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One had to possess the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach to gather scattered pieces from several cantatas at the end of his life and compose a few others to create a perfectly cohesive whole. Moreover, this particularly devout Lutheran composed a mass in 21 parts for the ordinary of the Catholic mass. The wonderful Mass in B Minor was born from all these contradictions, rising to become one of the greatest musical monuments composed in praise of God.
Such a work can obviously intimidate its performers for stylistic and historical reasons. Continuing his exploration of Bach's world, Raphaël Pichon and his ensemble Pygmalion offer an interpretation both angelic and festive. Their tempos are generally quite brisk, with a healthy youthful vigor. How far we’ve come from the time of monumental Bach that overwhelmed the music lover with its knowledge and intricacy.
Similar to the sinuous lines of Fabienne Verdier's painting featured in the booklet, this new version flows beautifully, thanks to instrumental soloists who embrace the simplicity of the lines, perfectly aligned with the vocal style of the soloists and the diaphanous beauty of the choir, reminiscent of a stained glass window reflected by the sun. Raphaël Pichon’s interpretation seems to anticipate the vocal style of future masses by Haydn and Mozart, with a strong emphasis on artistic continuity. © François Hudry/Qobuz 2025
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Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer - Julie Roset, MainArtist, SopranoSolo - Beth Taylor, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer - Beth Taylor, MainArtist, MezzoSopranoVocals
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer - Julie Roset, MainArtist, SopranoSolo
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Lucile Richardot, MainArtist, AltoVocals - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Christian Immler, MainArtist, BassVocals - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
DISC 2
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Lucile Richardot, MainArtist, AltoVocals - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer - Julie Roset, MainArtist, SopranoSolo
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Christian Immler, MainArtist, BassVocals - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, MainArtist, TenorSolo - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Lucile Richardot, MainArtist, AltoVocals - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Pygmalion, MainArtist, MusicalEnsemble - Raphaël Pichon, Conductor, MainArtist - Aline Blondiau, SoundEngineer
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
Album review
One had to possess the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach to gather scattered pieces from several cantatas at the end of his life and compose a few others to create a perfectly cohesive whole. Moreover, this particularly devout Lutheran composed a mass in 21 parts for the ordinary of the Catholic mass. The wonderful Mass in B Minor was born from all these contradictions, rising to become one of the greatest musical monuments composed in praise of God.
Such a work can obviously intimidate its performers for stylistic and historical reasons. Continuing his exploration of Bach's world, Raphaël Pichon and his ensemble Pygmalion offer an interpretation both angelic and festive. Their tempos are generally quite brisk, with a healthy youthful vigor. How far we’ve come from the time of monumental Bach that overwhelmed the music lover with its knowledge and intricacy.
Similar to the sinuous lines of Fabienne Verdier's painting featured in the booklet, this new version flows beautifully, thanks to instrumental soloists who embrace the simplicity of the lines, perfectly aligned with the vocal style of the soloists and the diaphanous beauty of the choir, reminiscent of a stained glass window reflected by the sun. Raphaël Pichon’s interpretation seems to anticipate the vocal style of future masses by Haydn and Mozart, with a strong emphasis on artistic continuity. © François Hudry/Qobuz 2025
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 27 track(s)
- Total length: 01:47:03
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Raphaël Pichon, Pygmalion, Julie Roset, Beth Taylor, Lucile Richardot, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Christian Immler
- Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
- Label: harmonia mundi
- Genre: Classical Sacred Vocal Music Masses, Passions, Requiems
2025 harmonia mundi 2025 harmonia mundi
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