The Bach Aria Group is an ensemble of vocal and instrumental musicians that was created in 1946 by William H. Scheide [1] in New York City to perform the works of J. S. Bach. [2]
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 You may listen to the Bach Aria Group performing Johann Sebastian Bach's "Cantata 79: Gott ist unser Sonn" here on archive.org |
The American Bach scholar William H. Scheide brought together a group of New York musicians in 1946 to perform arias from Bach's cantatas and other works. Besides setting the artistic goals and policies, Scheide also helped fund the group, making up for any financial deficits from his own resources. [3]
The five original singers were sopranos Ellen Osborn and Jean Carlton, alto Margaret Tobias, tenor Robert Harmon, and bass-baritone Norman Farrow. The five instrumentalists who accompanied them were violinist Maurice Welk, oboist Robert Bloom, flutist Julius Baker, 'cellist David Soyer, and keyboard player Sergius Kagen. [2]
Over the years there were changes in personnel: cellist Bernard Greenhouse replaced David Soyer, and keyboard players Erich Itor Kahn and Paul Ulanowsky came after Sergius Kagen. Several important singers were later guests or regular members, including Jennie Tourel, Lois Marshall, Richard Lewis, Mack Harrell, Jan Peerce, Eileen Farrell, and Maureen Forrester. [3]
The ensemble made its Carnegie Hall debut in 1948, and made regular concert tours beginning in the 1950s. They also performed with many important orchestras as a solo group in the larger works of Bach, especially his Passions. They also made many recordings at that time. [2]
After more than 30 years of leadership, Scheide announced that he would disband the ensemble in 1980, proclaiming that "his aim had been accomplished". [3] However, by that time its performance style had grown out of fashion, not in line with the growing "authentic performance" movement.
But instead of disbanding, flutist Samuel Baron [4] [5] (who joined the ensemble in 1965) asked to take over the leadership of the group, and Mr. Scheide happily agreed. [3]
After a year of rebuilding in 1981, they resumed their performance and touring schedule, and they developed a highly successful workshop for performers, the Bach Aria Festival and Institute, as a summer program at Stony Brook University on Long Island. The Institute and Festival continued its operations until the summer of 1997, training an entire generation of American performers of Bach's music.
The membership continued to change through the years. In the 1980s and 1990s the instrumentalists in the group included Samuel Baron, oboist Ronald Roseman, violinist Daniel Phillips, 'cellist Timothy Eddy, and keyboard player Yehudi Wyner. They continued to perform on modern instruments and at modern pitch (A=440 Hz), even after other groups changed to reproductions of Baroque instruments at a lower "Baroque pitch" (A=415 Hz).
The singers changed more frequently, but in the 1980s they included soprano Susan Davenny Wyner, alto Janice Taylor, tenor Seth McCoy, and bass Thomas Paul. [2] Later singers included soprano Carol Webber, altos Jan DeGaetani, D'Anna Fortunato and Mary Westbrook-Geha, tenor David Britton [6] and baritone William Sharp. In 2001 the membership included flutist Tara Helen O'Connor, Daniel Phillips, Timothy Eddy, Yehudi Wyner, with soprano Beverly Hoch and bass John Stephens. [7] A concert announcement for 2012 indicates that the membership has not changed recently. [8]
Its papers, music collection, and other historical documents are now held in the Music Division of the Library of Congress [9]
Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the solo cantata for alto in Weimar between 1711 and 1714, and probably performed it on the seventh Sunday after Trinity, 15 July 1714. It is Bach's first extant church cantata for a solo voice.
The Mass in B minor, BWV 232, is an extended setting of the Mass ordinary by Johann Sebastian Bach. The composition was completed in 1749, the year before the composer's death, and was to a large extent based on earlier work, such as a Sanctus Bach had composed in 1724. Sections that were specifically composed to complete the Mass in the late 1740s include the "Et incarnatus est" part of the Credo.
Johann Ludwig Bach was a German composer and violinist.
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Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78 is a church cantata of Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the 14th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 10 September 1724. It is based on the hymn by Johann Rist.
William Corbett-Jones is an American pianist who has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for New Year's Day and first performed it on 1 January 1725 as part of his second cantata cycle. It is based on the hymn by Johannes Hermann (1591).
Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, ihr Sorgen, BWV 249a, is a secular cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. First performed in 1725, the work is also known as "Shepherd Cantata" or "Shepherds' Cantata". Bach reworked the music in his Easter Oratorio.
Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a, also BWV 69.1, in Leipzig for the twelfth Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 15 August 1723. It is part of his first cantata cycle.
Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96, in Leipzig for the 18th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 8 October 1724. The chorale cantata, part of Bach's second annual cycle, is based on the hymn in five stanzas "Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn" by Elisabeth Cruciger, published in Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn in 1524.
Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meinem Unglauben, BWV 109, in Leipzig for the 21st Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 17 October 1723.
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Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 99, in Leipzig for the 15th Sunday after Trinity and first performed it on 17 September 1724. The chorale cantata is based on the hymn "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" by Samuel Rodigast (1674).
Sergius Kagen was an American pianist, composer, music editor and voice teacher.
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Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 74, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for Pentecost and first performed it on 20 May 1725.
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 100, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig between 1732 and 1735. The chorale cantata is based on the hymn "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" Samuel Rodigast (1674).
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Ich habe meine Zuversicht, BWV 188, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the cantata in Leipzig for the 21st Sunday after Trinity and probably first performed it on 17 October 1728.
Midori Suzuki is a Japanese classical soprano, specializing in Baroque music. She has recorded many cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach with the Bach Collegium Japan, both as a soloist and as a member of the ensemble.
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