Series about and with Catalan gambist and conductor Jordi Savall.
In today’s episode: parts from the St. Mark Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by Alexander Grychtolik and Jordi Savall, and recordings from 1978 containing the characteristic voice of Montserrat Figueras.
Passion music: in 2018, Savall performed the lost St. Mark Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach. A meticulous musicological reconstruction of the music made this possible. The lyrics had been preserved. It is well-known that Bach rearranged and reused melodies, the pasticcio technique, over and over again. Therefore, Savall and others dared to adapt Bach’s music and Picander’s lyrics in this reconstruction. Savall used work by the young musician Alexander Grychtolik from Berlin, who arranged choirs and recitatives.
But first, we go back in time, when Savall brought the Spanish Baroque to our attention with Hespèrion XX: you can listen to recordings from 1978 containing the characteristic voice of his deceased wife Montserrat Figueras on the CD El Barrocco Español.
De Milanes (17th century)
1 Dexa la aljava
José Marin (1619-1699)
2 Aquella Sierra Nevada
Juan Hidalgo (1614-1685)
3 Peynándose estaba un olmo
Antonio Martin y Coll (tot ca.1735)
4 Diferencias sobre las Folias
5 La Chacona
Sebastián Durón (1660-1716)
6 Sosieguen descansen
Juan Cabanilles (1644-1712)
7 Gallarda
Juan del Vado (fl. 1635-1675)
8 No te embarques
Hespèrion XX led by Jordi Savall
(CD: El Barroco Español, Spanish secular music c1640-1700, Veritas Edition 7243 5 61346 2, 1978)
J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
9 From: St. Mark Passion BWV 247:
– 6a – Recitative (Evangelist): Und am ersten Tage der süssen Brote BWV 244
– 6b – Choir: Wo willst du daß wir hingehen BWV244
– 6c – Recitative (Evangelist, Jesus): Und er sandte seiner Jünger zween BWV 244
– 6d – Choir: Bin ich’s? BWV 244
– 6e – Recitative (Evangelist): Und der andere
– 9 – Aria (Alto): Mein Heiland, dich vergeß ich nicht BWV 198
– 12b – Aria (Tenor): Ich lasse dich, mein Jesus BWV 245
– 16 – Recitative (Evangelist, Jesus): Und kam, und fand sie schlafend BWV 244
– 17 – Aria (soprano): Er kommt, er ist vorhanden! BWV 198
David Szigetvári, evangelist; Raffaele Pé, countertenor; Reinoud van Mechelen, tenor; Konstantin Wolff, Jesus; Martha Matéu, soprano; Javier Jimenez-Cuevas, Judas.
Veus – Cor Infantil Amics de la Unió and La Capella Reial de Catalunya & Le Concert des Nations led by Jordi Savall
(CD: J.S. Bach, Markus Passion BWV 247 (1744), AVSA 9931)
With thanks to distributor PIAS / Harmonia Mundi in Amsterdam.
Juan Cabanilles
10 Toccata
Ton koopman, harpsichord
(CD: El Barroco Español, Spanish secular music, Veritas Edition 7243 5 61346 2)
