Morimur | Johann Sebastian Bach, countertenor David James, ...

Morimur | Johann Sebastian Bach, countertenor David James, ... | This recording saved my life

classical music:

Morimur

	Morimur Johann Sebastian Bach, countertenor David James, ... ECM Records, 2001 average customer review:based on 27 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In 1994, explains the booklet that accompanies Morimur, Professor Helga Thoene made the surprising discovery that the monumental "Ciaccona" from Bach's Partita in D minor for solo violin was built around various chorale themes hidden in the music. From the texts of these "secret" chorales and other symbolic musical devices, she deduced that the "Ciaccona" was an epitaph for Bach's wife, Maria Barbara. The revelation might have remained an intriguing (and touching) footnote to Bach scholarship if baroque violinist Christoph Poppen hadn't had the bright idea of taking Professor Thoene's discovery off the library shelves and placing it triumphantly in the concert hall. On this disc, his performance of all five movements of the whole Partita (BWV 1004) is interspersed with the various chorales hidden inside the "Ciaccona," sung with breathtaking precision by the Hilliard Ensemble. The double whammy comes at the end when the "Ciaccona" is performed again, this time with the singers bringing out the secret melodies. Poppen's playing is excellent, both sweet-toned and vibrant, while the Hilliards have never sounded better: the combination of the two is spine-tingling. It is as if Maria Barbara's proper epitaph has finally been realized, and a moving and wonderfully stimulating recording created in the process. --Warwick Thompson

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A Very Unique Experience

"Morimur," as you can read (ad nauseum) on the rest of the page, is the product of an astonishing amount of Bach scholarship on the part of Professor Helga Thoene, a noted Bach scholar. It is important to note two things: 1) Thoene's research applies ONLY to the Partita II D Minor, not to the Six Solos from which it comes as a whole, and 2) The CD contains ONLY the Partita and associated chorales, NOT any of the other Six Solos. Morimur is a truly intriguing experience, quite unlike anything else in all of Bach's music. Thoene has reconstructed a number of "chorale fragments" within the monumental "Ciaccona" movement of the Partita, making the claim that the presence of these fragments in the music validates the belief that the Ciaccona was originally meant as a musical epitaph for Bach's first wife, Maria Barbara, who died suddenly and was buried while Bach was away. Thoene provides a number of musical examples from the score to the Ciaccona that demonstrate her theory in action, and these examples are critical for a layperson (such as myself) to come to an understanding of her theory (which can only be proven by studying the WRITTEN music, not listening to the Ciaccona itself). The disc contains the entire D Minor Partita, played wonderfully by Baroque violinist Christoph Poppen, as well as the associated chorales whose fragments appear in the Ciaccona, sung by the Hilliard Ensemble. The disc concludes with a magical second performance of the Ciaccona by Poppen (a completely different performance, not just a simple copy of his earlier, unaccompanied performance on the disc). As he plays this most difficult and monumental of string works, the Hilliards sing the chorale fragments atop his melody, putting Helga Thoene's research into practical use. The effect is dazzling and moving, opening new horizons for this piece that listeners will never forget. The Hilliards balance perfectly with the violin, never overwhelming it, but always making themselves heard. As for Poppen, he is wilfully expressive and brings a unique voice to the Ciaccona and to the Partita D Minor as a whole, and it is a shame that he has not recorded the remainder of the Six Solos. This is certainly a unique disc, one that will challenge the way many people view the Ciaccona and the omnipresence of symbolism in Bach's music.

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This recording saved my life

The poetry of Christ lag in Todesbanden speaks for itself. If Bach's transmission through pure music does not reach you through this recording, then you are either tone-deaf or have no soul. I can add nothing of great value to the wonderful comments that have prefaced mine, although I have been meaning to write a review of this for some time. It must suffice to say that as a violinist well-acquainted with the unaccompanied sonatas, this recording came as a veritable revelation- giving me the strength to put my life back together while I studied deeper into all the sonatas and partitas. I had always wondered why it was called a chaccone! Now I know....thank you.

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opened the door....

What is extraordinary on this CD is Christoph Poppen's exposition of Bach. Profoundly "beautiful" yes, but more than that, it opened the door for me to Bach. Now, many Bach pieces later, by so many gifted people, I return to this site to recommend this work to others and to thank Mr. Poppen (and ECM).
It would be wonderful if he were to record ALL of Bach's sonatas/partitas for violin - with ECM. The quality of what he has achieved here calls out for that.

Beautiful

I find the interplay of the voices and violin on this recording to be stunningly beautiful and strongly recommend it. It is one of my most listened to recordings and also one of my most recommened.

The theory concerning the hidden choral lines put forth in the CD jacket is interesting, though its somewhat pretensious tone is somewhat off putting in places. While I am an avid listener of the choral music of Bach and others, I am certainly not musically qualified to make any judgement regarding the reality of the hidden coral lines. However, I can say definitely that it "works" for me, whether by original design or indirectly through the brilliance of Bach and the skill of these performers.

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Heartfelt Bach

Beautiful performances, convincing thesis that Bach wrote the Chaconne in tribute to his recently deceased wife. Are there chorales with meaning connecting through text to Bach's music? Listen to this and decide for yourself--have a box of tissues handy. An underground best seller in classical music.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Tracks
Auf meinen lieben Gott | Den Tod... | Allemanda | Christ lag in Tobesbanden | Corrente | Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt | Sarabanda | Wo soll ich fliehen hin | Den Tod... | Ciaccona | Christ lag in Tobesbanden | Dein Will gescheh' | Befiehl Du Deine Wege | Jesu meine Freude | Auf meinen lieben Gott | Jesu Deine Passion | In meines Herzens Grunde | Nun lob', mein Seel', den Herren | Den Tod... | Ciaccona fur Violine solo und vier Stimmen nach einer Analyse von Helga Thoene | Den Tod...

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