The Bach Sinfonia - Passion & Lament: Choral Masterworks of the 17th - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The Bach Sinfonia - Motets [COMPACT DISCS] date 10/26/2010

Philippe B takes an empathetic look back on his past on Cigale, his most autobiographical album to date. He once again proves his mastery of the art of songwriting by relying on minimalist arrangements, allowing us to fully admire his gorgeous melodies and powerful lyrics.

Johann Sebastiani's name no doubt will be familiar only to a few certified music experts. Born in Weimar in 1622, Sebastiani spent a good many years of his life in Konigsberg, where he arrived around 1650 and later was appointed court chapel master. He composed countless occasional works as well as a St. Matthew Passion (1672) - a welcome addition to our picture of Lutheran church music and a work closing a gap in the history of Passion settings between Heinrich Schutz and Johann Sebastian Bach. Stephen Stubbs, Paul O'Dette, and their Boston Early Music Festival Chamber & Vocal Ensemble have fond memories of Bremen, where they have recorded in the radio broadcast hall on various occasions and produced Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Baroque opera La Descente d'Orphée aux Enfers, for which they won a Grammy Award in 2015. Their current featuring Johann Sebastiani's St. Matthew Passion pays tribute to Konigsberg's music culture and to the composer who was one of it's central representatives.