Praise for our debut album Bach Cantatas
We are thrilled to share reviews for the Oxford Bach Soloists’ debut album with Signum Records.
“Auspicious Bach auspiciously performed.”
“BWV 4, by contract, is inescapably an ensemble effort as the young Bach set out to impress, throwing everything in his compositional armoury at Luther’s powerful Pascal meditation. A tour de force in seven distinctive verses, it’s rewarded with a scrupulously detailed reading from director Tom Hammond-Davies who persuasively navigates the transition from despair to exultation, energising Versus 1’s concluding Hallelujahs, and oxygenating Versus 3’s fizzing counterpoint.”
Paul Riley, BBC Music Magazine (read full review here.)
“…this is wonderful singing by (almost entirely) young singers with that direct, un-plummy tone that allows Bach’s polyphony to ring out with a clarity and energy that few more established choirs can rival. This is a triumphant vindication of one of the OBS’s aims – to bring on younger musicians.”
David Stancliffe, Early Music Review (read the full review here.)
“Choir, orchestra and soloists all excel, making this a worthwhile addition to any collection of Bach’s vocal music. As the first in what we sincerely hope will become an on-going series it sets a high standard and makes us impatient for the next release.”
Steven Whitehead, Cross Rhythms (read the full review here.)
“This is great Bach playing and, most importantly, Bach interpretation. of the highest level.”
“One thing is clear: everyone on this recording loves every note and phrase of these three wondrous works.”
Colin Clarke, Classical Explorer (read the full review here.)
About the album: Bach, in his time, could never have envisioned his music being recorded. When we first embarked on our journey with the Oxford Bach Soloists, our focus was not on recording. We were immersed in the live experience, discovering Bach’s vocal works chronologically, in real-time. It was about living the music as all those who performed and heard it did, tracing his steps through each note and phrase. Featuring two of our core Soloists, Nick Pritchard (tenor) and Yu-Wei Hu (flute), this album presents three of Bach’s Cantatas. These include possibly his earliest vocal work, Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4), his only extant tenor cantata, Ich armer Mensch (BWV 55), and the much-beloved cantata, Ich habe genug, showcased here in its arrangement for high voice and flute (BWV 82.2). This recording is a celebration of our journey with Bach, and an invitation to experience his timeless music through our own journey of dedication and discovery.
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