Sir john eliot gardiner, cbe honfba born 20 april 1943 is an english conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of johann sebastian bach and of other baroque. He concentrates on the cantatas, having performed all 200 of them. Bach, gardiners book, music in the castle of heaven. For more than five years ive been buying john eliot gardiners bach cantata pilgrimage series recordings on his label, soli deo gloria.
Music in the castle of heaven john eliot gardiner 672 pages isbn. We had assumed that volume 27 of john eliot gardiners epic cantata pilgrimage of 2000 might be his last word on bachs church cantatas. In the year 2000, john eliot gardiner set out on his bach pilgrimage, the goal of which was to perform all of bachs sacred cantatas in various churches throughout europe. Cantatas vol 28 gardiner, english baroque soloists. Cantatas, vol 1 gardiner by john eliot gardiner by.
We do not know when or for whom the actus tragicusbwv 106 was written. Bach cantatas with john eliot gardiner sdg cantatafinder. He formed the the monteverdi choir in 1964 and 4 years later the monteverdi orchestra, with whose members he founded the english baroque soloists in 1978. A portrait of johann sebastian bach, was published in october 20 by allen lane, leading to the prix. For a book subtitled a portrait of bach there are remarkable inconsistencies. Sir john eliot gardiner revisits the st matthew passion. Bach might be john eliot gardiners godfather, a few centuries removed. The cantatas not performed on the pilgrimage with one exception had been recorded previously and were available on gardiners original label, archiv.
A portrait of johann sebastian bach by john eliot gardiner allen lane, 629pp, telegraph offer price. Kirkville some thoughts on john eliot gardiners bach. Master conductor sir john eliot gardiner on bach on point. Sir john eliot gardiner, 20 sir john eliot gardiner conductor hannah morrison soprano, proms debut artist meg bragle mezzosoprano, proms debut artist nicholas. Lovers of bach have many reasons to be grateful to sir john eliot gardiner. As an undergraduate student at cambridge university, he toured the middle east conducting the oxford and cambridge singers before founding the monteverdi choir. Its been more than five years, now, that ive been buying john eliot gardiners bach cantata pilgrimage series. Sir john eliot gardiner is launching his own label. It never happens often enough, but now and then, a subject gets the book it deserves. If the rest of the series is as good as this volume i have also. This is an unparalleled book about one of the greatest of all creative artistsst. His interpretation of the bach cantatas is simply incredible.
Johann sebastian bach, john eliot gardiner, monteverdi. In 2000 john eliot gardiner commemorated the 250th anniversary of bachs death with thebach cantata pilgrimage, a yearlong european tour by the english baroque soloists and monteverdi. John eliot gardiner born 20 april 1943, fontmell magna, dorset, england is an english conductor, most famous for his interpretations of baroque music on. Johann sebastian bach, john eliot gardiner, the english baroque. John eliot gardiner, monteverdi choir hamburg, johann sebastian bach. Music in the castle of heaven gardiner, john eliot on. Biography, bach discography and photos of the artist. The texts of bachs church cantatasi recently finished listening to all two hundred. Dec 12, 2005 sir john s passion john eliot gardiner, one of the worlds foremost interpreters of bach, tells alan rusbridger why he embarked on a pilgrimage to record every one of the composers 200 cantatas.
A portrait of johann sebastian bach, was published in october 20 by allen lane, leading to the prix des muses award singerpolignac. Does anyone know more about the book about bach which sir john eliot gardiner is currently working on. Sir john eliot gardiner on bach, cambridge and the prince. Under john eliot gardiner and his exceptional group of musicians, every element in monteverdis 1607 music drama was perfectly scaled and projected published. This book is not a biography in the conventional sense. The resulting cds have been coming out gradually ever since. The cantatafinder provides a fanmade database that covers johann sebastian bachs surviving church cantatas performed and recorded under the direction of sir john eliot gardiner.
John eliot gardiner born 20 april 1943, fontmell magna, dorset, england is an english conductor, most famous for his interpretations of baroque music on period instruments. Music in the castle of heaven, by john eliot gardiner the. Conductor john eliot gardiner, said englands independent newspaper, has had the last laugh vol. This article is more than 6 years old master conductor sir john eliot gardiner on the earthly and heavenly johann sebastian bach. After this extraordinary series of performances was made in 2000, deutsche grammophon, which recorded them all, released several volumes of the series, then pulled the funding. This wonderful recording forms part of the ambitious bach cantata pilgrimage undertaken by sir john eliot gardiner, the monteverdi choir and the english baroque soloists, who, starting on. Conductor, scholar, and famed interpreter of baroque music sir. The cantatafinder provides a fanmade database that covers johann sebastian bachs surviving church cantatas performed and recorded under the direction of sir. His performances of bachs cantatas, passions and motets are of. It is grounded in all the most recent bach scholarship but moves far beyond it as well, taking us as deeply into bachs works and mind as perhaps words can.
