Bedste Alto J-podcasts (2024)

1
BACHTOBERFEST: BWV 80 (Ein Feste Burg) with Eric Clausen 37:10

9d ago37:10

37:10

Our fourth season was the best year yet for our downloads. Thank you for your listenership! And we still welcome your listener "moments" of Bach as ideas for future episodes. For this season closer, we invite Reverend Eric Clausen, a Lutheran pastor, to help us unpack the background of BWV 80 (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God). The bold and powerful te…

1
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (BWV 80): alto/tenor duet 30:03

16d ago30:03

30:03

Martin Luther, J.S. Bach, and Reformation Sunday -- this most Lutheran of all cantatas is our subject for today. "Ein feste Burg" was the battle-cry of the Reformation: "A mighty fortress is our God!" Bach's cantata weaves in all 4 stanzas of Luther's strong hymn. We marvel at movement 1 with its "dizzyingly complex counterpoint" (as Richard Atkins…

1
Geist und Seele wird verwirret (BWV 35): first aria 25:12

23d ago25:12

25:12

The organ, a sacred sound, gets an unusual role in this cantata for solo voice. We hear the organ leaping all over with a virtuoso part against violins and oboes and the alto soloist. There is no better way to convey the rich concept of the "confused joy" of the believer who witnesses miracles. In this cantata, which took place during the Sunday wh…

1
Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist (BWV 667) with Katrina Liao 33:13

30d ago33:13

33:13

Organist Katrina Liao joins us to talk about one of her favorites, this chorale prelude that is crackling with spiritual fire. The off-beat bass at the beginning is a neat touch -- could Bach have meant to signify the Holy Spirit by focusing on the 3rd division of the beat? -- but, Katrina's favorite moment comes in the second verse, when the bass …

1
Italian Concerto (BWV 971): second movement 26:26

1M ago26:26

26:26

Why do we play games? Because they're fun? Or is it because they give us a sense of structure and a clear goal, a refreshing contrast to our real lives, which are messy, unpredictable, and complicated? In the same way, we listen to Bach to give a much-needed feeling of structure and clarity to our hectic, messy lives. But sometimes, he doesn't quit…

1
Fugue no. 4 in C# minor (Well-Tempered Clavier Book I) 23:32

1M ago23:32

23:32

An austere fugue subject here begins with a strange leap. To play this four-note opening on a keyboard is to outline a symmetrical structure, reminding us of the bare pillar that holds up the structure. Adorned on the structure are two faster, florid themes which enter later in this long piece. But our moment today is its ending -- a deceptive endi…

1
Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben (BWV 8): opening chorus 18:51

2M ago18:51

18:51

Today we bring you 24 repeated notes on the same pitch. Can you think of any other Bach piece which features this special effect? Certainly this is unique in the orchestrational context here: a high-pitched recorder, beeping out a digital-sounding alarm clock noise. Or is it a bell ringing? We explore what this all means -- because, of course, with…

1
Der Herr denket an uns (BWV 196): duet (ending) 17:02

2M ago17:02

17:02

In his early twenties Bach produced this compact, delightful cantata, likely for a wedding. The text of the duet is still applicable in a religious school community: The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Bach saves a special effect for the last two measures, where a modern technique is used: from highest of highs to the …

1
Violin Concerto in D minor (BWV 1052R) 21:05

2M ago21:05

21:05

Bach proves his mastery of the Baroque concerto here, as in the Brandenburgs -- except this time, we don't have the original music! We do have a harpsichord concerto as well as an organ concerto version of the first movement (which is actually from a cantata)... but we do not have the violin concerto version, which scholars assume must exist. The r…

1
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben: bass aria "Ich will von Jesu Wundern singen" 20:18

2M ago20:18

20:18

"I shall sing of the wonders of Jesus." The trumpet reflects the text purely before the singer begins. The oboes and violins join in and play off the trumpet, each finishing each other's musical lines. You probably know this cantata for its most famous movement -- two verses of what we would call in English "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." But there …

