SearchsearchUseruser

Bach: Johannespassion - Homburg

Bach: Johannespassion - Homburg

MDG Scene  902 1985-6 (2 discs)

Stereo/Multichannel Hybrid

Classical - Vocal


Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245

Veronika Winter (soprano), Franz Vitzthum (counter-tenor), Andreas Post (tenor), Hille Perl (viola da gamba)
Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben
Handel's Company
Rainer Johannes Homburg (conductor)


Get Ready!
Johann Sebastian Bach revised his St. John Passion several times. Which one to choose? Rainer Johannes Homburg selected the last version for this performance with his Hymnus Choirboys of Stuttgart and Handel’s Company. Why? It combines the carefree expressivity of Bach’s initial years at St. Thomas, eliminating unnecessary second thoughts from his middle years, with an experienced and mature master’s instrumental tonal sophistication – which Homburg fully exploits. The richly colored continuo group, here even including a contrabassoon, makes us sit up and listen. Get ready for an enthralling listening experience and vibrant performance by this prizewinning traditional choir!

Glad Tidings
While the St. Matthew Passion focuses on Jesus’ human suffering, in the St. John Passion Christ presents himself above all as the divine Redeemer. Bach captures the dramatic reduction going along with this depiction; the carefully balanced symmetry of the composition is a genial reflection of the architecture of the Gospel of St. John, from the initial “Herr unser Herrscher” to the concluding “Dich will ich preisen ewiglich.” In this way the narrative of the suffering and death of Jesus – very much as Martin Luther saw it – becomes a message full of happy hope for all people.

Gripping Message
Bach repeatedly conveys the special core of this message with special instruments. The viola d’amore is used, and so are the lute, oboe da caccia, and oboe d’amore. However, one of the high points is doubtless the gripping alto aria “Es ist vollbracht,” which calls on the solo viola da gamba to express the most highly personal sorrow. The repeated employment of a contrabassoon must have made Bach’s contemporaries take special notice. And even today its grumbling in the bass depths results in fascinating shuddering.

Go For it!
Andreas Post, a highly expressive Evangelist, guides us through the fast-paced action, which keeps us in suspense until the very last second. And this three-dimensional recording in high-resolution SACD quality means that listening experience merges with real life: an existential human borderline experience that will move even those who are not devout Protestants.

Support this site by purchasing from these vendors using the paid links below.
As an Amazon Associate HRAudio.net earns from qualifying purchases.

bol.com
 
jpc
Presto

Add to your wish list | library

 

1 of 1 recommend this, would you recommend it?  yes | no