The performances were recorded on the liturgical dates for which they were composed throughout the calendar year 2000, and the feast of st john the baptist and the first sunday after trinity fall just after midsummer. Bach cantatas bwv 140, 147 holton, chance, rolfe johnson, varcoe. The credentials of sir john eliot gardiner born 1943 as a bach specialist are, of course, impeccable president of the bacharchiv in leipzig since 2014 and author of the major study. Gardiner takes us through the major types of worksthe cantatas including some interesting passages about the coffee cantata, the st. This wonderful twodisc set was recorded live at st.
The devils in rather too much scholarly detail in john eliot gardiners sporadically. The ensembles that took bachs cantatas to 14 countries in their bach pilgrimage of 2000 return to the royal albert hall for a late night prom. Gardiner is surely one of the great contemporary advocates for js bach, and this dvd presents some of bach s cantatas in a comprehensible way. The monteverdi choir was founded in 1964 by sir john eliot gardiner for a. John eliot gardiner wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Sir john eliot gardiner is talented almost beyond measure. Sir john eliot gardiner to conduct monteverdi choir in. April 20, 1943 fontmell, dorset, england the oustanding english conductor, john eliot gardiner, first took up the baton at the. Music in the castle of heaven in its commitment, scope and comprehensivenessin his thoroughgoing discussions of bachs music, mr. Sir john eliot gardiner stands as an international leader in todays musical life, respected as one of the worlds most innovative and dynamic musicians, constantly at the forefront of enlightened interpretation. Deutsche grammophonarchiv productions 22disc set of j.
John eliot gardiner monteverdi choir and orchestra. Although gardiner celebrates bachs accomplishments through this dense, demanding but rewarding work, he reminds readers continually that the. However, he recognizes human weaknesses, as wellfor example, his contentious relationship with authority. John eliot gardiner discusses his monumental bach biography. If the rest of the series is as good as this volume i have also listened to volume 1, then i have many hours of rewarding and uplifting listening to come. Michael bailey, published on february 16, 2014 at all about jazz. In 2000, conductor john eliot gardiner led a gang of guest singers, the english baroque soloists and monteverdi choir in live performances of all of bachs extant sacred cantatas, to mark the 250th anniversary of his death. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
A specialist baroque ensemble, the choir has become famous for its stylistic conviction and extensive repertoire, encompassing music from the renaissance period to classical music of the 20th century. He revived popular interest in the surviving sacred cantatasweekly. On the german version of amazon there is a release date in 2007. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Sir john eliot gardiner, cbe honfba born 20 april 1943 is an english conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of johann sebastian bach and of other baroque music. Music in the castle of heaven, a biography so thoughtful, well. Sir john eliot gardiner is one of the worlds leading conductors, not only of. For those interested in learning more about bach the man through his music, i warmly recommend sir john eliot gardiners new biography entitled, bach. Bachs ascension oratorio sir john eliot gardiner, 20 sir john eliot gardiner conductor hannah morrison soprano. Sir john eliot gardiner, who conducts the monteverdi choir and english baroque solists in a concert of bach and handel works sponsored by princeton benefactor william h. The english chief was the student and also the heir of nadia boulanger. Jan 07, 2014 this article is more than 6 years old master conductor sir john eliot gardiner on the earthly and heavenly johann sebastian bach. Perhaps the most uncanny example is the opening chorus of the st.
Giles cripplegate, london in june 2000 as part of the bach cantata pilgrimage undertaken by the monteverdi choir and the. Easter oratorio sir john eliot gardiner, 20 youtube. Bachs religious music, specifically the prodigious cantata cycles, the st. Some thoughts on john eliot gardiners bach cantata. Music in the castle of heaven by sir john eliot gardiner. He was one of the heroes of the baroque revolution. Most of the book is about church cantatas, many of which are analyzed in detail. It is incredibly detailed a strength of the book to be sure, but at times it can be overwhelming. April 20, 1943 fontmell, dorset, england the oustanding english conductor, john eliot gardiner, first took up the baton at the age of fifteen. This box set, released in 2012, is a compilation of recordings pertaining to the christmas season from the bach cantata pilgrimage undertaken at the turn of the millennium by conductor john eliot gardiner, the monteverdi choir, and the authenticinstrument english baroque soloists.
John eliot gardiner grew up passing one of the only two authentic portraits of bach every. This is the first of many volumes recording a pilgrimage made in 2000, when john eliot gardiner, his remarkable instrumentalists and chorus and a team of outstanding soloists performed each bach cantata on the feast day for which it was originally composed. Bachs sacred choral works isnt a complete traversal of the composers choral music, but the major and bestknown works are all. John eliot gardiners book is not intended as a straight biography so much as a. Sir johns passion john eliot gardiner, one of the worlds foremost interpreters of bach, tells alan rusbridger why he embarked on a pilgrimage to record every one of the.
