem hat”
Motet BWV226 ‘Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf’
04. I. Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf
05. II. Der aber die Herzen forschet
06. III. Du heilige Brunst
Jesu meine Freude , BWV 227
07. I. Jesu, meine Freude
08. II. Es ist nun nichts Verdammliches an denen
09. III. Unter deinen Schirmen
10. IV. Denn das Gesetz des Geistes
11. V. Trotz dem alten Drachen
12. VI. Ihr aber seid nicht fleischlich
13. VII. Weg mit allen Schätzen
14. VIII. So aber Christus in euch ist
15. IX. Gute Nacht, O Wesen
16. X. So nun der Geist
17. XI. Weicht, ihr Trauergeister
18. Motet BWV228 ‘Fürchte dich nicht’
Motet BWV229 ‘Komm, Jesu, komm!’
19. I. Komm, Jesu, komm, mein Leib ist müde
20. IV. Aria: Drum schließ ich mich in Deine Hände
Motet BWV230 ‘Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden’
21. I. Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden
22. Motet BWV Anh. 159 ‘Ich lasse dich nicht’
Almost all Bach’s motets – including Ich lasse dich nicht – were occasional compositions for funeral ceremonies, although we only really know the occasion for which one of the motets was written: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf.
In the case of the other motets we can only conjecture the occasions for which Bach composed them; indeed we cannot even date most of them since, apart from Der Geist hilft, only Bach’s original manuscript for Singet dem Herrn has survived.
Frieder Bernius founded the Stuttgart Chamber Choir whilst still a student and with this group, has forged a refined sound which is both internationally recognized and influential, particularly in the area of romantic choral music.
His previous recordings for CARUS have received wonderful reviews from the critics, including Gramophone Editor’s Choices, BBC Music Magazine Choral Choice of the Month and a Disc of the Week on BBC Radio 3’s CD Review.
German conductor Frieder Bernius had already recorded Bach’s motets (minus the slightly problematical Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden, BWV 230) for the Sony label; that fine release featured the participation of a small instrumental ensemble. This version for Germany’s Carus label has only a continuo, and a very quiet one at that, with just a small organ and a violone. Nevertheless, its virtues are similar to that of the earlier release. In this age of radical experimentation with the performance of Bach’s music, it’s good to know that there’s a place to go for a strong traditional performance, with a good-size group and the classic warm sound of German choral ensembles. This Bernius and his Stuttgart Chamber Choir reliably provide, and this group of motets is an unusually strong outing. The choir’s diction in these dense works, where a full-choir performance can overwhelm the texts, is quite clear. The chief appeal is that Bernius modulates the choir’s sound in response to the range of textures in these works; for the sinuous polyphony in Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225, he pares the vibrato back almost to a British-cathedral sound, but elsewhere, once the polyphonic thickets are left behind, he lets the singers engage more with the text. The music connects throughout; it’s sober yet shaped with loving detail. A fine old-school reading of these much-recorded works, with excellent sound from the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Gönningen, Germany.