J.S. BACH

Ich Hatte Viel Bekümmernis

Heinz Holliger (oboe, oboe d'amore)

Camerata Bern, Erich Höbarth (violin, conductor)

1. Sinfonia zur Kantate “Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis”, BWV 21 für Solo-Oboe, Solo-Violine, Streicher und Basso continuo

Konzert in c-Moll für Violine, Oboe, Streicher und Basso continuo, BWV 1060

2. Allegro

3. Adagio

4. Allegro

5. Adagio aus der Sinfonia des Oster-Oratoriums “Kommt, eilet und laufet”, BWV 249, für Solo-Oboe, Streicher und Basso continuo

Konzert in A-Dur für Oboe d’amore, Streicher und Basso continuo, BWV 1055

6. [ohne Satzangabe]

7. Larghetto

8. Allegro

Konzert in d-moll für Oboe, Streicher und Basso continuo

9. Andante e spiccato

10. Adagio

11. Presto

12. Sinfonia zur Kantate “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen” für Solo-Oboe, Streicher und Basso

continuo, BWV 12

Konzert d-Moll für Oboe, Streicher und Basso continuo, BWV 1059

14. Allegro

14. Adagio

15. Presto

In an extraordinary season for the great Swiss composer Heinz Holliger, ECM releases two more recordings simultaneously. One features Holliger the dazzling instrumentalist (in music by Bach), the other, Holliger the composer of idiosyncratic genius (a disc of chamber compositions, Induuchlen).

Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis is a magnificent account of Bach’s concertos and sinfonias for oboe with Holliger once again proving himself unrivalled as a player of the instrument. Holliger’s albums of classical core repertoire have become infrequent, and this is his first such for ECM since his 1997 Zelenka recording.

The oboist’s superb performance also attests to his long artistic relationship with the Camerata Bern. Soloist and ensemble are in perfect accord and impeccable ECM sound renders every detail in the music crystal clear. Holliger also contributes liner notes in which he speaks of his abiding love of Bach’s work.

These two releases follow on from three earlier ECM New Series discs in 2011 with Holliger’s music and/or participation: Alexander Lonquich recorded Holliger’s Partita alongside Schumann’s Kreisleriana (476 3826); the album Manto and Madrigals featured Drei Skizzen from Holliger written especially for Thomas Zehetmair and Ruth Killius (476 3827); and Jörg Widmann’s Elegie found the resourceful Holliger in his first recording as a pianist, duetting with clarinettist/composer Widmann on Fünf Bruchstücke (476 3309).

ECM New Series 4764386