Ricercar Consort & Philippe Pierlot – J.S. Bach: Consolatio (2018) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

The cantata Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe (Jesus gathered the twelve to Himself) BWV 22, holds a historic place in Bach’s work. Indeed he composed it while still in Köthen, as an audition piece for the position of Thomaskantor in Leipzig, and then conducted it on February 7th, 1723, maybe even singing the bass part himself. Famously the city council, unable to convince its preferred composers – Telemann, Graupner and two others -, decided to settle with “mediocre” Bach… The gospel of the day first announces his death and his resurrection by Christ and his disciplines. A modest orchestra: voices, strings, one oboe and continuo, but the musical content is – like in almost all of Bach’s cantatas – amongst the best he’s ever written.

For the same celebration, Bach composed a new cantata the following year, Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott (Lord Jesus Christ, true Man and God) BWV 127. But it has almost nothing in common with the previous piece: here Bach offers a very impressive reflection on physical death. Throughout his cantatas he called for a blessed death to free himself from the vicissitudes of life on Earth, but this now reveals how much he may have feared physical death itself. The aria ”Die Seele ruht”is one of these sublime moments suspended in time, an ineffable tintinnabulum, in which the soprano and the oboe dialogue on a harrowing theme while the flutes and string pizzicatos symbolise the passing of time with incredible beauty.

Finally it’s with Die Elenden sollen essen (The miserable shall eat) BWV 75 that Bach started off his work in Leipzig, in St. Nicholas Church this time, as the cantatas were alternately performed in both churches. Probably because he wanted to start with a bang, he designed this cantata on a huge scale: fourteen numbers, divided in two parts. Of course Bach would have never been able to produce such vast and powerful partitions on a weekly basis, but there is a real substance to this Passion… and it’s with great passion that Philippe Pierlot, his Ricercar Consort and the soloists perform these masterpieces.

Tracklist:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
01. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Prima parte: I. Chorus. Die Elenden sollen essen
02. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Prima parte: II. Recitativo. Was hilft des Purpurs Majestät (Bass)
03. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Prima parte: III. Aria. Mein Jesus soll mein alles sein (Tenor)
04. IV. Recitativo. Gott stürzet und erhöhet (Tenor)
05. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Prima parte: V. Aria. Ich nehme mein Leiden mit Freuden auf mich (Soprano)
06. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Prima parte: VI. Recitativo. Indes schenkt Gott ein gut Gewissen
07. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Prima parte: VII. Chorale. Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
08. Cantata, Bwv 75 “Die Elenden Sollen Essen”, Seconda Parte: VIII. Sinfonia
09. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Seconda parte: IX. Recitativo. Nur eines kränkt ein christliches Gemüte (Alto)
10. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Seconda parte: X. Aria. Jesus macht mich geistlich reich (Alto)
11. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Seconda parte: XI. Recitativo. Wer nur in Jesu bleibt (Bass)
12. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Seconda parte: XII. Aria. Mein Herze glaubt und liebt (Tenor)
13. Cantata, Bwv 75 “Die Elenden Sollen Essen”, Seconda Parte: XIII. Recitativo. O Armut, Der Kein Reichtum Gleicht
14. Cantata, BWV 75 “Die Elenden sollen essen”, Seconda parte: XIV. Chorale. Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
15. Cantata, BWV 22 “Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe”: I. Concerto. Jesu nahm zu sich die Zwölfe (Tenor, Bass)
16. Cantata, BWV 22 “Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe”: II. Aria. Mein Jesu, ziehe mich nach dir (Alto)
17. Cantata, BWV 22 “Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe”: III. Recitativo. Mein Jesu, ziehe mich, so werd ich laufen (Bass)
18. Cantata, BWV 22 “Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe”: IV. Aria. Mein alles in allem, mein ewiges Gut (Tenor)
19. Cantata, BWV 22 “Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe”: V. Chorale. Ertöt uns durch dein Güte
20. Cantata, BWV 127 “Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott”: I. Chorus. Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott
21. Cantata, BWV 127 “Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott”: II. Recitativo. Wenn alles sich zur letzten Zeit entsetzet (Tenor)
22. Cantata, BWV 127 “Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott”: III. Aria. Die Seele ruht in Jesu Händen (Soprano)
23. Cantata, BWV 127 “Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott”: IV. Recitativo. Wenn einstens die Posaunen schallen (Bass)
24. Cantata, BWV 127 “Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott”: V. Chorale. Ach Herr, vergib all unsre Schuld