Koor & Orkest Collegium Vocale Gent . Philippe Herreweghe

Johann Sebastian Bach in all probability wrote two hundred and ninety-five cantatas. He completely revitalized the genre and took it to exceptional heights. The quasi-conceptual remoulding of style embraced various facets: the use of the voices, the instruments scored for, the general composition and the theological foundation. All the cantatas in this concert programme were written in 1723, Bach's first year of service in Leipzig. 'Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht' refers to Biblical texts that picture man weighed down by guilt and 'Schauet doch und sehet' harks back to the prophecy of Jeremiah. Bach opens all the dramatic registers: for example, in the bass aria with obbligato trumpet part, which bears a great deal of likeness to Handel's famous aria 'The trumpet shall sound' from 'Messiah'. 'Es ist nichts gesundes an meinem Leibe' is based on the Gospel of St. Luke and concerns Jesus' curing of ten lepers. The central theme of 'Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz' is trust in God and belief in Him as a father who never lets his children down. It goes without saying that, with Collegium Vocale Gent and Philippe Herreweghe, these four cantatas are in good hands.