Great Sacred Music Sunday, May 9, 2021

J.S. Bach and Charles Gounod: Ave Maria Dame Janet Baker, mezzo-soprano; Philip Ledger, organ

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rejoice o Virgin (Ave Maria) from Vespers, Op. 37 Gloriae Dei Cantores, with members of St. Romanos Cappella; Patriarch Tikhon Choir; Washington Master Chorale, Peter Jermihov

Contrary to popular belief that Schubert set the entire Ave Maria prayer to music, he actually based it on a line from Sir Walter Scott's epic poem The Lady of the Lake. The Vespers or The All-Night Vigil, as it correctly titled, was written in 1915. It is probably the best known of the Russian composer ’s twelve choral compositions.

Pier : Salve Regina Monteverdi Choir, Sir

Léon Boëllmann: Prière à Notre-Dame from Suite gothique, Op. 25 Peter Hurford, organ 1978 Rieger organ in Ratzeburg Cathedral, Germany

Italian composer Francesco Cavalli (1602–1676) flourished at the end of the renaissance era into the early baroque period. He wrote over 40 as well as liturgical music. French composer and organist Léon Boëllmann (1862-1897) was Organist of Church of St. Vincent de Paul from 1881-1897.

Commentary: Pastor Bruce Benson

F. Melius Christiansen: Exaltation & Glorification from Celestial Spring St. Olaf Choirs, Kenneth Jennings

Franz Biebl: Ave Maria Turtle Creek Chorale, Timothy Seelig

Norwegian-born composer and choir director Dr. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955) founded and directed the choirs of St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota. Biebl wrote his setting of the “Ave Maria” for a double men’s chorus in 1964.

John Rutter: The Lord is my light and my salvation Cambridge Singers; City of London Sinfonia, John Rutter

Tomas Luis de Victoria: Alma redemptoris mater The Sixteen, Harry Christophers Libby Crabtree, mezzo-soprano; Kaori Muraji, guitar

The hallmarks of English composer John Rutter’s music are its accessibility and beautiful melodies. “The Lord is my light and my salvation” is a setting of Psalm 27 scored for clarinet, harp and strings. Spanish-born Tomas Luis de Victoria spent many years in Rome where he succeeded Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina as master of music of the Collegium Germanicum.

J.S. Bach: Cantata 86, "Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch" Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir, Ton Koopman Sibylla Rubens, soprano; Bernhard Landauer, alto Christoph Pregardien, tenor; Klaus Mertens, bass

The German translates as “Verily, verily, I say unto you”. This cantata was first performed on May 14, 1724. Craig Smith notes that “Cantata 86 is a product of Bach’s first Leipzig cantata cycle. It focuses on a passage from Jesus’ extensive farewell to his disciples in the Book of John. The key lines are ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you,’ and ‘the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in parables.'”

George Frideric Handel: Chandos Anthem No. 06, "As pants the Hart for cooling streams" The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra, Harry Christophers Lynne Dawson, soprano; Ian Partridge, tenor

Handel wrote his eleven Chandos Anthems whilst in the employ of James Brydges, Duke of Chandos, at his country home Cannons from 1717 to 1718. This anthem is a setting of Psalm 43.

C.P.E. Bach: Organ Concerto in E flat C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra, Hartmut Haenchen Roland Munch, organ 1755 Johann Peter Migendt and Ernst Julius Marx organ, St. Mary and St. Nicholas church, Berlin- Mitte

While not quite as prolific as his father, Johann Sebastian Bach, C.P.E. Bach left us almost 900 compositions including dozens of keyboard concerti.

Giacomo Puccini: Messa di Gloria Chorus & Orchestra of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Michel Corboz William Johns, tenor; Philippe Huttenlocher, bass

Puccini is perhaps best known for his operas such as La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. He wrote his Missa di Gloria in 1878 as a graduation exercise. It was performed in 1880 then fell out of use until its next performance in 1952 in Chicago.

Johann Pachelbel: Aria with Variations in F , organ 1642 Freundt organ in the Augustinian Canon Monastery, Klosterneuburg, Austria

Johann Gottlieb Naumann: Mass in D minor (No. 18) Neuer Kornerscher Sing-verein; Collegium Instrumentale, Peter Kopp Heike Hallaschka, soprano; Kai Wessel, alto Markus Brutscher, tenor; Matthias Weichert, bass

German composer Johann Gottlieb Naumann (1741-1801) is perhaps best known as the composer of the widely-used Dresden Amen. Max Reger: Motet: Mein Odem ist schwach from Sacred Songs, Op. 110 Berlin Radio Choir and Soloists, Dietrich Knothe

Mein Odem ist schwach (My spirit is weak) is one of a trio of Geistliche Gesänge (Sacred songs), Op. 110 which German composer Max Reger composed between 1909 and 1912. It takes its text from Job 17:1–3, 26:2–3, 19:25.