The premiere of Der Tod Jesu in 1755 featured prominent musicians including Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach on harpsichord and Johann Friedrich Agricola as tenor soloist and conductor.
Cultural Impact
The libretto for Der Tod Jesu was written by Karl Wilhelm Ramler, who was admired by his contemporaries as the 'German Horace' and whose texts inspired many important composers of the era.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Graun, like his patron Friedrich II, emphasized soft and graceful bel canto in his vocal lines and rejected what he considered excessive 'erudition' in church music.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in co-production with Bayerischer Rundfunk and was recorded in May 2014 at the Himmelfahrtskirche in München-Sendling.
Composition History
Carl Heinrich Graun's Passionsoratorium Der Tod Jesu was commissioned by Princess Anna Amalia, the youngest sister of Friedrich II, King of Prussia.
Historical Context
For 130 years after its premiere, Der Tod Jesu was performed over 70 times by the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, usually as the Good Friday music.
Critical Reception
Graun's Der Tod Jesu received both enthusiastic praise and passionate rejection, with admirers lauding its lyrical and emotional qualities, while critics in the 19th century found its style antiquated.
