Hyperion Records
Click album cover image to view the sleeve notes
CDA67160

Buy? £13.99

Recording details: September 1999
St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Ben Turner
Engineered by Philip Hobbs
Release date: May 2000
Total duration: 78 minutes 27 seconds
Available for download on iTunes: Yes

View sleeve notes/artwork

GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE

CRITIC’S CHOICE, INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW

'There is no respect in which the vocal and instrumental performances or the recording fail to do justice to a composer whose revival is long overdue. I strongly recommend you to discover this for yourselves. Bravo, Hyperion!' (Gramophone)

'The second release in the Bach Contemporaries series reveals a composer of imagination and flair. The King's Consort give these rarities outstanding performances' (Gramophone)

'Robert King draws fine singing and playing from his ensemble. The soloists are uniformly excellent ... Knüpfer is a real discovery – full marks to all concerned.' (International Record Review)

'The combination of education and pleasure is irresistible' (International Record Review)

'Beautifully executed' (Classic CD)

'The performances are immaculate' (Fanfare, USA)

'Performances are excellent. Highly recommended' (Early Music Review)

'Recomendados' (CD Compact, Spain)

'Thrilling to the senses. This is an auspicious continuation of a series which deserves to do very well indeed' (BBC Music Magazine)

Sebastian Knüpfer (1633-1676)
Sacred Music
The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor)
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
1
Movement 1: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her  [3:54]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Susan Hamilton (soprano)
2
Movement 2: Kommt, lasst uns gehen in die Stadt  [4:26]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Susan Hamilton (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), Michael George (bass)
3
Movement 3: Alleluia. Gelobet set Gott  [3:02]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), King's Consort Choir
Was mein Gott will, das gescheh allzeit
4
Movement 1: Was mein Gott will, das gescheh allzeit  [4:54]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
5
Movement 2: Gott ist mein Trost, mein' Zuversicht  [3:42]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass)
6
Movement 3: Noch eins, Herr, will ich bitten dich  [2:57]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist
7
Movement 1: Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist  [3:56]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor)
8
Movement 2: Ich bin ein Glied an deinem Leib  [4:08]
James Gilchrist (tenor), Michael George (bass), King's Consort Choir
Ach Herr, strafe mich nicht in deinem Zorn
9
Movement 1: Ach Herr, strafe mich nicht in deinem Zorn  [4:44]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), James Bowman (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
10
Movement 2: Denn im Tode gedenket man dein nicht  [4:57]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Michael George (bass)
11
Movement 3: Weichet alle von mir, ihr Übertäter  [2:25]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), James Bowman (countertenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
12
Quemadmodum desiderat cervus  [5:10]
Peter Harvey (bass)
Super flumina Babylonis
13
Movement 1: Super flumina Babylonis  [3:56]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
14
Movement 2: Si oblitus fuero tui, Jerusalem  [2:16]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), King's Consort Choir
15
Movement 3: Exinanite, usque ad fundamentum  [2:57]
Peter Harvey (bass), King's Consort Choir
Jesus Christus, unser Heiland
16
Movement 1: Jesus Christus, unser Heiland  [4:39]
King's Consort Choir
17
Movement 2: Der ohn's Sünde was geboren  [2:54]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), Michael George (bass)
18
Movement 3: Tod, Sünd, Teuffel, Leben und Genadt  [2:57]
James Bowman (countertenor), James Gilchrist (tenor), Michael George (bass), King's Consort Choir
Die Turteltaube lässt sich hören
19
Movement 1: Die Turteltaube lässt sich hören  [2:01]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), Robin Blaze (countertenor)
20
Movement 2: Ich will den Vater bitten  [2:52]
James Gilchrist (tenor), Michael George (bass)
21
Movement 3: Ihr werdet sehen und euer Herz wird sich freuen  [1:28]
Michael George (bass)
22
Movement 4: Gelobet sei Gott und der Vater  [4:12]
Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Rebecca Outram (soprano), James Bowman (countertenor), Charles Daniels (tenor), Michael George (bass), King's Consort Choir
Following The King's Consort's successful series of concerts at Wigmore Hall earlier this year performing works by Bach, Kuhnau, Knüpfer and Biber, Hyperion release the second CD in the Bach's Contemporaries series. This time we concentrate on the sacred music by German composer Sebastian Knüpfer.

Knüpfer is yet another Baroque composer whose reputation and popularity has been overshadowed by J S Bach. Little of Knüpfer's music has previously been transcribed from its many manuscripts, let alone published. However, in his day Knüpfer was a respected and highly sought-after composer; his compositions were admired by his contemporaries and, according to his obituary, he 'composed quotations of the Psalms and other biblical books with such sweetness and skilfulness that he delighted even the saddest hearts, and his name is spoken with admiration not only in Leipzig but also outside'. As we have come to expect from Robert King and his King's Consort, the performances are of the highest standard with some of the finest singers on the early music platform today.