John eliot gardiner has been studying and performing bach ever since, and the fruits of this lifetimes immersion are now distilled in this remarkable book. John eliot gardiner set out on a wild and risky journey. I have just started collecting the john eliot gardiner series of millenium recordings of bach s cantatas, this being my second. I found this on the gramophone site 17 september 04. Music in the castle of heaven, by john eliot gardiner. Giles cripplegate, london in june 2000 as part of the bach cantata pilgrimage undertaken by the monteverdi choir and the english baroque soloists under the direction of sir john eliot gardiner.
Still a book about bach, the musician of the musicians, the boss. At the end of his long book, after a lifetime spent studying and conducting bachs choral. Sep 30, 2010 for more than five years ive been buying john eliot gardiner s bach cantata pilgrimage series recordings on his label, soli deo gloria. John eliot gardiner wikimili, the free encyclopedia wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Cantatas, vol 1 gardiner by john eliot gardiner, paul agnew, johann sebastian bach, dietrich henschel from amazons classical music store. Gardiners extensive experience in conducting bachs music sets for a brilliant exposition on the topic of bach using his music as an important source of information. Music in the castle of heaven by sir john eliot gardiner article by c. If you love js bach and are an admirer of john eliot gardiner, go for this title. Sir john eliot gardiner is launching his own label, monteverdi productions, to release recordings by his ensembles the monteverdi choir, the english baroque soloists and the orchestre revolutionnaire et romantique. Gardiner is best known as a busy conductor of his own. Cantatas sir john eliot gardiner, monteverdi choir. This wonderful recording forms part of the ambitious bach cantata pilgrimage undertaken by sir john eliot gardiner, the monteverdi choir and the english baroque soloists, who, starting on christmas day 1999, set out to perform all j.
This was done over a fiftytwo week period, and it was with religious fervor that his orchestra, choir and soloists achieved this unique goal. Bachs life primarily through his music more specifically, his cantatas. Gardiner has championed bachs music like no other living conductor. Among numerous awards in recognition of his work, sir john eliot gardiner holds several honorary doctorates.
This box set, released in 2012, is a compilation of recordings pertaining to the christmas season from the bach cantata pilgrimage undertaken at the turn of the millennium by conductor john. The oustanding english conductor, john eliot gardiner, first took up the baton at the age of fifteen. Illness and death constantly disrupted the security of bach s childhood and adulthood. Sir john eliot gardiners landmark recording of the st matthew passion with his monteverdi choir and english baroque soloists in the late 1980s is still widely regarded as one of the most revelatory accounts of the work on disc for its tautness, dramatic energy and innate underlying understanding of the works imposing architecture. In an interview he told a magazine that it will be released in 2006. The bach cantata pilgrimage on christmas day 1999 a unique celebration of the new millennium began in the the herderkirche in weimar, germany. Anyone interested in bach and his cantatas will not be able to get around this book. Music in the castle of heaven by john eliot gardiner. Sir john eliot gardiner on bach, cambridge and the prince of wales conductor sir john eliot gardiner talks about reading history at cambridge, living in lebanon and how he.
Each box will contain 2 cds, copious notes, and full texts and translations. Sir john eliot gardiner amazed the world with his bachpilgrimage 2000 and hit the top 10 of nonfiction with his biography 20. Bachs ascension oratorio sir john eliot gardiner, 20 sir john eliot gardiner conductor hannah morrison soprano, proms debut artist meg bragle mezzosoprano, proms debut artist nicholas. Cantatas bwv 106, 118b, 198 conducted by john eliot gardiner cantatas bwv. Illness and death constantly disrupted the security. Not to proclaim that an authors first book will necessarily stand as his magnum opus, but it is hard to imagine what the english maestro john eliot gardiner, 70, might do to surpass bach.
The monteverdi choir was founded in 1964 by sir john eliot gardiner for a performance of the vespro della beata vergine in kings college chapel, cambridge. Sir john eliot gardiners landmark recording of the st matthew passion with his monteverdi choir and english baroque soloists in the late 1980s is still widely regarded as one of the most. Both of these most popular cantatas are wondrous beyond measure, and sir john eliot gardiner masterfully leads the. Matthew passion, the motets and the mass in b minor. Some thoughts on john eliot gardiners bach cantata pilgrimage series. Bach s surviving church cantatas on their appointed feast day in the course of 2000, the 250th anniversary of his death.
Johann sebastian bach, john eliot gardiner, the english baroque soloists, anthony rolfe. This movement began in holland and germany at the end of the seventies. Gardiner is surely one of the great contemporary advocates for js. In 2000 john eliot gardiner commemorated the 250th anniversary of bach s death with thebach cantata pilgrimage, a yearlong european tour by the english baroque soloists and monteverdi choir that presented all of bach s extant cantatas on the appropriate liturgical feast days. Sir john eliot gardiner, 70 this year, directs the.