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Track Listings
| 1. Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV225 |
| 2. Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV229 |
| 3. Jesu, meine Freude, BWV227 |
| 4. Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV230 |
| 5. Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir, BWV228 |
| 6. Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, BWV Anh.159 |
| 7. Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV226 |
| 8. O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV118 (zweite Fassung) |
Product Description
Review
''The performance is, as you'd expect [is] excellent. Voices range from delicate soloists to a splendidly light and transparent 18-strong chorus. The recording makes its distinctive mark among many competitiors. I enjoyed it hugely.'' --BBC Music Choral & Song Choice June 2010
The performances are splendid.After its solemn beginning,Komm,Jesu,Komm is light,almost flirtatious in places;and the staccato of Ich starke dich in Furchte dich nicht is equally appealing. In Jesu,meine Freude,Suzuki finds a perfect balance between drama and lyricism,and singet dem herrn is full of rhythmic vitality. Recommended with all possible enthusiasm. --The Gramophone,July 2010
''Overall, Suzuki's devotion to contraputal clarity is effortlessly executed by his 18 singers, who keep things simple and never over-inflect the music. Though often taken at a fair lick, the performances are never driven: what we get is balance, poise and gravitas. This beautifully judged recording of the motets - all of them - is one of the most persuasive available. Strongly recommended. --International Record Review
The performances are splendid.After its solemn beginning,Komm,Jesu,Komm is light,almost flirtatious in places;and the staccato of Ich starke dich in Furchte dich nicht is equally appealing. In Jesu,meine Freude,Suzuki finds a perfect balance between drama and lyricism,and singet dem herrn is full of rhythmic vitality. Recommended with all possible enthusiasm. --The Gramophone,July 2010
''Overall, Suzuki's devotion to contraputal clarity is effortlessly executed by his 18 singers, who keep things simple and never over-inflect the music. Though often taken at a fair lick, the performances are never driven: what we get is balance, poise and gravitas. This beautifully judged recording of the motets - all of them - is one of the most persuasive available. Strongly recommended. --International Record Review
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The kind of music-making which makes you sit up and pay attention. I have a LP of Harnoncourt directing 6 motets. In my view Suzuki is superior - and you get two extra motets which you just should not miss.
4 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I do not like this disc; others though may. On the technical side I find the balance wrong; the choir dominates the orchestra and the sopranos dominate the choir. This is a crucial defect with Bach where each line is of importance. The recording is too close. The choir is fine technically, precise and in tune. But the interpretation is unsubtle. Neither the choir nor the conductor are emotionally involved.Efficient is the word that comes to mind.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Lively, True, and Clear
11 Feb 2010
Bach's six motets need no introduction. They are arguably the most intricate and fascinating choral pieces ever written, and among the most difficult to perform. Layers upon layers of complex polyphony and counterpoint. Achingly beautiful melody and harmony. This music explodes vertically, horizontally, and seemingly into new dimensions. This is music to listen to deeply and become enveloped by.
And Bach Collegium Japan nails it. With smallish forces (probably no more than two to a part), the lines are clear and intimate -- none of that big choral fuzziness. The recording was made in a location with little reverberation, which contributes to the clarity. The group is balanced, tight, and in tune.
The interpretation is lively and passionate in exactly the "late baroque" sense of those words. This is no academic recording of a museum artifact. This feels like a fresh performance of living and breathing music. Over the past 15 years, Bach Collegium Japan and Massako Suzuki have recorded 45 albums of Bach's cantatas and all of the other major sacred works (Mass in B Minor, the two passions, the oratorios, etc.). At this point, Bach is in their marrow. You really fell that internalization in this recording.
I have recordings of the Motets by RAIS-Kammerchor/Rene Jacobs, La Chappelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe, The Sixteen/Harry Christophers, Nederlands Kamerkoor/Peter Dijkstra, and the Hilliard Ensemble. While all are very fine, this is the one to get.
And Bach Collegium Japan nails it. With smallish forces (probably no more than two to a part), the lines are clear and intimate -- none of that big choral fuzziness. The recording was made in a location with little reverberation, which contributes to the clarity. The group is balanced, tight, and in tune.
The interpretation is lively and passionate in exactly the "late baroque" sense of those words. This is no academic recording of a museum artifact. This feels like a fresh performance of living and breathing music. Over the past 15 years, Bach Collegium Japan and Massako Suzuki have recorded 45 albums of Bach's cantatas and all of the other major sacred works (Mass in B Minor, the two passions, the oratorios, etc.). At this point, Bach is in their marrow. You really fell that internalization in this recording.
I have recordings of the Motets by RAIS-Kammerchor/Rene Jacobs, La Chappelle Royale/Philippe Herreweghe, The Sixteen/Harry Christophers, Nederlands Kamerkoor/Peter Dijkstra, and the Hilliard Ensemble. While all are very fine, this is the one to get.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Tremendous performances of rich, intricate choral music
15 May 2010
Bach's six motets are performed absolutely beautifully here by the Bach Collegium Japan, a combined orchestra and chorus dedicated to performing Baroque works since 1990. The BCJ is led by its founder and keyboardist Masaaki Suzuki, a professor of music and conducting in Tokyo and at Yale.
The BCJ has built up quite a reputation as Bach specialists, and this recording makes clear why. The chorus and the backing instrumentalists turn in really lively, moving performances here, and the recording is tremendously clear and bright, even in MP3 quality.
Motets are complex, polyphonic choral works, usually with a religious theme, that generally have several layers of singing going on, weaving among each other in point and counterpoint. Bach's motets were written as funeral pieces for the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig in the 1720s. They are fantastic pieces of music, and definitely among the most significant in the motet literature.
Don't worry about this music being written for funerals -- it is not depressing, but uplifting in its beauty and feeling of underlying spirituality. It's also pretty exciting stuff when you get into it. If you really pay attention, it's easy and satisfying to get lost in the details.
Amazon's decision to put this out as the MP3 Daily Deal on May 15, 2010 at a price of $2.99 is a winner -- I couldn't afford the SACD release this is taken from, although I'm sure it sounds great. Even in MP3 quality (bitrates are in the 222-243 kbps range), the album sounds fantastic. If baroque music is your cup of tea, you can't go wrong here. Highly recommended!
The BCJ has built up quite a reputation as Bach specialists, and this recording makes clear why. The chorus and the backing instrumentalists turn in really lively, moving performances here, and the recording is tremendously clear and bright, even in MP3 quality.
Motets are complex, polyphonic choral works, usually with a religious theme, that generally have several layers of singing going on, weaving among each other in point and counterpoint. Bach's motets were written as funeral pieces for the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig in the 1720s. They are fantastic pieces of music, and definitely among the most significant in the motet literature.
Don't worry about this music being written for funerals -- it is not depressing, but uplifting in its beauty and feeling of underlying spirituality. It's also pretty exciting stuff when you get into it. If you really pay attention, it's easy and satisfying to get lost in the details.
Amazon's decision to put this out as the MP3 Daily Deal on May 15, 2010 at a price of $2.99 is a winner -- I couldn't afford the SACD release this is taken from, although I'm sure it sounds great. Even in MP3 quality (bitrates are in the 222-243 kbps range), the album sounds fantastic. If baroque music is your cup of tea, you can't go wrong here. Highly recommended!
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