Molter: Oratorio "Höchst schmerzensvoller Tag"

Featuring

Benjamin Glaubitz
Julia Sophie Wagner
Karsten Müller
Susanne Langner
Camerata Bachiensis
Johann Melchior Molter

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Composition History

Molter's oratorio uses a libretto by court musician Gottfried Loos, which focuses on the redemption of Adam's original sin through Christ's death.

Composer Biography

Molter, the composer, joined the same choir in Eisenach where the young Johann Sebastian Bach had sung about 10 years earlier.

Compositional Technique

Molter uses sighing motifs, chromatic harmonies, and wide leaps in the opening chorus to emphasize the 'painful day', while vocal parts remain homophonic.

Composer Biography

Johann Melchior Molter, the composer of this oratorio, was born in 1696 in Tiefenort an der Werra, a village in western Thuringia.

Recording & Production

This recording of 'Höchst schmerzensvoller Tag' is a world premiere, revealing it as an extraordinary work and a significant contribution to the Passion oratorio genre.

Composition History

This oratorio, 'Höchst schmerzensvoller Tag', is the only surviving Passion work by Molter and is recorded here for the first time.

Composer Biography

Molter undertook two study trips to Italy, meeting composers like Vivaldi and Alessandro Scarlatti, and incorporating innovative Italian musical fashions into his work.