J.S. Bach - Con Org (C)/Trio (B)/(G)/Fugue (G)/Trio (C)/& - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

When Georg Friedrich Handel's Messiah first premiered on the European continent, 24 years had passed since it's debut. On August 6, 1768, Il Messia brought Inchil caro SassoneInch (the dear Saxon) back posthumously to the land of his early triumphs. Before the memorable performance in Florence's Palazzo Pitti could take place, the content had to be adapted to Catholic doctrines and the expansive form to national customs. Abate Antonio Pillori achieved this in collaboration with tenor and composer Salvatore Pazzaglia. The result was incredible their Messia is so well-abridged and singable in Italian that the compact form, recorded two years ago at the Innsbruck Festival, could be considered an authentic version that Handel himself might have produced if needed.

Affecting Passions by Heinichen. The Passion music Johann David Heinichen wrote for the Dresden court is a document of cultural and confessional openness of the Saxon residence, and his two Italian oratorios heard here are surrogates of large-scale Passion music. InchCome? S'imbruna il cielInch - composed in 1728 - is the latest of the sepolcri, his other Passion InchL'aride tempie ignudeInch the first of the sepolcri to survive from Heinichen in Dresden. Both texts are by Stefano Pallavicino, who had been active at the Dresden court since 1719. In the first-mentioned Passion, the meditation on the Passion event recurs to the experience of the earthquake that, according to biblical accounts, occurred immediately after the death of Jesus. The description of the violent natural events gives Mary the Mother of God, John (Jesus' favorite disciple), and Mary Magdalene an opportunity to reflect on their relationship to the Crucified. Different aspects of affection and love are thematized. The meditation on the Passion event in the second-named Passion is designed as an allegorical play of death (Morte) and hope (Speranza), divine love (Amor divino) and penance (Poenitenza), and follows an easily comprehensible dramaturgy. The affinity to opera seria is evident in both passions not only in the arrangement of the pieces. The keys, gestures and instrumentation also correspond to the models familiar from baroque musical theater. Full of affect! Album Tracks 1. Due Cantate Al Sepolcro Di Nostro Signiore 2. Come? S'imbruna Il Ciel! Occhi Piangete! 3. L'aride Tempie Ignude

Album Tracks 1. Son V in F Adagio - Karl Kaiser/Susanne Kaiser 2. Son V in F Allegro - Karl Kaiser/Susanne Kaiser 3. Son V in F Vivace - Karl Kaiser/Susanne Kaiser 4. Son VI in G Adagio - Karl Kaiser/Susanne Kaiser 5. Son VI in G Un Poco Allegro - Karl Kaiser/Susanne Kaiser 6. Son VI in G Minuet (Con Var) - Karl Kaiser/Susanne Kaiser 7. Pieces Adagio - Rainer Zipperling 8. Pieces Tempo Di Minuet - Rainer Zipperling 9. Pieces Allegro - Rainer Zipperling 10. Pieces (Adagio) - Rainer Zipperling 11. Pieces Adagio - Rainer Zipperling 12. Pieces Arpeggio - Rainer Zipperling 13. Pieces Andante - Rainer Zipperling 14. Trio in F Adagio - Karl Kaiser/Michael Schneider/Nicholas Selo 15. Trio in F Allegro Ma Non Presto - Karl Kaiser/Michael Schneider/Nicholas Selo 16. Trio in F Vivace - Karl Kaiser/Michael Schneider/Nicholas Selo 17. Trio in G Moderato - Karl Kaiser/Michael Schneider/Nicholas Selo 18. Trio in G Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Karl Kaiser/Michael Schneider/Nicholas Selo 19. Trio in G Allegretto - Karl Kaiser/Michael Schneider/Nicholas Selo 20. Son in a Allegro Moderato - Rainer Zipperling/Nicholas Selo 21. Son in a Adagio - Rainer Zipperling/Nicholas Selo 22. Son in a Tempo Di Minuetto - Rainer Zipperling/Nicholas Selo