Johann Sebastian Bach, Stephen Cleobury, Ian Bostridge, Michael Chance, The Academy of Ancient Music, The Choir of Kings College Cambridge, Susan Gritton, Michael George - Bach - Magnificat / Gritton A· Chance A· Bostridge A· George A· AAM A· The Choir of Kings College Cambridge A· Cleobury

With various record labels compiling complete works to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of Bach, EMI's more accessible approach is this luxurious anthology of the Baroque master's sacred music. Over two and a half hours, this program encompasses the grand scale of the Magnificat in D (BWV 243) and Missa Brevis in A (BWV 234). Between these are scared cantatas, the very popular choral Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140) contrasting with sensitive solo vocal writing in Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (BWV 12); motets; arias; and an organ prelude and fugue. It's a well-balanced program, covering every aspect of Bach's church music except the Passions.

The interesting booklet recounts King's College Choir's long involvement with the music of Bach, while the Academy of Ancient Music are thoroughly versed in this repertoire. The two ensembles produce a glorious sound. The soloists are of the very highest caliber, with Ian Bostridge, Michael Chance, Michael George, Susan Gritton, and Lisa Milne bringing great humanity to this incomparable music. Magnificat's uncompromising quality will satisfy the serious collector while providing a thoroughly rewarding introduction to Bach's great sacred music for a wider audience. --Gary S. Dalkin Amazon.com

a voice teacher and early music fan

FULL RANGE OF BACH'S GENIUS DISPLAYED IN THESE RECORDINGS!

To title these CD's simply as 'Magnificat' is inadequate, to say the least. For it contains over 152 minutes of music and covers a wide range of Bach's liturgical music. On these two CDs Stephen Cleobury has assembled a performing group that includes five top-drawer vocal soloists,one of the world's finest choirs,and a world-renown chamber ensemble performing the works of one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time. And the final result is an absolutely superb recording.

What makes this compilation significan is HOW it brings together the ethereal sound of the excellent King's College Choir of men and boys and the period instruments of the Academy of Ancient Music. Their 150 minutes of music, spanning major portions of Bach's musical career and offering outstanding examples of his first compositions, is about as close to artistic perfection as one gets. The 2 CD program of Bach cantatas, cantata excerpts, motets, chorales, and organ works has been wisely chosen to showcase the strengths of Choir, Sololists and instrumentalists. The album is accompanied by insightful program notes and text translations to assist the listener.

CD1 opens with Cantata BWV140 "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme";then follows and arrangement for organ from an aria in Cantata 137 "Kommst du nun, Jesu"; a chorale from Cantata 22 "Ertot uns durch dein' Gute"; then the well-known and loved "Magnificat in D" with its lovely 'Et Misericordia' sung with exquisite sensitivity by the countertenor(Michael Chance & tenor (Ian Bostridge); "Air from Suite #3 in D" organ; 4 part motet "Lobet den Herrn, ale Heiden"; chorale "O Jesulein suis"; and closes with the well-known "In dulci jubilo".


CD 2 opens with "Missa brevis in A" BWV234; "Sanctus in C237; the well known "Jesus bleibet meine Freude" BWV147; "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen,Zagen" BWV12 a complete cantata; "Der Geist hilft unsrer Schwacheit auf" BWV226 cantata; "Liebster Jesu,wir sind hier"BWV373 a chorale; an organ work "Prelude and Fugue in G" well-knownBWV541; closing with the much loved chorale "Nun Danket alle Gott" BWV386.
The five vocal soloists are outstanding, particularly in the large works, such as the 'Magnificat' and the Missa Brevis in A. Kings' College Choir and the Academy of Ancient Music are perfectly balanced, blended and polished. These discs are of the highest standard and display the full range of Bach's genius. January 27, 2006

A Generous Homage to the Choral Works of Bach

Stephen Cleobury at the helm of the Choir of Kings College Cambridge and the Academy of Ancient Music (UK) can always be depended upon to produce intelligent, sonorous recordings of ecclesiastic music in the ambience of Kings College Chapel. While some purists may not agree with his approach to the Bach masterworks, there can be no doubt that this collection of Bach's works for chorus and soloists is as generous, well balance, beautifully recorded as any on the market.

