Dietrich Henschel sings "Großer Herr, o starker König"

Dietrich Henschel sings "Großer Herr, o starker König" from the first cantata in Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248). John Eliot Gardiner leads the English Baroque Soloists.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bach
• Christmas
• Oratorio
• BWV
• 248
• BWV248
• Dietrich
• Henschel
• English
• Baroque
• Soloists
• EBS
• John
• Eliot
• Gardiner
• cantata
• bass

[stratect]

Absolutely STUNNING performance! Forget presumed protocol. Bach would have WANTED us to embelish it just as John Eliot has done. AndyHirt is right: "this music was supposed to be embelished". Eklund's trumpet - SUPERB! Dietrich Henschel - THE BEST! There is nothing offensive to me about this piece as performed. On the contrary, It truly provides me with inspiration to be jubilant and joyous about God's unending righteousness. Eliot, Henschel, Eklund, und orchestra: Ihr seit die aller besten!

[stratect]

NorbertZF I'm totally with you on this. There IS hope....for all of us and for the entire world (Die ganze Welt). God bless Papa Bach and those who sing/play his music.

[Timrath]

@tervito For what it's worth, I agree with you. That singer's thick vibrato makes every note be all over the place, like a muddy soup of notes. I think this is what you meant with "barking sound", and it seems like a very fitting description to me.

[5langostinos]

Wonderfull singing and playing!

[tervito]

@MrFpam It's just a matter of taste, not a moral failing. There's plenty of top-tier performances that I heartily enjoy.

[MrFpam]

@tervito I'm always amazed at the readiness and willingness of people like yourself to criticise first-rate performances. I don't recall the great Fischer-Dieskay barking, nor do i hear or see any barking here. It is not an easy aria to sing but he does it very well, with the excellent orchestra (and brilliant trumpeter) under Gardiner. You seem to have unrealistic expectations, or maybe you are just trying to show how clever you are!

[DonnaSilvia]

Molto, molto, bravo.

[tervito]

If his timbre weren't so close to Fischer-Diekau's, it would be easier to overlook the fact that he's barking his way through this aria as DFD did so many times. Also, few performances manage to capture the irony of the words and their musical setting.

[kingturtje]

What a wonderful performance, the trumpet-playing is absolutely brilliant, as is Henschel singing and of course Gardiners conducting (the tempi are perfect). This aria is definitely one of the most beautiful in music history and gives me goose bumps every time! A humble bow for Bach and all of the performers in this clip.

[tenorjamestaylor]

I really wish that people would not "overthink" the singing of Bach. A well produced, beautiful voice CAN be used, not just a mediocre singer.

[makerofjam]

Dietrich Henschel's facial expressions are almost as amazing as his singing.

[RhoDaZZGR]

Well done Niklas Eklund, indeed. Consistently amazing.