Bach: Lutheran Masses, Vol. 2

Bach: Lutheran Masses, Vol. 2

Bach: Lutheran Masses, Vol. 2
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CD Details

Performer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Orchestra: Nancy Argenta
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2000-03-28
Music Label: Chandos
Soundtracks:
  1. Trio Son in C (Transposed To D), BWV 529: I. Allegro - The Purcell Qt
  2. Trio Son in C (Transposed to D), BWV 529: II. (Largo) - The Purcell Qt
  3. Trio Son in C (Transposed to D), BWV 529: III. Allegro - The Purcell Qt
  4. Mass in G, BWV 236: I. Kyrie
  5. Mass in G, BWV 236: II. Gloria (Vivace)
  6. Mass in G, BWV 236: III. Gratias
  7. Mass in G, BWV 236: IV. Domine Deus
  8. Mass in G, BWV 236: V. Quoniam (Adagio)
  9. Mass in G, BWV 236: VI. Cum Sancto Spiritu
  10. Mass in F, BWV 233: I. Kyrie
  11. Mass in F, BWV 233: II. Gloria
  12. Mass in F, BWV 233: III. Domine Deus
  13. Mass in F, BWV 233: IV. Qui Tollis (Adagio)
  14. Mass in F, BWV 233: V. Quoniam (Vivace)
  15. Mass in F, BWV 233: VI. Cum Sancto Spiritu (Presto)

Music reviews of Bach: Lutheran Masses, Vol. 2

Music Review: a voice teacher and early music fan
Rating: 5 Stars

'I PLACE MUSIC NEXT TO THEOLOGY AND GIVE IT THE HIGHEST PRAISE': MARTIN LUTHER.

Martin Luther was himself a singer and luteinist. He made it clear to all that his objections to the Roman church were theological, not liturgical.

Therefore Bach was given considerable freedom in his writing as long as the text adhered to correct biblical teachings. His burden was great for he was required to produce music for every Sunday and special holy days; thus the numerous cantatas and organ preludes,Passions etc.

When he finally got around to composing the Mass in G major, he approached it mainly as one of selecting and reworking masterpieces from the cantatas, a process known as 'parody'. And it is indeed fascinating to find Bach choosing earlier compositions whose musical architecture suits his purpose and completely altering their emotional impact by extensive recomposition of the individual lines.

On the other hand, in the Mass in F major, one wonders whether the first 3 movements derive from no such models and are original compositions.

The first selection on this disc 'Trio Sonata,BWV529' was written by Bach for organ and here arranged by Richard Boothby (cellist in the Purcell Quartet) for two violins,viola di gamba and harpsichord. I'm sure Bach would have approved for it's quite enjoyable to hear and seems just right!

There are two Masses: Mass,BWV236 in G major and Mass, BWV233 in F major. Although,strictly speaking, there is almost no Lutheran raw material included in them, they are however, deeply Lutheran and Bachian in spirit, music in which it is hard not to be moved by a big and complex resolution of dissonace. From a listening standpoint, they are very uplifting, for the most part joyful and VERY pleasant to hear.

I wasn't going to critique this CD because you have several opinions already, but I must respond to a couple of statements made by Matthew Westphal, who I think does a great job assessing most of the CDs. BUT I can't allow him to make such an erroneus statement concerning Michael Chance's performance on this recording. I have been following Chance's career for 25 years and have most of his recordings, and I can tell you as a voice teacher of 30 years, that his voice is better than ever! Perhaps the low tessitura that goes on and on thruout these Masses becomes wearing to the ear, but it's not the fault of the singer.

This is a great recording in every way; all the singers do a fine job and I do love the solo voice concept.

To conclude, Bach's writings have a spiritual power, a solid strength and sincerity that cannot be traced to technique, but to the inspirations of pure genius! Near the end of his life, he was stricken with blindness, his condition further aggravated by an operation, followed by a paralytic stroke; and the invitation of his magnificent chorale 'Komm,Susser Tod' (come sweet death) was accepted.

Description of Bach: Lutheran Masses, Vol. 2

Joshua Rifkin and Andrew Parrott no longer seem to be lonely voices crying in the proverbial wilderness. The idea of performing Bach's sacred music with only soloists seems to be catching on a bit. This recording, for instance, completes Chandos's one-singer-per-part set of Bach's four "Lutheran" Masses (i.e., Kyrie and Gloria only), performed by the (enlarged) Purcell Quartet with all the transparency, exactitude, and grace they brought to volume?1 of the series. Perhaps surprisingly, it's the instrumental detail--usually buried underneath the voices of a choir but clearly audible here--that's striking: take the lively oboe figures that give a Handelian feel to the Gloria of the G?major Mass, for example. If you've heard the Gabrieli Consort & Players' rip-roaring rendition of the F?major Mass, the Purcell Quartet's performance may seem a bit too genteel--but only a bit: it's both energetic and graceful. The excellent soprano and alto from the first disc, Susan Gritton and Robin Blaze, are replaced here by Nancy Argenta and Michael Chance, two baroque singing stars of the 1980s: Argenta sounds fairly good, much less shaky than she did on Masaaki Suzuki's St.?Matthew Passion, but Chance sounds dismayingly unsteady. On the other hand, tenor Mark Padmore uses an impressive range of vocal colors (sometimes sounding almost like a countertenor himself), bass Peter Harvey brings real merriment to his virtuoso aria "Gratias agimus," and the horn players (on valveless instruments) toss off their difficult parts with real aplomb. This disc may have a few more flaws than its predecessor, but it's got skillful, very listenable performances--yet another demonstration that this supposedly kooky Bach-as-madrigal idea can really work. --Matthew Westphal

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