Search - Gottfried Heinrich Stolzel, Britta Schwarz, Jan Kobow :: Christmas Oratorio / Cantatas 1-5

Five wonderful Christmas cantatas, all different, a great di

Mr. Geoffrey Lehmann | 12/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stolzel's Brockes Passion, which I have previously reviewed for Amazon is one of the great German baroque passions, and is worthy of consideration alongside J S Bach. Different from Bach of course, but rising out of the same sound world of Lutheran hymns, so that at times there are moments of similarity. Stolzel's Brockes Passion is a severe and very imposing work and when I purchased these five cantatas I wondered whether Stolzel would be able to relax and rejoice enough to produce convincing Christmas cantatas. So I bought only volume 1, being Christmas cantatas 1 to 5.



These cantatas, performed under the direction of Ludger Remy, Stolzel's champion, are inventive, inspired and wonderful works and each is quite distinct. And yes, Stolzel is able to compose music of rejoicing.



A point of interest. Try listening to track 21 as Klaus Mertens's bass voice miraculously combines with oboes and a bassoon to sing about how Jesus protects him from the world and Satan. It reminded me in an odd way of the theme music for the TV miniseries "Brideshead Revisited". However when the TV series was made, Stolzel was yet to be rediscovered.



I was so impressed by Cantatas 1 to 5, that I immediately ordered 6 to 10, which are yet to arrive at the time of this review."