Agricola, J F: Der Gottmensch jauchzt
Work length 11:40
Hannah Morrison (soprano), Willi Kronenberg, Elisabeth Popien (alto), Georg Poplutz (tenor), Andre Morsch (bass)
Kölner Akademie Choir, Kölner Akademie
Michael Alexander Willens
No. 1, Der Gottmensch jauchzt
No. 2, Da wir in deinem Blute
No. 3, Du schütest ihn auf deinem Throne
No. 4, Er lebt, von deiner Huld beglücket
No. 5, Herr, dies sind die edlen Früchte
Homilius: Frohlocket und preiset den göttlichen Held, HoWV I.11
Work length 32:48
Rahel Maas (soprano), Bethany Seymour (soprano), Elisabeth Popien (alto), Willi Kronenberg, Andre Morsch (bass), Georg Poplutz (tenor)
Kölner Akademie Choir, Kölner Akademie
Michael Alexander Willens
No. 1, Frohlocket und preiset den herrschenden Sieger
No. 2, Ach, schwere Pflicht
No. 3, Betrübter Fall
No. 4, Wie ist mir? Ach!
No. 5, Entsetzt euch nicht, getreue Herzen
No. 6, Kommt, nahet euch getrost herzu!
No. 7, Am Sabbat früh mit Spezerei kommen zum Grab
No. 8, Verwundrung nimmt Herz und Sinn auf einmal ein
No. 9, Mein Glaube zweifelt weiter nicht
No. 10, Frohlocket und preiset den herrschenden Sieger
Agricola, J F: Die Auferstehung des Erlösers
Work length 32:40
Andre Morsch (bass), Georg Poplutz (tenor), Elisabeth Popien (alto), Bethany Seymour (soprano), Hannah Morrison (soprano)
Kölner Akademie Choir, Kölner Akademie
Michael Alexander Willens
No. 1, Darum freut sich mein Herz
No. 2, Die Erde bebt
No. 3, Umkränzt Maria
No. 4, Der ew'ge Hohepriester
No. 5, Held, der den Fels vom Grabe rückte
No. 6, Da du vom Tod erstanden bist
No. 7, Harfe, töne darein
No. 8, Erhabener Held
No. 9, Steigt Engel, steigt Freunde der Erden, hernieder
No. 10, Sei hoch gelobt in dieser Zeit von allen Gotteskindern
"On this new production the Kölner Akademie has recorded two oratorios composed by members of the generation after Bach and explicitly focusing on the theme of the Resurrection. Johann Friedrich Agricola composed Die Auferstehung des Erlösers for performance in Berlin during Easter in 1758, and Gottfried August Homilius wrote the Oratorium auf Ostern in 1767, for probable performances in Dresden. Agricola’s Easter cantata Der Gottmensch jauchzt is included with the two oratorios. Regarded during his lifetime as “certainly now absolutely the best church composer”, Homilius wrote an extensive cantata consisting of ten individual movements in the form of his oratorio for Easter. His music already displays elements of Early Classicism and the empfindsamer Stil, his cantata choruses are frequently of homophonic design and song character, and the polyphonic sections are rather rare. While the oratorio by Homilius continues to contain the historical component of the Easter event, Die Auferstehung des Erlösers by Agricola, with its subtitle Ein musikalisches Gedicht, is much more freely designed. The works presented here attest to the mastery of their composers. Arias of marvelous musical beauty, the naturalness of their expression, and the dramatic suspense in the individual movements continue to make for compelling listening even today."