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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Aria from Easter Oratorio
"Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer" arranged for viola and strings
0:00 Opening
0:18 Aria
7:47 Credits
Ramón Negrón Pérez, viola
Tomà Iliev, violin • David Wilson, violin • Jude Ziliak, violin • Cynthia Keiko Black, violin • William Skeen, violoncello • Steven Lehning, violone • Corey Jamason, harpsichord
Eddie Frank, video • Chris Landen, audio
American Bach Soloists • Jeffrey Thomas, Artistic Director
Filmed in May 2021 in the Great Hall at the Castello di Amorosa (Calistoga, California).
How we made the video: americanbach.org/Videos-Backs...
Throughout the last five centuries, the musical styles applied by composers to sacred works has sometimes looked backward and sometimes looked forward. For example, in the 17th century, composers would frequently adopt older styles for their sacred works as a way to impose a kind of conservatism to their settings of masses. But in the 18th century, composers-including Bach-would frequently apply newer and more "operatic" styles to sacred settings. This opened up a cornucopia of options that could be utilized, and in the case of Bach's cantatas, the operatic format of the da capo aria offered a richness of possibilities. Accompanimental textures became virtually unlimited, from the economy of trio sonata style (for example, one voice with an added obligato instrument along with basso continuo) to lushly dense orchestral scorings for any number of instruments. In Bach's "Easter Oratorio" (Kommt, eilet und laufet, or "Come, hasten and run"), about halfway through, Peter finds the now cast-aside shroud at the tomb and sings an aria about his previous fear of death being assuaged by the idea that the shroud will comfort him at the moment of his own passion, going on to reflect on how the cloth will tenderly wipe away the tears from his cheeks when he falls into eternal slumber. The original orchestration for tenor accompanied by two recorders, two muted violins playing in octaves, and bass creates a mood of tranquility and somnolence. Our performance of this aria passes the recorder parts to two additional muted violins and transcribes the sung text to solo viola.
© 2021, American Bach Soloists
American Bach Soloists (ABS) are leading performers in the field of Baroque music, dedicated to historically informed performances of Bach and his contemporaries. ABS provides meaningful, memorable, and valuable musical experiences for our audiences through inspiring performances and recordings, and it supports the preservation of early music through educational programs for students and emerging professionals. Under the leadership of co-founder and Music Director Jeffrey Thomas, the ensemble has achieved its vision of assembling the world’s finest vocalists and period-instrument performers to bring this brilliant music to life.
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