We have been playing Easter-appropriate music for the last month, a celebration of some of the beautiful music inspired by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During the course of this series we have heard some truly beautiful music, enlightened by performances of some pieces that aren't that commonly performed, thrilled by interpretations of music that cast the compositions into a new light, and intrigued by compositions that view the Easter tradition from a non-Christian perspective.
Tonight we finish our series with a true masterpiece, the 164 minute St. Matthew's Passion. We also return to the Bach Collegium Japan, who have put out a series of recordings of Bach's choral works (cantatas, passions, etc.) that has taken the classical music world by storm with their technical excellence and their reverance for the source material. They actually issued both the St. Matthew's Passion and last week's St. John's Passion out in the same year, and both of these recordings are now available in a 5-disc package that provides excellent notes, as well as complete librettos. Of course, while St. John's Passion is a beautiful piece of music, St. Matthew's Passion is easily considered one of the high points of Bach's entire catalogue.
This year we also have an interesting confluence of events that makes our hearing of the two Passionwerke on consecutive weeks most appropriate - this year's Easter celebration coincides with Bach's birthday (March 21). In previous years we have had some serious Bach birthday parties (I remember one year doing a full 6 hours of straight Bach), so this falls in line with previous Bach birthday tributes.
Composer's name is listed where notable (i.e. Classical Performance, Jazz Performance).
For more information on any of the rock, pop and Jazz music featured on this program, I frequently utilize AllMusic , an excellent free database holding a huge plethora of information about music and the artists that make it.
| Composer | Performer | Title | Genre | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J.S. Bach |
Bach Colegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki, cond., -w- Nancy Argenta (sop), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Gerd Türk (tenor, singing the part of The Evangelist), Makoto Sakurada (tenor), Peter Kooij (bass, singing the role of Jesus), Chiyuki Urano (bass) |
Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew's Passion), BWV 244 |
Classical, Baroque era, choral with soloists and orchestra with bosso continuo |
BIS, 1999 |
|
Magister Leoninus (c. 1135 - c. 1201) |
Red Byrd (John Potter, Richard Wistreich), Capella Amsterdam |
Alleluya. Pascha Nostrum Immolatus Est |
Gregorian Chant, 12th Century Parisian |
Hyperion, 1997 |
Magister Leoninus is credited with having written a cycle of 2 part settings for various important parts of the liturgical year (Christmas, Easter, Assumption, etc.) |
Alleluya. Dulce Lingum, Dulces Clavos |
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William Byrd |
The Cardinall's Musick, Andrew Carwood, dir. |
Mass Propers for Easter Day (Introit - Resurrexi; Gradual - Haec dies, Alleluia - Pascha nostrum; Sequence - Victimae paschali laudes; Offertory - Terra tremuit; Communion - Pascha nostrum |
Rennaisance |
ASV, 2001 |
A nice contrast of styles, with the material covering the same areas (both the Leoninus and the Byrd includes the same Pascha Nostrum) |
|
Red Allen and Frank Wakefield |
Are You Afraid To Die |
Bluegrass, Classic |
Folkways, 1964 |
||
Paul Simon |
Allison Brown |
Homeword Bound |
Bluegrass, Contemporary |
Compass, 2005 |
Features Mary Chapin Carpenter, among others |
|
Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard |
Won't You Come Sing For Me? |
Bluegrass, Classic |
Folkways, 1973 |
Recorded in '67 | |
W. Walker |
Ray Price |
I've Got A New Heartache |
Country, Classic |
Columbia, 1956 |
|
Bob Wills |
San Antonio Rose |
Columbia, 1961 |
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Mooney/Seals |
Crazy Arms |
Columbia, 1956 |
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Last Update: March 24, 2008
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