Tag: Bach

  • Bach Magnifcat

    Magnificat in E-flat Major BWV 243a Composed in Leipzig, 1728-1731. First performed in Leipzig on either July 2nd or Christmas Day – December 25th, 1723.  Note: This work is not to be confused with Bach’s Magnificat in D Major (BWV 243) which is a revision of BWV 243a. This is my favorite performance of this…

  • More on Bach's Mass in B Minor

    I just posted recently about Bach’s Mass in B Minor (BWV 232), but I had to post again after discovering my favorite recording of this work on YouTube! Here is a recording by the Taverner Consort and Players directed by Andrew Parrott in which  historically informed performance (HIP) practices are used. The alto parts are…

  • Bach Mass in B Minor

    Mass in B minor (Messe in h-Moll) BWV 232 Bach composed this work in Leipzig, 1747-1749; It was mostly assembled from previous materials from 1724 onward. Netherlands Bach Society – Jos van Veldhoven, conductor Hana Blažíková, soprano 1 Anna Reinhold, soprano 2 David Erler, alto Thomas Hobbs, tenor Peter Harvey, bass This performance was recorded…

  • Bach's St. John Passion

      J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion (Johannes-Passion) Passion in 2 Parts – BWV 245 Bach composed this work in Leipzig during 1727 for the Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) vesper services. It was written in 1723 during Bach’s first year as director of church music in Leipzig and was first performed on April 7,…

  • Bach's Coffee Cantata

    This is a performance of Bach’s secular cantata Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht / Keep quiet, don’t chatter. Which is known popularly as the “Kaffeekantate” (Coffee Cantata).  BWV 211 This performance was brought to my attention by my dear, longtime friend Professor Christina Alexandris in Athens, Greece. This work is more similar to an Italian comic…

  • Bach's St. Matthew Passion

      J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (Matthäus-Passion) Passion in 2 Parts – BWV 244 Bach composed this work in Leipzig during 1727 for the Good Friday vesper services. The Choir of King’s College Chapel Cambridge The Choir of Jesus College Cambridge  (Soprano in ripieno) Soloists: Evangelist: Rogers Covey-Crump (Tenor) Jesus: Michael George (Bass) Emma Kirkby…

  • Bach's Christmas Oratorio

      J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachts-Oratorium) Oratorio in 6 parts. BWV 248 Bach composed this work in Leipzig during 1734-1735. The text is by Christian Friedrich Henrici (Picander). This video recording is from 1982. Franz Kabelka – director. Performed in the Waldhausen Abbey Church, Waldhausen im Strudengau, Oberösterreich, Österreich (Austria). Concentus Musicus Wien: Nikolaus Harnoncourt…

  • Jarvis and Bach

    Australian author Martin Jarvis starts with an astounding assertion, that Bach’s second wife Anna Magdalena Bach wrote not only the Solo Cello Suites, but other major works attributed to Bach as well.  He expects us to go along with him with basically no real evidence. The much ballyhooed handwriting analysis is a joke, and it…