The Groningse Bachvereniging was a Dutch semi-professional mixed choir, which existed from 1945 to 1989 and was known for its performances of Baroque music in historically informed performance. It was founded by Johan van der Meer and conducted by him until 1984.
Johan van der Meer founded the choir in 1945 on a suggestion by Gerardus van der Leeuw. The choir was formed by professional and semi-professional singers. While the great oratorios of Bach were performed by more than 40 singers, only three voices per part sang the six-part St John Passion by Johann Christoph Demantius in 1981. [1]
During the first quarter century, the Groningse Bachvereniging presented music of any style and period from the 15th to the 20th century. However, the works of Bach prevailed. In 1947, Bach's motets were performed not a cappella, but with instrumental accompaniment, in Baroque performance tradition. In 1955, the choir received the culture prize of Groningen province. [2]
The year 1970 was milestone in the choir's history, when van der Meer devoted himself entirely to Baroque music in historical performance. When the regular orchestra Noordelijk Philharmonic Orchestra was not available for a performance of Bach's Magnificat, van der Meer invited Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his Concentus Musicus Wien to the Netherlands for the first time. [3]
In 1973, the choir offered the first historically informed performance in the Netherlands of Bach's St Matthew Passion . [4] The Evangelist was Marius van Altena, the vox Christi was Max van Egmond, the other soloists were three boys from the Tölzer Knabenchor, René Jacobs, Harry Geraerts, Michiel ten Houte de Lange, Frits van Erven Dorens and Harry van der Kamp. Ton Koopman and Bob van Asperen played the organs. [3] The performance was recorded live. [5] In 1975, the choir performed and recorded Bach's Mass in B minor at the Holland Festival; the orchestra was La Petite Bande with concert master Sigiswald Kuijken). [6] In 1979, they performed and recorded Bach's St John Passion in Groningen, again with van Altena as the Evangelist and van Egmond as the vox Christi. [7] The choir also performed vocal compositions of Josquin Desprez, Heinrich Schütz, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and George Frideric Handel. [1]
Van der Meers farewell concert was in 1982, a performance of Handel's Israel in Egypt , with the Fiori Musicali and three trombonists from the Musicalische Compagney. After directing the choir for almost 40 years, van der Meer was succeeded by Rein de Vries. In 1989, the Groningse Bachvereniging became the Capella Groningen. [1] [8]
Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16, is a church cantata for New Year's Day by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was first performed on 1 January 1726 in Leipzig, as part of the composer's third cantata cycle. Its libretto is by Georg Christian Lehms, opening with the beginning of "Herr Gott, dich loben wir", Luther's German Te Deum. The cantata's text was completed with a stanza from Paul Eber's "Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen" for the closing chorale.
Peter Kooij is a Dutch bass singer who specializes in baroque music.
Caroline Stam is a Dutch classical soprano who has an international (European) performing career specializing in baroque repertoire, reinforced by a distinguished presence in modern recordings.
The listing shows recordings of the Mass in B minor, BWV 232, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The selection is taken from the 281 recordings listed on the Bach Cantatas Website as of 2018, beginning with the first recording by a symphony orchestra and choir to match, conducted by Albert Coates. Beginning in the late 1960s, historically informed performances paved the way for recordings with smaller groups, boys choirs and ensembles playing period instruments, and eventually to recordings using the one-voice-on-a-vocal-part scoring first argued for by Joshua Rifkin in 1982.
Max van Egmond is a Dutch bass and baritone singer. He has focused on oratorio and Lied and is known for singing works of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was one of the pioneers of historically informed performance of Baroque and Renaissance music.
Kurt Equiluz is an Austrian classical tenor in opera and concert, known for recording works of Johann Sebastian Bach with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Helmuth Rilling, a member of the Vienna State Opera as a tenor buffo from 1957 until 1983.
Dorothee Mields is a German soprano concert singer of Baroque and contemporary music.
Harry van der Kamp is a Dutch bass singer in opera and concert. Mostly active in Historically informed performance, he founded the Gesualdo Ensemble. He is also an academic voice teacher.
La Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in music of the Baroque and Classical era played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, Bach, Haydn, and Mozart.
Petra Noskaiová is a Slovak classical mezzo-soprano, active in the field of Baroque music.
The Netherlands Bach Society is the oldest ensemble for Baroque music in the Netherlands, and possibly in the world. The ensemble was founded in 1921 in Naarden to perform Bach's St Matthew Passion on Good Friday and has performed the work annually since then in the Grote of Sint-Vituskerk. From 1983 until 2018, Jos van Veldhoven was artistic director and conductor. Shunsuke Sato became artistic director on 1 June 2018.
Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the cantata for Pentecost and probably first performed it in Leipzig on 28 May 1724, but an earlier performance on 16 May 1723 at the Paulinerkirche, the University Church of Leipzig, is possible.
Marius van Altena, born Marius Hendrikus Schweppe is a Dutch tenor. He was one of the pioneers of historically informed performance of Baroque and Renaissance music. He has also sung Baroque opera, worked as conductor and as an academic teacher.
Leonhardt-Consort, also known as the Leonhardt Baroque Ensemble, was a group of instrumentalists which its director, the keyboard player Gustav Leonhardt founded in 1955 to play baroque music. The Consort was active until around 1990, although some members including Leonhardt himself continued to perform after that date.
Johan van der Meer was a Dutch choral conductor and pioneer in the field of historically informed performance. He founded the Groningse Bachvereniging.
Ich bin ein guter Hirt, BWV 85, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for the second Sunday after Easter and first performed it on 15 April 1725.
Hana Blažíková is a Czech soprano and harpist. She is focused on Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music, appearing internationally. She has recorded as a member of the Bach Collegium Japan, among many others.
Orlanda Velez Isidro is a Portuguese classically trained coloratura soprano. Her preferred genre of music is Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. Since completing her education in Portugal and the Netherlands, she has lived and performed in the Netherlands.
Greta De Reyghere is a Belgian soprano who specializes in early music and Baroque music in historically informed performance but also performs a variety of other classical music in concert. She is a teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Liège.
Harry Geraerts is a Dutch tenor. His repertoire includes the great oratorios, baroque operas, ensemble music and Lieder, especially in the field of Renaissance and Baroque music.