Perlen barocker Klangkunst

Description

Perlen barocker Klangkunst Featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Georg Friedrich Händel, this concert combines three outstanding examples of Baroque vocal music from Germany, Italy, and England – also reflecting an era driven by a shared musical thought despite national influences. Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata "Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele" (BWV 69a), composed in Leipzig, is one of his festive church works. The text draws on Psalm 103 and unfolds a musical praise of God in impressive sound architecture, reflected in radiant choirs and moving arias. Antonio Vivaldi's "Magnificat," likely composed for a Venetian girls' institute, sets to music Mary's song of praise from the Gospel of Luke. In concise, contrasting phrases, Vivaldi combines earnest simplicity with dramatic intensification, creating a characteristically Italian sound language between devotion and theatrical effect. Georg Friedrich Händel's "Dixit Dominus," composed in 1707 during his stay in Italy, is among the earliest sacred major works of the composer. The setting of Psalm 110 impresses with its extraordinary energy, virtuosic choral parts, and strong contrasts, hinting at Händel's later mastery. The juxtaposition of these three works reveals the diversity of European Baroque: different national traditions engage in a lively dialogue and come together to form a multifaceted overall picture of sacred music, blending festivity, expressive depth, and sonic splendor. Samantha Herzog, Soprano / Ingrid Alexandre, Alto / Michael Mogl, Tenor / Andreas Schib, Bass Chamber Choir Zürcher Unterland, Schaffhausen Baroque Ensemble, Philipp Klahm conducting