Cleobury includes not only the 'Magnificat' of the title but also four cantatas, the a cappela motets, works for organ, the 'Lutheran' Mass, and the Sanctus in C major - among others! He has carefully selected some of the finest voices as soloists - Rachel Beckett, Ian Bostridge, Michael Chance, Michael George, Susan Gritton, Micaela Comberti, and David Blackadder - for this repertoire. The sound is pure and highly enhanced by the ambience of the chapel.

For those who never tire of Bach's creative output, this recording is a must. Each of the works is given loving detail and each lingers in memory long after the reverberations of the hall wisp them away. Grady Harp, October 05 October 11, 2005

Amazing recording, worth every dollar you'll spend

Beautiful. An absolutely perfect recording. I really don't have anything bad to say about it. All solos are wonderfully expressive, the choir and soloists are at their very best. My favorite parts of this were Quia Repexit and Omnes Generationes; very, very well done. The small size of the ensemble allows you to hear Bach's brilliant work as it should be heard. May 15, 2005

Excellent performance of excellent repetoire

This album is comprised of not only some of Bach's greatest works (Magnificat in D, Cantata 140--Wachet auf..., Missa brevis), but also performed by King's College Choir and... drumroll please... my favorite tenor in existence, Ian Bostridge. Listening to him sing some of the tenor solos is truly awe-inspiring. There are also some great orchestral/organ tracks on here--great for Bach enthusiasts and novices alike. While the choir may not seem entirely baroque in style (recording in King's Chapel, one of the great accoustic halls), it's the best I've heard, even topping John Eliot Gardiner (the baroque specialist). Kudos goes to Steve Cleobury for an amazing double CD.

People, you won't regret buying this one. Not if you can appreciate Bach or Ian Bostridge. The two combined, ah... it is a glorious combination! August 22, 2000

Bach on the Cam

Falling in 2000, the 250th anniversary of J.S. Bach's death has given the Choir of King's College the opportunity to show how his music has come to figure increasingly in their liturgical and concert offerings. In terms of the works selected, they really have pulled out all the stops: as well as the eponymous "Magnificat," the programme includes motets, chorale arrangements, other cantatas including "Weinen, Klagen" and the ever-popular "Wachet auf!," Masses (including the rarely-performed Missa Brevis in A minor), and works for organ and orchestra. All in all, we get quite an assortment, blessed with some of the great names in early music and enhanced by the famous King's Chapel acoustics.

I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this recording. As a double CD, it represents good value for money, and there is versatility aplenty in the recording: the choir gets some moments all to itself (as in "O Jesulein suss"), the organ solos are shared by organ scholar Benjamin Bayl and by Stephen Cleobury himself (one of his numbers is the arrangement of "In dulci jubilo," always heard at the end of the annual Nine Lessons and Carols Service) and perhaps the best touch of all is the use of the Academy of Ancient Music as the orchestral accompaniment, with its now legendary Baroque sound-world. Nonetheless, certain things do chafe about the recording: the soloists are good but of course the choir (itself containing some singers with excellent solo potential) has to sit and twiddle its thumbs through many of the tracks. And, whilst the AAM's presence is worthy, I feel that they went a bit over the top in including the "Air" from the third orchestral suite; yes, it is well-known, and yes, the orchestra does it justice, but did we really need it on a programme of sacred music from King's College? A further minor point is that whilst their German pronunciation is immaculate (as was their Russian when they recorded Rachmaninov's "Vespers" three years ago), I cannot help discerning the characteristically English tones of boy trebles and wondering if this tradition is too 'English' for its own good...

Still, as anniversary tributes go, this is a very decent one. Certainly, it makes a good alternative to the various "Complete Bach" editions currently in progress by various record companies, in that it packs such a wonderful and varied amount of Bach's sacred music into one programme. July 4, 2000

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