From quiet joy to drums and drama! And yes, I’m just taking you on a tour of my favourite composers now. But if that isn’t something you like, what on earth are you doing here? This piece is a total…
Tag: J.S. Bach
Advent Calendar Day 19: O Little One Sweet *and* Schlafe, mein Liebster – JS Bach
I knew I wanted some Bach in this bracket, but I couldn’t decide whether to go with O Little One Sweet, which is a standalone carol, or Schlafe, Mein Liebster, the lullaby from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. But then I realised…
Advent Calendar Day 25 – Schlafe Mein Liebster (JS Bach)
Oh, you didn’t think we were going to get to Christmas with more Bach, now did you? Of course we weren’t. This is a rather gorgeous alto aria from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, which is basically a lullaby for the baby…
Advent Calendar Day 14 – O Little One Sweet (J.S. Bach)
Did I mention that I’m really, really into Bach at the moment? The fact that this is the second bit of Bach you are getting in this Advent Calendar might be a clue (and it’s not the last, either –…
Advent Calendar Day 11: Wachet Auf, ruft uns di Stimme (J.S. Bach)
I know, I know, we had Bach just a few days ago, but this week’s schedule of Advent music is full of dreamy 19th and 20th century music, and I thought a bit of up-beat Baroque was just what we…
Monday Music: Erbarme Dich – in Arabic (J.S. Bach)
Here’s something a little bit different for your Monday amusement. Erbarme Dich is probably the most famous contralto aria from Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion. It’s sung after Peter has denied Jesus three times, and, sung well, is an absolutely compelling…
Friday Fun: Cello Wars: The Phantom Cellist (Steve Sharp Nelson / John Williams)
A bit of instrumental music today, just for a change, with Steve Sharp Nelson and his identical cellist twin fighting a cello lightsaber battle while playing around with John Williams’ music. Watch out for Darth Vader’s solo…
Advent Calendar Day 9: Wachet! Betet! (J.S. Bach)
A few months ago, when I was preparing for my exam, I sent the Bach alto aria I was learning to my German theologian friend, Anna, to check that my translation wasn’t too wildly wrong. She sent back the translation…
Monday Music: Ei, wie schmeckt der Coffee süsse (Oh, how sweet coffee tastes) (J.S. Bach)
Bach is not a composer known for his lively sense of humour (unless you like obscure mathematical jokes involving making codes out of people’s names and setting them to music, in which case you’ll probably find him an absolute scream). …
Advent Calendar Day 11 – Wachet Auf! (J.S. Bach)
My friend Anna tells me that Wachet Auf is to German Advent music what Handel’s Messiah is to Advent music in the English speaking world – namely, ubiquitous! Bach just loved this particular melody, and used it as often as…