Bach: Magnificat

I'm surprised to note that I've never posted this totally wonderful series of videos of Bach's Magnificat; it's from a concert recorded live at the Kloster Melk Benedictine Monastery in Austria.  So I will do it now; the videos are arranged in a playlist so each movement will play automatically.   Don't miss it, whatever you do.

 

Here are the words to this Vespers canticle, in Latin and English:

Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salvatore meo,
quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae.
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,
quia fecit mihi magna,
qui potens est,
et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericordia eius in progenies et progenies
timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo,
dispersit superbos mente cordis sui;
deposuit potentes de sede
et exaltavit humiles;
esurientes implevit bonis
et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum,
recordatus misericordiae,
sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,
Abraham et semini eius in saecula.

My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

Here's the musician info; they are truly superlative.  (The baritone, Christopher Maltman, BTW, is a biochemist by academic training!)

Christine Schäfer, soprano
Anna Korondi, soprano
Bernarda Fink, mezzo-soprano
Ian Bostridge, tenor
Christopher Maltman, baritone

Arnold Schoenberg Choir
(chorus master: Erwin Ortner)
Concentus Musicus Wien
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor

This is from the YouTube page:

Buy this DVD at: http://amzn.to/t57Xqw
Buy this in VHS format at: http://amzn.to/AaJ5if

Magnificat anima mea from Magnificat (BWV 243) by Johann Sebastian Bach. Conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt.