Bach: Motets / Hilliard Ensemble and others
①The Hilliard Ensemble
②Collegium Vocale Gent
③Motettenchor Pforzheim
④Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
The “motet” does not account for a large percentage of Bach’s religious music. This form of music was used more by composers (e.g., Heinrich Schütz) about 100 years before him. Nevertheless, everyone agrees that its best work is by Bach. With the heavenly opening of “Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied”, the listener is suddenly swept up in a whirlwind of excitement. Written for the double chorus with a text from the German Psalter and a powerful fugue in the final movement, this is truly “heavenly music”. “Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf” is also for the double chorus, but with independent figured bass parts and designated unison instrumentation. “Jesu, meine Freude” is a long piece written in four or five voices based on a chorale melody by Johann Krueger, with two fugues in between, concluding with the chorale from the beginning. It is a truly moving work. “Furchte dich nicht” is in two parts: a homophonic first half and a fugal second half. “Komm, Jesu, komm” has less of a fugue section and is written entirely in the form of a homophonic, dramatic “dialogue” between the voices and chorases, and the sequents are very moving. Compared to the Mass and Passion, the motets are rarely mentioned, but the more one listens to them, the more one gets absorbed in them. There are many recordings of Bach’s motets, and each performance has its own charm. The Hilliard Ensemble is worthy of special mention because of its “no stiff shoulders” performance. #baroque #bach #motet #片山俊幸
