We’re familiar with the St John and St Matthew Passions set by J.S. Bach but hardly ever hear the Easter Oratorio, so I thought I’d wish everyone — believer and bunny-chaser alike — with a nice performance of this short-and-tidy work.
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
Unlike the purpose-written music for the Passions, Bach did a quick-and-dirty adaptation of a secular, pastoral cantata about nymphs and shepherds.
The text, taken from St John’s Gospel, was shoehorned into the music — so much so that the great Bach advocate (and medical philanthropist) Dr Albert Schweitzer, for whom Bach could do no wrong, suggested that the text needed improvements.
The original version of the Easter Oratorio, listed as BWV 249, was identified in the mid-20th century and given the catalogue number BWV 249a. The initial sacred version dates from 1725. Bach revised it 10 years later.
Parody work or no, the Easter Oratorio is beautiful music. Because of the nymphs and shepherds in the original version, there is a lot of gorgeous music for woodwinds here.
This is a beautiful performance by Collegium 1704, a 7-year-old Prague-based period-performance ensemble led by harpsichordist Václav Luks:
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
