ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PHILIPPE HERREWEGHE
Cantata BWV 170 ‘Vergnügte Ruh’
Cantata BWV 21 ‘Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis’
Hanna Bayodi-Hirt soprano
Carlos Mena alto
Hans Jörg Mammel tenor
Matthias Vieweg bass
Collegium Vocale Gent
Ricercar Consort
Philippe Pierlot conductor
New
Profound and superbly constructed, Cantata BWV 21 is among Bach’s most beautiful cantatas. Written for three solo voices surrounded by a choir and a colourful instrumental ensemble of trumpets, bassoons, strings and continuo, it endeavours to portray the suffering through which the soul reaches heavenly joy, with an expressive fervour and a sense of theatricality that bring it close to the imagery of Buxtehude, Bach’s teacher: Tears of pain, images of storms and waves threatening to overwhelm the soul, intense and poignant dialogues thus permeate the whole work, until the final appeasement featuring, in the burst of resounding trumpets, the joy of the soul delivered from its pain.