The St Thomas Boys Choir survived the 19th century due to the Bach renaissance and strong ties with the Gewandhaus Orchestra, which jointly performed church music in Leipzig's main churches.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Johann Sebastian Bach, who served as Thomas cantor for 27 years, set new standards for the position and became the benchmark for all subsequent cantors.
Historical Context
The St Thomas Boys Choir was founded in 1212 as part of the Augustinian Canonical Foundation of St Thomas, with liturgical singing as a core part of its education.
Composer Biography
Johannes Brahms, a composer featured on this album, was considered the best Bach scholar of his time and was closely connected to the Leipzig Bach Society.
Performer Biography
The St Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig is only half a century younger than the city of Leipzig itself, making it the city's oldest cultural institution.
Compositional Technique
The Leipzig motet style, exemplified by the works on this album, is characterized by a blend of cantabile and polyphonic sections, solo and tutti passages, extended fugues, and genuine eight-part scoring.
Historical Context
Until 1837, the choristers of the St Thomas Boys Choir had to sing on the streets of Leipzig to collect donations, a practice that was discontinued but led to financial shortfalls.
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