Psalms No. 42, 98, 114, 115 (H. Rilling)

MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY Felix - Psalms No. 42, 98, 114, 115 (H. Rilling)

Throughout the 19th century, many German composers wrote reams of sacred music for use in the church. Sadly, much of this music has been lost and forgotten to posterity, primarily due to the competition between music for religious occasions and music for the concert hall.
This was not the case with Mendelssohn's Psalm-Cantatas, which even during his lifetime enjoyed a dual life in both sacred and secular spheres. Sadly, as tastes changed during the turbulent final years of the 19th and the tumultuous 20th centuries, these finely crafted scores gradually fell into neglect. As part of the Mendelssohn celebrations in 2009, Helmuth Rilling has once again come to the cause to champion forgotten masterworks. And there is no more capable advocate - Rilling's grasp of the Bachian idiom is essential to understanding Mendelssohn's own approach to crafting liturgical music. Once again, Maestro Rilling has assembled a showcase of some of Europe's finest young singers, accompanied by his long-time colleagues, the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart and the Bach Collegium Stuttgart for a listening experience that will both life the heart and enchant the ear.