Recordings/Discussions
Background Information
Performer Bios

Poet/Composer Bios

Additional Information

Conductors of Vocal Works: Main Page | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Singers & Instrumentalists


Sigiswald Kuijken & La Petite Bande
Cantata BWV 21 / Magnificat BWV 243


C-1

J.S. Bach: Magnificat BWV 243 · Cantata BWV 21

 

Magnificat BWV 243 [28:39]; Cantata BWV 21 [43:49]

Sigiswald Kuijken

Nederlands Kamerkoor / La Petite Bande

Soprano: Greta de Reyghere; Alto: René Jacobs; Tenor: Christoph Prégardien; Bass: Peter Lika

Virgin Classics

Dec 1988

CD / TT: 72:40

Recorded at Augustinuskerk, Amsterdam, Holland.
See: Cantata BWV 21 / Magnificat BWV 243 - conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken
Buy this album at:
CD: Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de
Music Download: Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk


Magnificat/Cant 21/Kuijken: Petite Bande

Charles Francis wrote (August 4, 2001):
Any one familiar with this recording? Is it OVPP?

Magnificat/Cant 21/Kuijken:petite Bande,Netherlands Ch Chr

Original Label: Virgin Classics
Number of Discs: 1
Mono/Stereo: Stereo
Run Time: 1hrs
Spars Code: n/a
Release Date: 2001-03-20
Catalogue Number: 724356183322M

Classical Recording Details
Magnificat in D major, BWV 243
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
Period: Baroque
Formgenre: Magnificat
Date Written: circa 1728-1731
Place Written: Leipzig, Germany
Language: Latin
Studio/Live: Studio
Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)
Period: Baroque
Formgenre: Cantata
Date Written: 1714
Place Written: Cöthen, Germany
Language: German
Studio/Live: Studio

Nagamiya Tutomu wrote (August 4, 2001):
[To Charles Francis] No it isn't. Perhaps cantatas (=BWV 9, 94, 187) is his first OVPP recording.

Riccardo Nughes wrote (August 4, 2001):
[To Charles Francis] It's not an OVPP recording. It come from "old style" La Petite Bande : it features LPB Choir. It's a mid-price reissue of on old LP coming from the 1980's. However it's a good CD.

 

Kuijken & Petite Band Recording

Eric Bergerud wrote (January 19, 2007):
It has come up on the list that Sigiswald Kuijken and the Petite Band are continuing to record cantatas, but there seems to be little discussion concerning what's been done so far. Yourmusic picked up the Kuijken Magnificat / BWV 21 and at their price I got one and thought I'd report in.

This CD is not hot off the presses: it was put out in CD format in 1989 - and I'm not sure whether there was an earlier LP. The conductor has become an OVPP convert, but this performance is done with the Nederlands Kamerkoor with Greta de Reyghere, Rene Jacobs, Christoph Pregardien and Peter Lika doing solos.

I do not know why this is, but I have accumulated an unusually large collection of the Magnificat. I like the work, but it seems to be attached to other things I've collected also. Anyway, to the extent that I know a work, I know this one. And I am extremely impressed with this performance. I'm not sure to what degree the OVPP issue would be at stake here because the liner notes for several recordings state that Bach scored this work for "large forces." That said, this is one of the most delicate and beautiful Bach choral work performance that I own. The soloists are terrific and Kuijken almost strokes the score, delivering clearly and expert instrumental support to his "less is more" approach to the singers and chorus. I can understand why Kuijken adopted OVPP - these works evoke a Rifkin performance except that they're better. Unfortunately, it does not appear as though legions of fans have been attracted to the cantata CDs as they come out because the number of used copies out there are very few and thus the record merchants want us to pay full price which is around $20 for the newer CDs. They are, however, SACD and the more I use that technology the more I like it. Anyway, if anyone likes OVPP works I'd sure check out the Kuijken performances. The one I have, at least, is a real winner.

Thanks to a tip from Yoel, Santa contacted Berkshire and they shipped me the entire Harnoncourt/Leonhardt sacred cantata set at bargain price. As I had already had picked up the secular cantatas of the same series (most done by Koopman, including a sweet BWV 202) I've got the works. I already had quite a few, but the price was so low that it was cheaper to buy the set from Berkshire than try to track down missing volumes if that would be possible. (And the set came in full war paint: plastic cases, full notes, a nice sturdy box for storage etc. None of the buckets of CDs in sleeves favored by Brilliant.) I might sell off some of the volumes that I already own, but I do have two places and getting caught short of cantatas is something I really must avoid. Anyway, I am a truly happy camper. I'm playing one CD every day and love the numerical arrangement. Berkshire was so reasonable that Santa also picked up five CDs worth of Telemann cantatas and they are, as one would expect, delightful. One called "Danish Cantatas" is particularly delightful: late Telemann with very strong early classical influence: a lot like early Haydn.

Bradley Lehman wrote (January 20, 2007):
< Yourmusic picked up the Kuijken Magnificat / BWV 21 and at their price I got one and thought I'd report in.
This CD is not hot off the presses: it was put out in CD format in 1989 - and I'm not sure whether there was an earlier LP. The conductor has become an OVPP convert, but this performance is done with the Nederlands Kamerkoor with Greta de Reyghere, Rene Jacobs, Christoph Pregardien and Peter Lika doing solos.
I do not know why this is, but I have accumulated an unusually large collection of the Magnificat. I like the work, but it seems to be attached to other things I've collected also. Anyway, to the extent that I know a work, I know this one. And I am extremely impressed with this performance. >
That disc is one of my favorite recordings of the Magnificat too. I'm curious about the packaging on yours: is it the new one with the inside of a dome on the front cover, or the older one with a painting of Gabriel's annunciation? And (if the newer one) does it list the entire choir (20 singers) and orchestra in the booklet...or did they reduce their packaging in that reissue?

One problem with my copy of the old one is that two of the booklet's signatures are stapled into it backwards. Ah well....

I've picked up volumes 1 and 2 of Kuijken's new series of cantatas, so far. And his other 1993 disc with BWV 82/BWV 49/BWV 58. Very pleased with all of those. An item of "local" interest: a BCML/BRML member, Ewald Demeyere, is the continuo keyboardist in some of the new series.

Eric Bergerud wrote (January 20, 2007):
[To Bradley Lehman] This is the Virgin Classics reissue. It comes with a dome. In the back there is a list of about twenty CDs available from Virgin Classics but no mention of mere singers. The staples are right however.

No doubt there is a real "get what you pay for" factor. Even with CDs there's no reason they can't put it in informative notes. But this one includes only the briefest description and nothing at all about the artists, not unique among reissues.

 

Sigiswald Kuijken: Short Biography | La Petite Bande
Recordings:
Part 1 | Part 2 | General Discussions
Individual Recordings:
Cantata BWV 21 / Magnificat BWV 243 - S. Kuijken | Cantatas BWV 49, BWV 58 & BWV 82 - S. Kuijken | Cantatas BWV 9, BWV 94 & BWV 187 - S. Kuijken | BWV 232 - S. Kuijken | BWV 244 - S. Kuijken | Final Review: Kuijken Sonatas and Partitas | Review: Musical Offering DVD


Conductors of Vocal Works: Main Page | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Singers & Instrumentalists




 

Back to the Top


Last update: Saturday, June 17, 2017 16:36