1
Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit: "sanft und stille" 20:17

3M ago20:17

20:17

A hidden gem, a fully-formed masterpiece from a young Bach, a cantata unburdened by his later fascination with Italian-style recitative and da capo arias: it is the incomparable Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. We look at this cantata for a third time (see season 1 episode 8 for the sonatina, and season 3 episode 15 for the soprano solo ending …

1
Fugue no. 2 in C minor, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I (BWV 847) 24:02

3M ago24:02

24:02

The famous C minor fugue near the beginning of the Well-Tempered Clavier expresses the emotions of sadness, loneliness, and melancholy, according to harpsichordist Masato Suzuki. Suzuki provides a sensitive performance with attention to articulate detail in the fugue subject. This, naturally, leads Christian and Alex into a comparison with race car…

1
Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (BWV 199): middle aria "Tief gebückt" 28:22

3M ago28:22

28:22

Vivid and subtle, this cantata follows the spiritual journey of the soprano soloist who carries the weight of sin on her shoulders. The journey is one from darkness into light, and our moment, sent in by listener Dave, comes at the cathartic middle movement, where hope is found in patience. Soprano Julia Doyle delivers a heartfelt rendition of this…

1
Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist (Clavier-Übung III; BWV 671) 25:04

3M ago25:04

25:04

On the last note of Mozart's "Kyrie eleison" in his requiem, he chooses a stark and intense open fifth instead of a triad. What happens when a composer finishes...not correctly? Is this allowed? When using old melodies which start and end on scale degree 3 (relative to major), Bach adapts this old Phrygian mode to his idiom, but this does create an…

1
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 62) opening chorus 26:26

4M ago26:26

26:26

We take a suggestion from listener Bruce, and jump into the "other" Nun komm cantata, BWV 62. Yes, BWV 61 is admittedly the one we prefer, having talked about it several times on this podcast over the last four years. But sometimes it's good to shine some light on the facets of a hidden gem. The opening movement of BWV 62 contains multitudes. Nun k…

1
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140): Zion hört (chorale) 36:13

4M ago36:13

36:13

Yes -- the famous one! One of Bach's most universal melodies, the melody in the strings opens a profoundly perfect setting of a verse of the hymn "Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" in the central movement (4th of 7) in the beloved masterwork "Wachet auf" cantata. Here is the exceptional performance by the Netherlands Bach Society. Why does this ope…

1
O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort (BWV 60): "Es ist genung" (closing chorale) 21:26

4M ago21:26

21:26

In four notes, Bach reframes our idea about what is possible in common practice harmony. This is one of the weirdest moments of Bach, coming from one of the weirdest openings to a hymn tune. But as always, it makes sense in the context of the text. It even makes sense harmonically, as we see when the hymn tune closes on four much more normal-soundi…

1
O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (BWV 656) 25:10

4M ago25:10

25:10

A textbook "moment" of Bach -- in a charming setting of the three verses of the German song "O Lamb of God, Most Holy," suddenly near the end of the third verse Bach finally heeds the text and shows us the strange despair we are praying for mercy to avoid. He employs several musical devices in this sudden moment: a change in meter, a suggestion of …

1
Air on the G String (Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068) 26:53

5M ago26:53

26:53

One of Bach's most famous works, and one of the greatest melodies of all time -- this comes to us by way of an almost impossibly good performance/recording by the Netherlands Bach Society. By having the first violin part played by a section rather than a solo, they give Bach's wandering melody more purpose than it has in the famous version for solo…

1
Lobet den Herrn (BWV 230) 23:50

5M ago23:50

23:50

Did Bach write this? Many think not. It's brilliant nonetheless! We get into a talk about aspects of this motet which would or would not be hallmarks of Johann Sebastian. BWV 230 as performed by the Netherlands Bach SocietyAf Christian & Alex Guebert

