Collegium Vocale

In the course of more than 25 years since it was founded, the Collegium Vocale of Ghent has established a truly worldwide reputation in the field of classical music. This is clearly no mere chance occurence but is the fruit of years of consistent and methodical effort and artistic vision.

Founded in 1970 at the initiative of Philippe Herreweghe, this group of singers was the first in the 1970s to extend the new principles of style for the performance of baroque music to vocal music. Instrumentalists had already been searching for a number of years for a performing style more in the line with the historical context. To this end, they referred back to original source material, which they subjected to detailed study, and made use of authentic period instruments. Consequently, it is not surprising that musicians such as Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman and Nikolaus Harnoncourt soon expressed an interest in the parallel approach which the Flemish group had adopted in the field of vocal music. This resulted in an intense cooperation, both on stage and in recordings. Philippe Herreweghe has always been conscious of the value of such a cooperation and because of that the group still works regularly with different conductors (Sigiswald Kuijken, Paul Van Nevel, René Jacobs,etc) and different orchestras such as La Petite Bande, the Concertgebouw Orchestra or the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The repertoire of Collegium Vocale can not be trapped within one style period. The ensemble made an important contribution concerning the rediscovery of polyphonic renaissance music. Regularly the classical and romantic repertoire is programmed, and every now and then the ensemble performs contemporary music. However the ensemble is and remains most known for its outstanding performances of German baroque music, in particular the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Throughout the years Collegium Vocale has made a wide collection of recordings. A capella, together with the Orchestre des Champs Elysées, the choir of La Chapelle Royale from Paris or with other vocal and instrumental ensembles, more than sixty recordings were realized. Apart from that Collegium Vocale is a regular guest at all major music festivals throughout Europe. The ensemble visited the United States, South America and Israel, and made a tour of Japan in 1998. Since 1993 the Collegium Vocale was appointed "Cultural Ambassador of Flanders" by the Flemish Government. The ensemble is also supported by the Province of East Flanders.

Discography

J.S. Bach Mit Friend und Freud

Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz

The theme of death and dying was one of the favourite themes of Bach and his contemporaries in their cantatas – that “musical theology” which was held in such high esteem in deeply Lutheran Northern Germany. Composed between 1723 and 1725, the three cantatas on this record treat the subject from different angles: the expectation of a “marvellous dawn”, the final departure in peace and joy, and the vanity of earthly existence. There is “no consolation on earth”, but only in heaven – what other composer, what other artist succeeded in expressing this consolation with such depth, or with such obviousness as Bach?

6552 CD $15.98

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