This episode: Christmas cantatas from Wilhelm Friedeman Bach and from Johann Friedrich Agricola.
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was appointed organist and Musikdirektor at the Marienkirche in Halle (Germany). Part of his duty was performing cantatas, and while he often used cantatas from other composers, he also wrote some himself. About twenty of his cantatas have survived, and we will listen to one of them.
The second cantata was written by Johann Friedrich Agricola. He went to study law at Leipzig University in 1738. Here, he studied with Johann Sebastian Bach, took part in cantata performances and played at the Collegium Musicum. He also copied works from Bach. In 1751, he entered the service of Frederick the Great and mainly composed operas. The influence of opera is quite distinct in the cantata we will hear.
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710-1784)
1. Cantate “O Wunder, wer kann dieses fassen?” (BR WFB F 2)
Dorothee Mields, soprano. Gerhild Romberger, alto. Klaus Mertens, bass. Bachchor Mainz, L’arpa festante conducted by Ralf Otto
(CD: “Kantaten I” – Carus 83.362, 2010)
Johann Friedrich Agricola (1720-1774)
2. Cantate “Uns ist ein Kind geboren”
Berit Solset, soprano. Myriam Arbouz, alto. Nicholas Mulroy, tenor. Matthias Vieweg, bass. Kölner Akademie conducted by Michael Alexander Willens
(CD: “Die Hirten bei der Krippe – Three Christmas Cantatas” – CPO 777 921-2, 2014)
In addition:
Gottfried August Homilius (1714-1785)
3. Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (HoWV X.10)
Thomas Kientz, organ
(CD: “Intégrale des chorals pour orgue” – Hortus 153-154, 2017)
Image: Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich (1712-1774), Die Anbetung der Hirten (Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe) (source: Wikimedia Commons)
