‘Bach: Magnificat – Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin’

The time when the Magnificat was sung every day is a few centuries behind us, as is the composition of J.S. Bach’s piece. His Magnificat (BWV 243a) is a celebratory piece for a five-part choir and richly instrumented baroque orchestra, including kettledrums and natural horns. Such lavish performances were reserved for festival days, in this case the eve of the festival of the Visitation. Thanks to his role as the cantor in Leipzig, Bach had no need to skimp on his cantata Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140) either. Nonetheless, sobriety slips into the work like a Biblical snake, in the form of the first duet between the soprano and bass. Expressions of joy are welcome again in a second cantata, Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (BWV 10), in an outstanding performance by the RIAS Kammerchor and Akademie für Alte Musik.