Hamburgische Festmusiken

"In this secular and democratic age we don't think of the appointment of a new minister in our local church as anything in particular to celebrate. In C.P.E. Bach's Hamburg this was the occasion for an all-day municipal festival including a concert with original music for brass band and chorus. And sermons, of course. Perhaps it was that incongruity which caused scholars to overlook this music for so long, but here we have works which recall the secular cantatas of Bach's father J.S., music of jubilant celebration and dramatic pageant performed with enthusiasm and excitement by virtuosos.

This is one of those marvelous disks you put on to hear a little to see if you'll like it, then it captures you and you hear the whole disk through; when it's over you're sorry there isn't more. I have said several times that the 21st century will be the century of C.P.E. Bach and to me this disk is neither unexpected nor surprising. C.P.E. composed superbly for voices and ensembles and now we have a chance to hear a variety of moods and texts.

Unfortunately for non-Christians all this music consists of prayers of one sort or another, but we Anglophones can revel in our incomprehension, as we do with J.S. Bach's cantatas, and accept these pieces as musical poetical expressions. Worse still, all these exhortations to a just and powerful God to guide and protect the people are thinly disguised praise to the aristocracy and celebrations of the dictum: One God in heaven, one Pope in Rome, one king in Hamburg, or whatever the Protestant equivalent of that is. So my advice is, don't read the texts even though they are unusually well translated. The print is fine; lose your glasses.

The solemn chorus "Du bleibst ewiglich...” would fit right into The Magic Flute. Hear the brilliant chorus "Herr Gott du bist unsere Zuflucht...” as an operatic triumph. Accept the beautiful soprano aria, so meltingly sung by Julia Kleiter, "Unwandelbar, welch ein Gedanke!...” as any of many beseeching arias from a favorite opera. These days we take for granted the many fine counter-tenor voices, but Henning Kaiser deserves special commendation for his exquisitely beautiful performance of "Nun, so tritt mit heiterm Sinn...” Think of Jan Kabow's brilliant declamation of "Wenn einst vor deinem Schelten...” as any of many angry tenors heading off to war. And well they may be such when we finally have revived all of C.P.E. Bach's operas.

And so on through. The emotions expressed here are in great variety, from solemn beseeching piety to brilliant determination, anger, triumph. All the performers throw themselves completely into the drama of the moment and give us their very best, determined to show us the beauty and passion in this music. The military trumpets and drums are played with great force and flair. If this were an anthology of the greatest arias and choruses from C.P.E. Bach's operas we would enjoy it no less, so why not pretend? German-speaking atheist democrats will have to come up with their own work-around, but even they will be seduced by the beauty of the music in spite of the texts. You may find yourself whistling "Erhebe dich in lauter jubelchören...” but you will not be able to match Veronika Winter's beautiful coloratura flourishes. Who could fail to love the brilliant fugue with soloists, chorus, trumpets and drums "Der Herr lebet and gelobet sei mein Hort...” which could be right out of one of J. S. Bach's Easter cantatas?
Recording quality is exceptional to match the quality of the performance"
Recording of the Month MusicWeb August 2006