Motets

Johann Sebastian Bach’s motets number among his most sophisticated works. In order to do justice to the challenging, virtuoso style of the motets, Trinity Baroque, under the direction of Julian Podger, performs them with just one voice on a part. This accentuates the filigree, transparent, and yet powerful polyphonic structure of the motets. Trinity Baroque traveled to Saxony to record Bach’s motets – in the Wenzelskirche, Naumburg, where in 1746 Bach inaugurated and later oversaw the maintenance of the Hildebrandt organ. The historic venue inspired a further idea: besides the soloistic interpretation of the voice parts, the bass line is tonally emphasized by this “Bach” organ (and a violone) – the clearly perceptible sound of the organ blends harmoniously into the tonal fabric of the voice parts, lending this recording a unique character.