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Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11, often gets called a cantata (like most Bach church cantatas, it's less than half an hour long), yet its nickname--the "Ascension Oratorio"--fits much better: just like Bach's Passion oratorios, the
St. Matthew and
St. John,
Lobet Gott narrates a Gospel story using a tenor Evangelist and a bass Jesus. Just like Part 6 of the
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 11 has an ebullient opening chorus and a closing chorale fantasy using full orchestra with trumpets and timpani; one of its arias was to become the Agnus Dei of the
Mass in B minor. With the "Ascension Oratorio" so short, there's room on the CD for two Ascensiontide cantatas: the merry, even rollicking
Gott fähret auch mit Jauchzen, BWV 43, and the more sober
Sie werden euch in den Bann BWV 44. Soprano Barbara Schlick and alto Catherine Patriasz have a cool, monochromatic tone and a technique better suited to Schumann than to Bach, but they sing with both taste and emotion. Tenor
Christoph Prégardien and bass
Peter Kooy are as reliable Bach singers as you'll find; among the high points of the disc are their two duets, one in the oratorio and the other at the opening of BWV 44. As you'd expect from Philippe Herreweghe, the lyrical and devotional qualities of the music are beautifully captured. More surprisingly, he and his musicians bring real excitement to the "Ascension Oratorio," and, in BWV 43, he and his colleagues sound like they're having a
lot of fun.
--Matthew Westphal