Hyperion Records | Kuhnau: Sacred Music

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CDA67059
Archive Service Only

Recording details: April 1998
St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Ben Turner
Engineered by Philip Hobbs
Release date: September 1998
Total duration: 73 minutes 37 seconds

GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE

'One of the joys of music is to discover wonderful and hitherto unknown repertoire, and this disc is a marvellous example of that. Trumpets and drums blaze away with tremendous jollity. This disc is a must' (Cathedral Music)

'This is an important recording of a woefully neglected figure whose music has real stature. Buy it!' (Gramophone)

Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722)

Sacred Music

The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor)

LISTEN TO ALL EXTRACTS

		Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben
1		Movement 1. Symphony – Chorus with soloists: Ihr Himmel jubilirt [3'22] Deborah York (soprano), Marianne Hellgren (soprano), James Bowman (countertenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
2		Movement 2. Recitative: Es ist vollbracht [0'43] Robin Blaze (countertenor)
3		Movement 3. Duet: Hilf mir es, Jesu, auch vollbringen [3'18] Robin Blaze (countertenor), Peter Harvey (bass)
4		Movement 4. Recitative: Indessen bleibt die Seele [0'35] Robin Blaze (countertenor)
5		Movement 5. Aria: Jesu, wenn ich dich nur habe [3'18] Robin Blaze (countertenor)
6		Movement 6. Chorus with soloists: Gieb, Jesu, dass dein Wille [2'03] Deborah York (soprano), Marianne Hellgren (soprano), James Bowman (countertenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
		Weicht ihr Sorgen aus dem Hertzen
7		Movement 1. Sonata – Aria: Weicht ihr Sorgen aus dem Hertzen [2'47] Deborah York (soprano)
8		Movement 2. Recitative: Ich blieb in Gottgelass'ner Ruh [1'36] Deborah York (soprano)
9		Movement 3. Aria: Weicht ihr Sorgen aus dem Hertzen [0'56] Deborah York (soprano)
10		Movement 4. Recitative: Was frag ich nach der Welt [1'00] Deborah York (soprano)
11		Movement 5. Aria: Ich habe Gott, was fehlt mir noch? [2'31] Deborah York (soprano)
12		Movement 6. Recitative: So kan ich allen Tand [1'22] Deborah York (soprano)
13		Movement 7. Aria: Komm doch, komm doch süsse Stunde [3'38] Deborah York (soprano)
		Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
14		Movement 1. Chorale: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern [1'55] King's Consort Choir
15		Movement 2. Recitative: Allein, heut wird der Grosse klein [0'55] Charles Daniels (tenor)
16		Movement 3. Chorus: Uns ist ein Kind geboren [1'43] King's Consort Choir
17		Movement 4. Aria: O Wundersohn, dein überirdisch Wesen [2'26] Charles Daniels (tenor)
18		Movement 5. Recitative: Doch leuchtet in der Niedrigkeit [1'25] Charles Daniels (tenor)
19		Movement 6. Aria: Kommt, ihr Völker, kommt mit Haufen [1'46] Charles Daniels (tenor)
20		Movement 7. Accompagnato: Ich huld'ge dir, grossmächt'ger Prinz [1'19] Charles Daniels (tenor)
21		Movement 8. Duet – Chorale: Zwingt die Saiten in Cythara [2'01] Deborah York (soprano), Marianne Hellgren (soprano), King's Consort Choir
		Gott, sei mir gnädig nach deiner Güte
22		Movement 1. Chorus: Gott, sei mir gnädig nach deiner Güte [2'23] King's Consort Choir
23		Movement 2. Aria: Wasche mich wohl von meiner Missetat [1'36] Robin Blaze (countertenor)
24		Movement 3. Recitative: Denn ich erkenne meine Missetat [0'23] Robin Blaze (countertenor)
25		Movement 4. Soli – Chorus: An dir allein hab' ich gesünfidgt [2'06] Deborah York (soprano), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
26		Movement 5. Arioso: Siehe, ich bin aus sündlichem Samen gezeuget [1'43] Charles Daniels (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass)
27		Movement 6. Chorus: Entsündige mich mit Isopen [1'04] King's Consort Choir
28		Movement 7. Arioso – Chorus: Lass mich hören Freud und Wonne [2'56] Deborah York (soprano), Charles Daniels (tenor), King's Consort Choir
29		Tristis est anima mea [4'50] King's Consort Choir, Gary Cooper (organ)
		O heilige Zeit
30		Movement 1. Chorus with soloists: O heilige Zeit! [3'20] Deborah York (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
31		Movement 2. Aria: Wüte nur, du alte Schlange [2'39] Peter Harvey (bass)
32		Movement 3. Arioso: Ach, denk ich zwar, mein liebster Jesu [2'57] James Bowman (countertenor)
33		Movement 4. Aria: Eigne dir mein Herze zu [2'04] Deborah York (soprano)
34		Movement 5. Duet – Chorus: Was ist der Mensch als Staub und Erde [1'54] Charles Daniels (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass)
35		Movement 6. Arioso: Haltet mich nicht länger auf [1'31] Robin Blaze (countertenor)
36		Movement 7. Arioso – Chorus: Ich bin entzückt [1'32] Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir

This new series from The King's Consort will introduce us to innumerable musical riches from the time of JS Bach, starting with six works by Johann Kuhnau. Kuhnau was Bach's immediate predecessor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, and his name and music can rightly be said to be have slipped into relative obscurity only as a result of his successor's inordinate fame. As it turns out we find music which is immediately impressive. The five German-texted works are direct precursors of Bach's Leipzig cantatas; Kuhnau is a master of the formal structures required in the medium, and employs varied orchestral colours and choral/solo textures to great effect. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern includes some of the earliest orchestral writing for horn, while Ihr Himmel jubilirt is a triumphal Ascensiontide cantata replete with trumpets and timpani. Weicht ihr Sorgen is a solo cantata, here gloriously sung by Deborah York. Tristis est anima mea is in a somewhat different vein; this Latin text receives ravishing treatment from Kuhnau as a single-movement motet for five-part choir and organ.

Other albums in this series