INFORMATION
La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken

Magnificent and transparent, a recording of the famous masterpiece by J.S. Bach by La Petite Bande and Sigiswald Kuijken. The ensemble has a worldwide reputation of aiming for the most authentic sound possible. Again Kuijken and his group of musicians and vocalists have achieved this the most sublime way!
Sigiswald Kuijken knows the St. Matthew Passion through and through. With La Petite Bande he gave performances of the work all over the world. Twenty years ago La Petite Bande (at that time with conductor Gustav Leonhardt and Kuijken as concertmaster) made their first recording of the Passion. It was a recording with soloists, a chamberchoir and an orchestral composition which was adjusted to that. Since then Kuijken's vision on this masterpiece has changed very much. Ground-breaking musicological work of the last decades has brought him to a serious thin-out of his ensemble without the use of a conductor. There is not a real choir anymore, because the soloists perform also the choirparts. The boyschoir that is usually used in most performances of this Passion is replaced here by a single soprano voice!  

Additionally, by using authentic instruments and the original way of playing them, both in interpretation and sound quality, La Petite Bande strives to revive baroque music as faithfully as possible without lapsing into rigid academics.
La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken

Soloists:
Gerlinde Sämann: soprano I   
Marie Kuijken: soprano II
Petra Noskaiová: alto I   
Patrizia Hardt: alto II
Christoph Genz: tenor I & Evangelist 
Bernhard Hunziker: tenor II
Jan Van der Crabben: bass I & Jesus
Marcus Niedermeyr: bass II 
Emilie De Voght: soprano in ripieno Ancillae I II, Uxor Pilati
Olivier Berten: Petrus, Pilatus, Pontifex II
Nicolas Achten: Judas, Pontifex (Caiphas), Pontifex I 
   
Orchestra I
Sigiswald Kuijken, Katharina Wulf: violin I          
Jin Kim, Annelies Decock: violin II     
Marleen Thiers: violaMarian Minnen: Basse de violon
Sigiswald Kuijken: Viola da gamba  
Ewald Demeyere: OrganMarc Hantaï, Yifen Chen: Traverso & recorder          
Vinciane Baudhuin, Patrick Beaugiraud: Oboe, Oboe d’amore, Oboe da caccia Oboe

Orchestra II
Sara Kuijken, Makoto Akatsu: Violin IGiulio D'Alessio, Masanobu Tokura, Violin II
Mika Akiha: Viola
Ronan Kernoa: Basse de violonGeorges Barthel, Sien Huybrechts: Traverso
Emiliano Rodolfi, Rodrigo Guti: Oboe, Oboe d’amore

NEWS
No related newsitems

VIDEOS
No videos

QUOTES
"A transparent, musically lived through translation which especially in the Gloria brings unexpected coincide to the surface."- Maarten-Jan Dongelmans, De Gelderlander (about the H-Moll Messe)

"This recording is so much more transparent and also the vocal virtuosity becomes organical and truthful, when a quartet of very good vocalists perform it. This all gives a new artistic dimension, a new pleasure, a new insight, for Sigiswald Kuijken himself, and also for the lover of Bachs music."
- CDENDVD.nl about the H-Moll-Messe

"There will always be discussion about the size of the musical ensemble in performing the Mattheus Passion, but what is an indisputable fact is that Kuijken with his minimal cast, convinces in all aspects." Klassieke Zaken

"Who is looking for a beautiful solistic Matthäus has the best deal with Kuijken for now, also looked at from an recording technique point of view." Maarten Brandt - Opus Klassiek 22 februari 2010

It is almost time for easter is ,traditionally the time for the beautiful musical St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach. For those who can not go to a concert or who simply can not get enough, this wonderful album of the Baroque orchestra La Petite Bande is their solution. Yvonne Rieschke - 50plussers.nl-February 2010

''The album Matthaus Passion is not mystical. She is careful. Jan van Laar - Het Parool - March 2010''

''Bach has such tremendous depth, that as listener your are immediately affected. That is the spiritual quality of the music. Paul Janssen - Luister - March 2010''

''The on three SACDs divided work sounds bright, very bright. The transparency is so present that every word and even the placement of every musician or soloist is easy to follow and to place. The minimalist setting of La Petite Bande makes the performance of Bach's work controversial. However, the performance feels comfortable and engages the listener with the lyrics. Eric de boer - HiFi.nl - maart 2010''

''The persuasiveness of this approach (created by thorough research), makes the passion accessible and attractive, both for an interested layman, as the religious musician. BF - Mania Klassiek - maart 2010''

''The advantage is the sleek sound and great comprehension. Bettina Winkler - Alte Musik - maart 2010''

''Because everyone was present and concentrated from the first to the last note, it has become a unique recording, that could be very succesful.The intensity and atmosphere can be felt in the recording. Valentine Laout- van Leeuwenstein - Klassieke zaken - april 2010''

''Almost two centuries, that is what it costs to peel Mendelssohn's version of the St. Matthew Passion to the small cast of Kuijken and La Petite Bande. Avro - April 2010''

''From the first notes, it becomes clear that a strong sense of musical style is coupled with a weathered, sober interpretation of Bach's masterpiece, and that impression stays with you throughout the three SACDs. MSZ - Nederlands Dagblad - April 2010''

''Recently released by Challenge Classics SuperAudio on three CDs. A beautiful, balanced, and transparent performance. Theo Wubbolts - HVT - April 2010''

''Sigiwald Kuijken has been experimenting for ten years with this small ensemble. He has convinced many listeners of the historical accuracy and the high artistic level of La Petite Bande. cv -koers - april 2010''

''The discussion about the ensemble size will always remain, but it is clear that Kuijken is very convincing with this Matthäus and his barefooted version of it. Marcel Bijlo - Klassieke zaken - February 2010''

''Sigiswald Kuijken is familiar with the St. Matthew Passion. It is a homogeneous group of experienced soloists.The esembles sounds more transparent and more virtuosic. Mirek Cerny - Tertio - March 2010''

''Passion of the passions, La Petite Bande. It was inspiring performed for a wide circle of music lovers. Mirek Cerny - The Bond - March 2010''

''One of the pioneers of Bach solo occupation is Sigiswald Kuijken. Kuijken opts radically for solo occupation. The soloists that interpret arias, also sing the choral parts what leads to one voice per vocal group in the two choirs that Bach provided in the Matthew Passion. Tom Eelen - Artsenkrant - March 2010''

''Mendelssohn was impressed by Bach's masterpiece and decided for a reenactment, but then adapted to the musical fashion of his time: with a romantic symphony orchestra and a large choir. It took almost two centuries, before the Matthew Passion slowly was stripped to the small cast of Kuijken and La Petite Bande. Avro - March 2010''

''With Kuijken no major drama, but modesty, intimacy and transparency. In his interpretation we hear his awe for the text. Gert de Looze - Reformatorisch Dagblad - March 2010''