Bach: Cantatas & Arias [Import]

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Peter Gellhorn (Conductor), Thurston Dart (Conductor), Otto Klemperer (Conductor), Isolde Ahlgrimm (Performer), Philharmonia Orchestra of London (Orchestra), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Orchestra), Geraint Jones (Performer), Gerald Moore (Performer), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Isolde Ahlgrimm, Geraint Jones, Gerald Moore, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
• Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• Conductor: Peter Gellhorn, Thurston Dart, Otto Klemperer
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
• Audio CD (August 5, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI Classics France
• ASIN: B00002DDVD
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,877 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #97 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > Q to T

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intimate musicians in complete harmony, March 11, 2000

By 

Tommy Nielsen (Kolding Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: Cantatas & Arias (Audio CD)

Big scale orchestra? Yes. Modern instruments? Yes. Slow tempi? Yes. Opera-singer? Yes. Old-fashioned? NO!

Schwarzkopf and Klemperer are caught live in a 1957-performance in the Concertgebouw in complete harmony in one of Bach's most popular works. This recording remindes me of what we are missing in recent Bach-recordings - understanding of the inner soul of this music. Try and listen to the duet-performance between oboe and soprano in the first aria "Weichet nur", and you will know what I mean. With Gardiner and Harnoncourt we thought this music was a struggle between two lovely tunes - the tune for soprano and the tune for oboe. Now we know that it is really a duet.

"Soli Deo Gloria" - "God alone has the honour" - in this sentence that Bach noted in most of his scores lies the truth about the music - a praise to the almighty. One could wish that the above mentioned star conductors would listen to the music, its text and its meaning instead of keep referring to the history books. Thank God that we still have recordings from more gifted conductors - who used their ears and mind - Klemperer, Richter, Britten, Karajan, Mengelberg (wonderful new Mathäus Passion)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I originally got this for the Klemp..., January 2, 2004

By 

Ryan Kouroukis "In 1882 Richard Wagner said: ... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: Cantatas & Arias (Audio CD)

I originally got this because it featured Klemp...but when I listened, I was stunned by Miss Schwarzkopf's singing! Just listen to the opening of the "Jauchzet" with Gelhorn! Recorded in the 50's, these recordings are true treasures for anyone that loves Bach or Schwarzkopf. Some are live and others are studio.

Historical recordings by one of the greatest singers the world has ever known, rightly remastered and reissued by EMI References. As for Klemp, he surely shows the grand majesty of this Bach cantata, but not overshadowing Elizabeth with the serious mystery of the orchestral parts. The other cantata with Dart is also fantastic, and the aria's with solo intruments are amazing.

English/German texts enclosed with excellent bio-notes on Schwarzkopf and the history of these recordings.

A real GEM for anyone's collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a swell record..., March 8, 2008

By 

Larry from Brooklyn "Larry from Brooklyn" (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bach: Cantatas & Arias (Audio CD)

I have an old (from the early fifties) vinyl recording of Schwarzkopf doing Bach cantatas that I treasure. This doesn't measure up to that but it is the next best thing on record. Comes cheaply with a generous sampling. There is no reason on earth that any record lover should not buy a copy of this CD. If you don't know this voice, you are in for a special treat (on the order of joy that arrives with Milanov, Tebaldi or Sutherland the first time you heard them). Buy it, you can't lose.