Why did Bach, a German Lutheran composer, write Latin church music? The churches for which he wrote music used Latin settings on certain major holidays and feast days. But there was another reason: Bach was a practical man, and music suited to the needs of the Catholic court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden could (and in several cases did) do double duty. It makes sense to approach this distinctive aspect of Bach's output as a unit, and such is the aim of this double-disc set by Dutch historical-instrument specialist Ton ...
Read More
Why did Bach, a German Lutheran composer, write Latin church music? The churches for which he wrote music used Latin settings on certain major holidays and feast days. But there was another reason: Bach was a practical man, and music suited to the needs of the Catholic court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden could (and in several cases did) do double duty. It makes sense to approach this distinctive aspect of Bach's output as a unit, and such is the aim of this double-disc set by Dutch historical-instrument specialist Ton Koopman, his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir, and a collection of veteran Baroque-oriented soloists from around Europe and Britain. In the words of the booklet, the album "collects a representative cross section of Bach's Latin church music that complements his extensive and rich repertoire of cantatas for the Sundays and feast days of the ecclesiastical year." The crown jewel of Bach's Latin church music, the Mass in B minor, BWV 232, is not included (and one assumes that a new...
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.