Mauricio Kagel: Sankt - Bach - Passion

Kagel's conundrum is this: Saint Bach is either a unique musical phenomenon, perhaps the only instance of such divinely made (not just inspired) music, thus rendering him incomparable and even incommensurable to all other composers, or Bach's saintliness is a possibility that any composer might attain and thus "Saint Bach" is a representation of "the composer" him/herself in his/her fullest attainment. If this is the case, what other composers might Kagel also be a saint? Himself? As I said, Kagel confronts us with the most challenging epistemological conundrum any recent composer to my knowledge has laid down. And I suspect attentive listeners will be wrestling with his conundrum for generations to come, either infuriated by its seeming audacity, or humbled by its remarkable devotion. In any case, some of those infuriated and humbled listeners will return to Kagel's music with a culminating sense of marvel at its emotion and elegant design that will seem at times to be Bach's music itself wearing an astonishingly contemporary garb.
Anne Sofie Von Otter, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Roland Hermann, Peter Oggisch, Gerd Zacher, Stuttgart Sudfunkchor, Limburger Cathedral Boys Choir, Hamburg Radio Chorus, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mauricio Kage / Conductor

DISC 1

01 Vivace - O a (Chorus, Baritone) 00:07:08

02 Chorale: Fur deinem Thron tret'ich hiemit (Chorus, Mezzo-soprano, Baritone) 00:01:40

03 Moderato ma rubato, accompagnando - Johann Sebastian Bach, gehoret zu einem (Tenor) 00:03:18

04 Chorale: Ach wie fluchtig, ach wie nichtig! (Chorus) - Kehren wir zur unserm Johann Sebastian zuruck (Tenor) 00:01:01

05Chorale: Das neugeborne Kindelein (Chorus, Mezzo-soprano) 00:01:13

06 Andantino - Zwingt die Saiten in Cythara (Mezzo-soprano, Children's Chorus, Baritone) 00:01:07

07 Chorale: er lasse uns sein Antlitz leuchten (Chorus, Children's Chorus) 00:01:40

08 Andante - Johann Sebastian Bach war noch nicht zehen (Tenor, Children's Chorus) 00:03:17

09 Chorale: Bach, der uns selig macht (Chorus, Baritone) 00:02:39

10 Andantino - Nachdem sein Bruder gestorben war (Tenor, Children's Chorus) 00:03:14

11 Chorale: Den Vater dort oben (Chorus) 00:01:34

12 Larghetto, ma poco rubato - Johann, rucke deine Kahle (Mezzo-soprano, Baritone) 00:02:04

13 Andantino - Von Luneborg aus reisete er zuweilen (Tenor) 00:04:07

14 Andantino, un poco rubato - Im Jare 1703 kam er nach Weymar, und wurde daselbst Hofmusikus (Tenor) 00:03:45

15 Chorale: In allen meinem Taten (Speaker, Chorus) 00:00:54

16 Moderato - Urlaubsuberschreitung bei der Reise nach Lubeck (Tenor, Speaker, Baritone, Chorus) 00:04:47

17 Andantino - Den 17. Oktober 1707, ist der Ehrenveste Herr Johann Sebastian Bach (Mezzo-soprano, Chorus) 0:02:41

18 Andantino, un poco rubato - Muhlhausen konnte das Vergnugne nicht haben (Tenor) 00:01:55

19 Chorale: Herzliebster Johann, was hast di verbrochen (Chorus, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Children's Chorus) 0:02:15

20 Andantino: Magnifice, Hoch und WohlEdle (Speaker, Chorus) 00:05:19


DISC 2


01 Chorale: Ein feste Burg ist unser Bach (Chorus) - Das 1717. Jahr grab dem bereits beruhmten Bach eien neue Gelegenheit (Tenor) 00:01:01

02 Chorale: Der du bist drei in Einigkeit (Chorus, Tenor, Speaker) 00:07:44

03 Chorale: O Mensch, bewein dein Sunde (Chorus, Mezzo-soprano, Baritone) 00:02:59

04 Colla parte: Andante - Staatsarchiv Weimar, Dokument 8995, folio 78 verso (Tenor, Baritone) 00:01:29

05 Chorale: O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleid (Chorus, Mezzo-soprano) 00:01:11

06 Allegretto - Siebzehnhundertacht, Wilhelm Friedermann (Mezzo-soprano, Speaker) 00:04:21

07 Chorale: Das walt' unser Vater Bach (Chorus, Children's Chorus) 00:01:13

08 Vivace - Die Stadt Leipzig erwahlte Bach im Jahre 1723 (Tenor, Speaker, Chorus, Baritone) 00:06:14

09 Chorale: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem (Chorus, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, Baritone) 00:00:59

10 Allegretto - Der Dienst in Leipzig ist bey weitem (Speaker) - Chorale: Du, o schones Weltgebaude (Chorus, Children's Chorus, Speaker) 00:05:06

11 Andantino - Um Jahre 1747 that er eine Reise nach Berlin (Tenor) 00:05:47

12 Chorale: Die Nacht ist kommen (Chorus, Tenor, Mezzo-soprano, Baritone, Speaker) 00:04:42

13 Chorale: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden (Chorus, Mezzo-soprano, Baritone) 00:01:22