Despite his significant output, only a fraction of Kuhnau's extensive church music has survived, with many attributions to him being uncertain.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Kuhnau's church music is being re-evaluated to correct a historical 'caricature' that portrayed him as a backward-looking composer, despite his success as an author of novels, keyboard pieces, and operas.
Composer Biography
Johann Kuhnau, the composer featured on this album, served as the head of the choir of St. Thomas's in Leipzig for 21 years, preceding Johann Sebastian Bach in this prestigious role.
Historical Context
Kuhnau's works span a wide range of styles, from 17th-century sacred arias to church cantatas in the Neumeister manner, reflecting a transitional period in musical genres.
Composition History
This album is part of a larger project by Opella Musica and camerata lipsiensis to record the complete vocal works of Johann Kuhnau, aiming for completion in 2022 to mark the 300th anniversary of his death.
Instruments
The organ used for this recording in St. George's Church in Rötha was built by Gottfried Silbermann and Zacharias Hildebrand in 1718-1721 and was inspected and approved by Johann Kuhnau himself.
Performer Biography
The vocal ensemble Opella Musica, which debuted in 2011, takes its name from two vocal music collections by Johann Herrmann Schein, with 'Opella' meaning 'small endeavour' to reflect their approach to performing Baroque music with small forces.
