Category Archives: Oratorio

Bach: Erbarme dich, mein Gott from St Matthew Passion [Tim Mead, Netherlands Bach Society]

Accompanied by the Netherlands Bach Society, the English countertenor Tim Mead performs Erbarme dich, mein Gott (English: Have mercy, my God), one of the most celebrated arias from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Matthäus-Passion” (St. Matthew Passion), BWV 244. Conductor: Jos van Veldhoven. Violin (solo): Shunske Sato.

Händel: Sweet Bird [from L’Allegro] [Amanda Forsythe, Emi Ferguson & Voices of Music]

Accompanied by the award-winning Early music ensemble Voices of Music, the American light lyric soprano Amanda Forsythe and the American flautist Emi Ferguson (baroque flute) perform Georg Friedrich Händel’s “Sweet Bird”, a beautiful and well-known aria from the secular oratorio “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.” Recorded during the ensemble’s “As Steals the Morn” concert …

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Händel: As Steals the Morn [Amanda Forsythe, Thomas Cooley, Voices of Music]

Accompanied by the award-winning early music ensemble Voices of Music, the American light lyric soprano Amanda Forsythe and the American tenor Thomas Cooley perform Georg Friedrich Händel’s “As Steals the Morn”, an aria from the 1743 oratorio, “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” (The Cheerful, the Thoughtful, and the Moderate Man). Marc Schachman and Anna …

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Lea Desandre sings “Guardian Angels, Oh, Protect me” from Händel’s The Triumph of Time and Truth

Accompanied by the French lutenist Thomas Dunford and his Jupiter ensemble, French-Italian mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre sings “Guardian Angels, Oh, Protect me” from Händel’s The Triumph of Time and Truth, HWV 71, the final name of an oratorio by George Frideric Handel produced in three different versions across fifty years of the composer’s career.

Catherine Bott performs Zerfließe, mein Herze from Bach’s St John Passion BWV 245

British soprano and Baroque specialist Catherine Bott performs “Zerfließe, mein Herze” from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Passio secundum Joannem or St John Passion (German: Johannes-Passion), BWV 245, a Passion or oratorio, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach (first performed on April 7, 1724). Brandenberg Consort conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Recorded at the King’s College …

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Michael Chance performs Bach: Erbarme dich, mein Gott [Matthäus-Passion]

English countertenor Michael Chance performs “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” (English: Have mercy, my God), an aria for contralto, solo violin, strings (originally 2 violins and 1 viola), and basso continuo, from Johann Sebastian Bach’s 1727 sacred oratorio “Matthäus-Passion” (English: St Matthew Passion), BWV 244.

Arias and concertos from Handel and Vivaldi [Magdalena Kožená, Andrea Marcon]

Conducted by Andrea Marcon, the Venice Baroque Orchestra performs arias from George Frideric Handel, German-born, British Baroque composer; and concertos from Antonio Vivaldi, the Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher, and cleric who was born in Venice. Mezzo-Soprano: Magdalena Kožená.

Vivaldi: Juditha Triumphans [Venice Baroque Orchestra, Andrea Marcon]

Conducted by Andrea Marcon, the Venice Baroque Orchestra performs Antonio Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie (Judith triumphant over the barbarians of Holofernes), RV 644, an oratorio which the only survivor of the four that he is known to have composed.

Bach: Christmas Oratorio [Harnoncourt] [Complete]

Conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the Austrian baroque music ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien and the Soloists of the Tölzer Knabenchor perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s Weihnachts Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio) BWV 248. This recording dates from 1982 at the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig, Germany.