The oboe d'amore, a wind instrument known since around 1720, was valued by Bach for its special sound and ease in playing sharp keys.
Performer Biography
Hana Blažíková, the soprano on this album, specializes in music from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque periods and has performed with international ensembles like the Bach Collegium Japan.
Performer Biography
Dominik Wörner, the bass on this album, launched his international career by winning first prize at the Leipzig International Bach Competition in 2002.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Johann Sebastian Bach conceived several cantatas as spiritual dialogues with Christ, calling them 'Concerto in Dialogo,' elevating a 17th-century tradition.
Instruments
The oboe d'amore, with its pear-shaped bell, is considered the mezzo-soprano of the oboe family, tuned in A, between the C oboe and the oboe da caccia in F.
Performer Biography
Alfredo Bernardini, who plays oboe d'amore and directs on this album, is an Italian musician who regularly performs with leading baroque ensembles and has participated in over 100 recordings.
Compositional Technique
The cantatas on this album feature dialogues between a soprano, personifying the Soul, and a bass, personifying Jesus.
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