Keiser: Brockes passion

Heyghen, Peter Van, Kooy, Peter, Vox Luminis

RAM 1303

Barthold Heinrich Brockes' poetry is one of the most influential and well-known passion libretti of the early 18th century. For a long time, no recording of the first setting by Reinhard Keiser from 1712 was available. And this, although Keiser influenced all the following settings and especially here text and music form a perfect combination. Les Muffatti, Vox Luminis and Peter Van Heyghen present the first, long overdue recording of this masterpiece, which once again underlines Keiser's outstanding importance.

The Brockes Passion can be regarded today as the archetype of the German Easter Oratorio. In this capacity it served as a model and source of inspiration for later famous masterpieces. That Brockes Passion enjoyed uninterrupted popularity throughout the 18th century: no fewer than eleven composers set it to music, including Handel and Telemann. The superb version by Reinhard Keiser (1674-1739) is not only the first, but also the one that most closely follows the great rhetorical power and rich affects of the poet's text. In German literary history, Barthold Heinrich Brockes (1680-1747) is especially appreciated for his innovative role during the second quarter of the 18th century.

Keiser, who, like Brockes, worked in Hamburg, was already famous in 1712, the year of the premiere of the Brockes Passion, as the most important opera composer in Germany (and, according to some, even in Europe!). When the creativity of these two great artists culminates in a single work, the result can only be spectacular! The 300th anniversary of its premiere justifies a late but no less passionate tribute - in this recording presented by the singers of the Vox Luminis ensemble and the instrumentalists of the Les Muffatti orchestra.

CD

31.03.2014

4250128513036