Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Bach Cantata Pilgrimage

"Study Bach.  There you will find everything."  -Brahms. 
"Not Brook (Bach), but Ocean should have been his name." -Beethoven
 
I recently got ahold of about a third of the Bach cantatas from John Elliot Gardiner's "Pilgrimage" project.  It is supurb, far better than the other two sets of cantatas I've heard before.  I've written before about cantata BWV 106, which is impeccable in this collection.  I'm also listening to some I've never heard before.  BWV 33 jumps out at me as another great example.  The rousing first movement theme culminates in a simple hemiola, that is so incredibly effective I smile just thinking of it.  I don't often wish I played the oboe, but I certainly do now.

No comments:

Post a Comment