1
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6: movement 3 16:39

5M ago16:39

16:39

This delightful jig closes out our miniseries on Brandenburg 6. Here we speak about the third movement's jumpy beats. and how these rhythmic anticipations give the whole piece a bouncy energy. Bach, the expert violist among so many other things, gives the two viola parts the most intricate material, playing off each other and passing along the musi…

1
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6: movement 2 24:57

5M ago24:57

24:57

Welcome back to our yearly miniseries on the Brandenburg Concertos of J. S. Bach! This is part two of three. Today we look at the languid and luscious slow movement of Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. Music is (often) a setup of expectations, and then the satisfying fulfillment of those expectations OR the clever subversion of those expectations. Bach i…

1
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6: movement 1 20:05

5M ago20:05

20:05

Welcome to our yearly miniseries on the Brandenburg Concertos of J. S. Bach! Here we jump into Brandenburg 6, delighting in the weirdness that results when Bach decides to omit violins, preferring a dark, low sound of violas, violas de gamba, cello, and violone. This brings us to some more examples across Bach's oeuvre, as well as some others by Br…

1
Goldberg Variations: 7 (canary jig) (part 2) 12:43

6M ago12:43

12:43

Today we return to the 7th of the Goldberg Variations, the "Canary Jig." We discuss that peculiar name, and then we get into some smaller moments. Soaring flares up the keyboard, surprising altered tones, and crunchy grace notes are all over. Pushing forward into the ending, a high note leads us to the finish. We discuss why the contour of the hand…

1
Du Hirte Israel, höre (BWV 104): bass aria 15:36

6M ago15:36

15:36

Just after Good Shepherd Sunday, we settle in to this comforting pastorale. Not the famous opening movement -- no, this is another beautiful sicilienne-type dance, a bass aria, in which Bach gives a masterclass on melodic writing in just 5 seconds of music. Melodic shape, sequence, pedal point, and effective parallel motion in triads -- these are a…

1
Goldberg Variations: 7 (canary jig) (part 1) 13:41

6M ago13:41

13:41

In our second look at the monumental Goldberg Variations, Christian selects the beginning of the sprightly and innocent "gigue" (jig), a particular dance set here for an interplay between two hands. The jaunty rhythm of the dance is rather uneven; this leads us into a discussion about how music is naturally not even in this way (and when it is, it'…

1
Chorale: Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier (BWV 469) 13:58

6M ago13:58

13:58

Just as the three wise men brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the young Christ, so also this trio brings their soprano voice, viola da gamba, and theorbo (a lute variant) as musical gifts.... and we, the listeners, are the ones who are lucky enough to receive these gifts. Here we discover the plain serenity of this original hym…

1
Wendy J. - Saturday Meeting 45:43

6M ago45:43

45:43

1
Kim - Saturday Meeting 21:58

6M ago21:58

21:58

1
Cristina V - Wednesday Meeting 22:04

6M ago22:04

22:04

1
JoAnn S - Wednesday Meeting 14:39

6M ago14:39

14:39

1
Jonah 20:23

6M ago20:23

20:23

1
Karen - Friday Meeting 21:08

6M ago21:08

21:08

1
Dave M. - Wednesday Meeting 21:53

6M ago21:53

21:53

1
TrishRose - Friday Meeting 20:45

6M ago20:45

20:45

1
Michelle - Friday Meeting 22:27

6M ago22:27

22:27

1
Cindy - Friday 5:30 Meeting 19:57

6M ago19:57

19:57

1
Ifafunke O 19:35

6M ago19:35

19:35

1
Molly M 18:33

6M ago18:33

18:33

1y ago11:57

11:57

In this bonus episode, we have a chat with soprano Emily Wood, a featured soloist in the recent concert performance of BWV 147 at Alex's church. We hear about Emily's personal experience singing this wonderfully challenging solo which is nestled in the very heart of this cantata; we also reflect on the whole 10-movement masterpiece. Audio recording…

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