Retrospect Ensemble / Bach, Johann Sebastian. Easter And Ascension Oratorios
| Album: | Bach, Johann Sebastian. Easter And Ascension Oratorios | Collection: | Classical | |
| Artist: | Retrospect Ensemble | Added: | May 2011 | |
| Label: | Linn Records | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2011-06-12 | Pull Date: | 2011-08-14 | Charts: | Classical/Experimental |
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| Week Ending: | Jul 17 | Jul 10 | Jul 3 |
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| Airplays: | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Nov 26, 2015: | Galactic Travel Playlists
Chorale - Wenn Soll Es Doch Geschehen (4:01) |
3. | Jul 06, 2011: | consummate classical
Chorale - Wenn Soll Es Doch Geschehen (4:01) |
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| 2. | Jul 10, 2011: | TillamockingBird
Aria - Seele, Deine Spezereien (10:49) |
4. | Jun 29, 2011: | consummate classical
Chorale - Wenn Soll Es Doch Geschehen (4:01) |
Album Review
Larry Koran
Reviewed 2011-05-31
Reviewed 2011-05-31
Retrospect Ensemble / Bach JS – Easter & Ascension Oratorios
Linn Records
Larry K.
Reviewed: 2011-05-28
RETROSPECT ENSEMBLE: Johann Sebastian Bach, Easter & Ascension Oratorios
Linn Records, 2011
The Easter Oratorio and the Ascension Oratorio tell stories through four characters: Mary Mother of James, Mary Magdalene, Peter and John. The stories celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Bach's oratorios were employed to celebrate the central Lutheran religious festivals in Leipzig's chief churches during 1734-5. The Easter Oratorio comprises a two-movement instrumental Sinfonia, followed by alternating choruses, recitatives and arias. It lacks an evangelist figure, biblical passages, or chorales. Instead it utilizes an entirely poetic text organized in rhyming verse, and delivered by the four characters. The Ascension Oratorio was probably performed on the 19th of May 1735. In contrast with the Easter Oratorio, biblical passages (Luke 24: 50-2 Mark 16: 19 and Acts 1: 9-12) delivered by the tenor Evangelist create a narrative sequence. Original poetic verses are presented as choruses, accompanied recitative and arias, and two chorales take prominent positions as the central and final movements of the work. The liner notes explain how Bach used musical rhetorical devices to express the emotional content of the events in these recitations.
Easter Oratorio, BWV. 249
1. Sinfonia (3:52). Upbeat, strings, horns
2. Adagio (3:39). Aching melody. Oboe and strings
3. Chorus and Duetto (4:41). Return to opening Sinfonia, with chorus
4. Recitative (0:52). Soprano, Tenor, tenderly beseeching
5. Aria (10:49). Flute, soprano, slow, sad narrative
6. Recitative (0:37). Tenor, Bass, Alto, narrative
7. Aria (7:15). Organ, calm songful
8. Recitative (0:51). Soprano, alto
9. Aria (5:40). Alto, quick, looking forward
10. Recitative (0:33) Bass, exclamatory
11. Chorus (2:27) with horns, drums, upbeat, march-like
Ascension Oratorio, BWV. 11
12. Chorus (4:31) with horns, strings, upbeat, dance-like, praising
13. Evangelist (4:31). Tenor. Sadly narrating
14. Recitative (1:07). Bass, sadly narrating
15. Aria (8:12). Alto. Slow, sad. Stay my dearest life
16. Evangelist (0:28). And while they beheld, he was taken up
17. Chorus (1:15). The angels must come. Major, upward path
18. Evangelist (0:56) Two men came and said, why stand ye
19. Recitative (0:34). Ah yes! So come back soon again. Sad
20. Evangelist (0:39). And they worshipped him. Enlightened.
21. Aria (6:56). Soprano floats. Jesus I can see your mercy
22. Chorus (4:01). Brass flourishes, major, 6/8 pace rise to glory
Linn Records
Larry K.
Reviewed: 2011-05-28
RETROSPECT ENSEMBLE: Johann Sebastian Bach, Easter & Ascension Oratorios
Linn Records, 2011
The Easter Oratorio and the Ascension Oratorio tell stories through four characters: Mary Mother of James, Mary Magdalene, Peter and John. The stories celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Bach's oratorios were employed to celebrate the central Lutheran religious festivals in Leipzig's chief churches during 1734-5. The Easter Oratorio comprises a two-movement instrumental Sinfonia, followed by alternating choruses, recitatives and arias. It lacks an evangelist figure, biblical passages, or chorales. Instead it utilizes an entirely poetic text organized in rhyming verse, and delivered by the four characters. The Ascension Oratorio was probably performed on the 19th of May 1735. In contrast with the Easter Oratorio, biblical passages (Luke 24: 50-2 Mark 16: 19 and Acts 1: 9-12) delivered by the tenor Evangelist create a narrative sequence. Original poetic verses are presented as choruses, accompanied recitative and arias, and two chorales take prominent positions as the central and final movements of the work. The liner notes explain how Bach used musical rhetorical devices to express the emotional content of the events in these recitations.
Easter Oratorio, BWV. 249
1. Sinfonia (3:52). Upbeat, strings, horns
2. Adagio (3:39). Aching melody. Oboe and strings
3. Chorus and Duetto (4:41). Return to opening Sinfonia, with chorus
4. Recitative (0:52). Soprano, Tenor, tenderly beseeching
5. Aria (10:49). Flute, soprano, slow, sad narrative
6. Recitative (0:37). Tenor, Bass, Alto, narrative
7. Aria (7:15). Organ, calm songful
8. Recitative (0:51). Soprano, alto
9. Aria (5:40). Alto, quick, looking forward
10. Recitative (0:33) Bass, exclamatory
11. Chorus (2:27) with horns, drums, upbeat, march-like
Ascension Oratorio, BWV. 11
12. Chorus (4:31) with horns, strings, upbeat, dance-like, praising
13. Evangelist (4:31). Tenor. Sadly narrating
14. Recitative (1:07). Bass, sadly narrating
15. Aria (8:12). Alto. Slow, sad. Stay my dearest life
16. Evangelist (0:28). And while they beheld, he was taken up
17. Chorus (1:15). The angels must come. Major, upward path
18. Evangelist (0:56) Two men came and said, why stand ye
19. Recitative (0:34). Ah yes! So come back soon again. Sad
20. Evangelist (0:39). And they worshipped him. Enlightened.
21. Aria (6:56). Soprano floats. Jesus I can see your mercy
22. Chorus (4:01). Brass flourishes, major, 6/8 pace rise to glory
Track Listing