Impress

MOTETS
Petite Bande, La

Bach, Johann Sebastian

Challenge Classics
SACC 72160

DESCRIPTION

Vocal Ensemble
Soprani : Inge Van de Kerkhove, Marie Kuijken
Alti : Petra Noskaiová, Patrizia Hardt
Tenori : Stefan-Alexander Rankl, Jens Weber
Bassi : Jan Van der Crabben, Stephan Schreckenberger

Instrumental Ensemble
Strings :
Sigiswald Kuijken, violin & direction
Sara Kuijken, violin
Masanobu Tokura, violin/viola
Marleen Thiers, viola
Koji Takahashi, cello

Winds :
Patrick Beaugiraud, oboe
Natalia Alves Chahin, oboe da caccia
Ann Vanlancker, oboe da caccia
Rainer Johannsen, bassoon

Basso continuo :
Tom Devaere, violone
Frank Agsteribbe, organ

J.S. Bach's motets are the indisputable summit of his output. Traditionally the motets have been placed at the centre of his choral universe.Choirs can show off their technical brilliance, and moreover these scores are a joy to perform regardless of one's style of interpretation. However, for the last 25 years musicians and musicologists have subjected the importance of Bach's choirs to a fundamental review. The current research points out that Bach himself almost never had more than eight singers at his disposal (even for double-choir pieces). This is far away from the usual more or less large choirs for the great choral works. This research has been the source of inspiration for this production of the Bach motets to use only one singer per part. The result delivers an unusual transparency and clarity of the musical lines. (The 4-part Motet Lobet den Herren, alle Heiden has not been included in this recording because of serious doubts about authorship.)

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