Bach family Cantatas

Kantaten aus dem Alt-Bachischen Archiv
Cantatas from the Early Bach Archive
Johann Michael Bach  (1648-1694)
Georg Christoph Bach  (1642-1697)
Johann Christoph Bach  (1642-1703)


Capella Fidicinia
Hans Grüss







Capriccio 10 029

(flac & scans, no logs)


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....The final disc does not contain a note of music by Johann Sebastian Bach. In a clan like the Bachs familial pride could take tangible forms and among Sebastian's most prized possessìons--along with a numbered genealogy—was a collection of compositions by the “old“ Bachs. Consequently this disc, devoted to four cantatas by three older relatives, is one of the more fascinating items in the edition. Family unity is nowhere better expressed than in Georg Christoph Bach (1642-1697), cantor at Schweinfurt, whose three-part birthday cantata for three male soloists bears the inscription, “To the obvious unity—flourishing, secure and sweet—of the trinity of the German brothers Bach.“ Johann Michael Bach (1648-1694), organist and town clerk at Gehren, was the father of Maria Barbara, Sebastian's first wife. Carl Philipp Emanuel, who catalogued his father's collection, characterized Johann Michael as “a capable composer.“ He is represented by two brief cantatas, one for solo quartet and chorus (ripieni), the other for soprano. The most profound piece is the 24-minute wedding cantata, based on passages from the Song of Songs, by Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703), court and town organist at Eisenach, and older brother of Johann Michael. Loving performances by Capella Fi-dicinia under Grüss provide further evidence that Bach's music was not created in a vacuum. Even more evident, however, is the fact that what truly distinguished Bach's music was not his vaunted conservatism, but his willingness to profit from exotic influences. Nevertheless, this album can be enjoyed on its own terms.     -Fanfare