Catalogue

Summary:

“historical performance radical … bold and beautifully constructed … you somehow feel that the singers and the performers are speaking to us directly, there’s an immediacy here” – BBC Radio 3 ‘Record Review’

“In all, this is a beautifully performed and recorded St. John Passion that gives full measure to the work’s remarkable synthesis of devotional and theatrical elements.” – Early Music America

“exceptionally well-recorded live performance” that is“knowledgeable, elegant and self-assured” – Infodad

“marvellous … for those wanting to approach the work anew and think it through, it may be just the ticket.” – Allmusic.com

“This performance is impressive … the vocal soloists are all first rate” – American Record Guide

Cantata Collective, an ensemble “of San Francisco early music luminaries” (San Francisco Chronicle) inaugurates a major series of J.S. Bach’s choral works with a live recording of the composer’s St. John Passion. With celebrated conductor Nicholas McGegan, the toast of today’s new generation of vocal soloists and a three-to-a-part chamber choir, the Cantata Collective conveys the emotional intimacy and dramatic power of this monumental passion in a highly polished performance that led Early Music America to implore: “To the excellent musicians of Cantata Collective: More Bach Please!”

Tracklist:

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

St. John Passion, BWV245

CD1: Part 1

1. No. 1 “Herr, unser Herrscher” (Chorus) 8:39
2. No. 2 “Jesus ging mit seinen Jüngern” (Evangelist, Jesus, Chorus) 2:25
3. No. 3 “O große Lieb” (Chorale) 0:53
4. No. 4 “Auf daß das Wort erfüllet würde….” (Evangelist, Jesus) 1:03
5. No. 5 “Dein Will gescheh!” (Chorale) 0:57
6. No. 6 “Die Schar aber und der Oberhauptman…” (Evangelist) 0:46
7. No. 7 “Von den Stricken” (Aria) 5:24
8. No. 8 “Simon Petrus aber folgete Jesus” (Evangelist) 0:14
9. No. 9 “Ich folge dir gleichfalls” (Aria) 4:11
10. No. 10 “Servus Der Selbige Jünger…” (Evangelist, Maid, Peter, Jesus, Attendant) 3:03
11. No. 11 “Wer hat dich so geschlagen” (Chorale) 1:46
12. No. 12 “Und Hannas sandte…” (Evangelist, Chorus) 2:07
13. No. 13 “Ach, mein Sinn” (Aria) 4:41
14. No. 14 “Petrus, der nicht denkt zurück” (Chorale) 1:19

CD2: Part 2

1. No. 15 “Christus, der uns selig macht” (Chorale) 1:07
2. No. 16 “Da führeten sie Jesum…” (Evangelist, Pilate, Chorus) 4:14
3. No. 17 “Ach großer König” (Chorale) 1:40
4. No. 18 “Da sprach Pilatus zu ihm” (Evangelist, Pilate, Jesus, Chorus) 2:03
5. No. 19 “Betrachte, meine Seel” (Arioso) 2:00
6. No. 20 “Erwäge, wie sein blutgefärbte Rücken” (Aria) 8:20
7. No. 21 “Und die Kriegsknechte…” (Evangelist, Chorus) 5:54
8. No. 22 “Durch dein Gefängis” (Chorale) 1:05
9. No. 23 “Die Jüden aber schrieen…” (Evangelist, Chorus) 4:17
10. No. 24 “Eilt, ihr angeofochtnen” (Aria, Chorus) 3:56
11. No. 25 “Allda kreuzigten sie ihn…” (Evangelist, Chorus) 2:16
12. No. 26 “In meines Herzens Grunde” (Chorale) 1:06
13. No. 27 “Die Kriegsknechte aber…” (Evangelist, Chorus) 3:56
14. No. 28 “Er nahm alles wohl in acht” (Chorale) 1:15
15. No. 29 “Und von Stund an…” (Evangelist, Jesus) 1:20
16. No. 30 “Es ist vollbracht!” (Aria) 5:37
17. No. 31 “Und neiget das Haupt…” (Evangelist) 0:29
18. No. 32 “Mein teurer Heiland” (Aria, Chorus) 4:59
19. No. 33 “Und siehe da, der Vorhang…” (Evangelist) 0:25
20. No. 34 “Mein Herz, in dem die ganze Welt” (Arioso) 0:50
21. No. 35 “Zerfließe, mein Herze” (Aria) 6:35
22. No. 36 “Die Jüden aber…” (Evangelist) 2:06
23. No. 37 “O hilf, Christe, Gottes Sohn” (Chorale) 1:12
24. No. 38 “Darnach bat Pilatum…” (Evangelist) 2:11
25. No. 39 “Ruht wohl, ihr heiligem Gebeine” (Chorus) 7:56
26. No. 40 “Ach Herre, Iaß dein lieb Engelein” (Chorale) 2:13

Soloists
EVANGELIST Thomas Cooley tenor
JESUS Paul Max Tipton bass-baritone
SOPRANO ARIAS Nola Richardson soprano
ALTO ARIAS Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen countertenor
TENOR ARIAS Derek Chester tenor
PILATUS & BASS ARIAS Harrison Hintzsche baritone

Orchestra
(*members of Cantata Collective)
TRAVERSOS Janet See, Stephen Schultz
OBOES & OBOES DA CACCIA Marc Schachman*, John Abberger
BASSOON Andrew Schwartz
VIOLINS I Lisa Weiss*, Noah Strick
VIOLINS II Kati Kyme*, Linda Quan
VIOLAS Cynthia Black, Toma Iliev
CELLO William Skeen*
VIOLA DA GAMBA Elisabeth Reed
BASS Kristin Zoernig*
ORGAN Corey Jamason

Chorus
( ̊additional soloists)
SOPRANOS Jennifer Ashworth ̊, Tonia D’Amelio, Helene Zindarsian
ALTOS Dan Cromeenes, Shauna Fallihee, Heidi Waterman
TENORS Ed Betts ̊, Michael Desnoyers, Mark Mueller
BASSES Paul Boyce ̊, Tom Hart, James Monios

CANTATA COLLECTIVE
NICHOLAS McGEGAN
conductor & harpsichord

Recorded (LIVE): 21 March 2022, First Congregational Church of Berkeley, California
Recording production, engineering, editing and stereo mixing: David v.R. Bowles (Swineshead Productions, LLC)
Mastering and Dolby Atmos mixing: Michael Romanowski (Coast Mastering)
Assistant engineer: Margaret Tobin (Dolby Laboratories)
Production assistants: Karishma Kumar; Case Newcomb