Composer: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Performer: Kölner Akademie Choir
Orchestra: Kölner Akademie
Conductor: Michael Alexander Willens
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: CPO
Catalogue: 555349-2
Release: 2023
Size: 714 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Magnificat in D Major, Wq. 215
01. No. 1, Magnificat
02. No. 2, Quia respexit
03. No. 3, Quia fecit
04. No. 4, Et misericordia eius (1)
05. No. 5, Fecit potentiam
06. No. 6, Deposuit potentes
07. No. 7, Suscepit Israel
08. No. 8, Gloria
09. No. 9, Sicut erat
10. No. 4, Et misericordia eius (2)
Auf, schicke dich recht feierlich, Wq. 249
11. No. 1, Auf, schicke dich recht feierlich
12. No. 2, Gross ist der Herr, sein weites Heiligtum schallt überall
13. No. 3, Wohin mein Auge blickt
14. No. 4, Gross ist der Herr, ihm lasst uns singen
15. No. 5, Welch ein Gesang voll Jubel steiget zu Gottes Thron empor?
16. No. 6, Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet
17. No. 7, Du bist gekommen, du heiligster Sohn Gottes
18. No. 8, Seid mir gesegnet, meine Brüder
19. No. 9, Rat, Kraft und Held
20. Spiega Hammonia fortunata, Wq. 216
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was music director of five of Hamburg’s principal churches from 1768 until his death in 1788. It was a strenuous and risky position of great responsibility. He was to make church services as attractive as possible with performances of his own original compositions alongside those of his contemporaries, so the faithful would show up in droves to church. On the other hand, he was to avoid theologically questionable theatrics. The two fascinating main works on these new recordings with Michael Alexander Willens and the Kölner Akademie clearly show that the “Hamburg Bach” knew very well how to fill up church pews. He returned to his Magnificat thirty years after its composition in Berlin in 1749. Bach had it performed twice at his new place of work (1779 and 1786) adding three trumpets, two horns and timpani to yield a certain festive brilliance. His 1775 Christmas cantata Auf, schicke dich, recht feierlich, features similar magnificence. Bach was apparently very pleased with this unusually formatted work, for he programmed it several times. A brilliantly sparkling piece of “ephemera” concludes the programme. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach had only twelve hours on a certain day in 1770 to compose the festive Spiega, Ammonia, fortunata (“Hail, blessed Hamburg”) on the occasion of the visit of the Swedish crown prince and later Gustav III of Vasa … it would be hard to be believe if Bach himself had not noted it in his autobiography.
