Baroque Cantatas from Central Germany II continues tradition

This has been a long time coming. Volume one of this series was released in 2015. Volume two finally arrives here in 2021. This installment focuses on the "transitional" German composers. They were of the generations between Heinrich Schutz and Johann Sebastian Bach.

During this period the Lutheran church began to codify liturgical music practices. This happened in institutions n major cities, such as Thomaskirche in Leipzig.

One such institution was the Royal and State School of St Augustin., a little to the southeast of Leipzig. There, scores were collected, copied, and codified. And this archive provides the musical sources for this recording. 

The pre-Bach cantata had three parts: concerto, aria, and chorale. The concerto was a mix of instruments and voices. Using this simple form, church cantatas of this period were short and to the point. 

And, as it turns out, full of great music, too. Following Martin Luther's dictum for clarity, counterpoint is kept to a minimum. Ornamentation is also minimized. What's left are the melodies -- simple, singable, expressive melodies. 

The Sächsisches Vocalensemble has a good ensemble blend. The Batzdorfer Hofkapelle is a small ensemble, with strings, winds, brass, and percussion. The recorded sound is clean, with minimal hall resonance. To my ears, it's well-suited to the scale of the music. 

Unless you understand German, these cantatas might not sound especially Christmassy. But they do have an inherent appeal. And hearing the musical foundations that Bach would later build upon was enlightening. 

Ehre sie Gott in de Höhe
Musik zur Weihnachtszeit aus der Fürsten- und Landesschule St. Augustin Grimma
Baroque Cantatas from Central Germany II
Sächsisches Vocalensemble
Batzdorfer Hofkapelle; Matthias Jung, director
CPO