Magnificat

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Johann Pachelbel – him of the famous canon, but more deservedly known as one of the greatest organ masters of the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach, whose older brother he taught – composed 26 Magnificats in total, and it's the stylistic breadth you hear across that section of this output that this programme from the Himlische Cantorey vocal ensemble of soloists under tenor Jan Kobow aims to capture: opening with the 18-minute Magnificat in C, P. 1513, with its expanded and celebratory instrumentation including five-voice trumpet and timpani choir; then at the other end of the scale featuring the Magnificat in G, P. 1513, which sets the same text but with a slimline instrumental ensemble of just organ, bass violin and lute, and which comes in at a mere four minutes; plus the Magnificat in F, P. 1511, and the programme-closing Magnificat in C, P. 1504, which both sit somewhere in the middle. These four are then punctuated by the three-movement Mass in D, P. 358 along with two vocal-instrumental concertos – emotionally expressive early Baroque-era compositions which played on contrasts between vocal soloists and ensembles, and instrumental choirs.

Before even mentioning the fine performances themselves, an especially nice touch of Kobow's programme is that it's been recorded on Pachelbel's own home turf – the church of St. Sebald in Nuremberg, where he was organist from 1695 until his death in 1706, whose acoustic is a subtle one which is ample enough to provide warm support and to allow forte final chords to hang in the air, but not so resonant as to be always at the top of your consciousness.
So into this environment springs the aforementioned Magnificat in C, P. 1513, initially coming light of tread via a soloistic beginning minus the trumpets and timps, before exuberant brass enter amidst a succession of contrasting textures and timbres. This all comes with a lovely blend of joyousness and airy delicacy from everyone concerned (and indeed here and across the programme there's always an attractive small-forces chamber feel rather than a big-guns shout-out, even when the full complement of instruments and voices is in play), topped off by fine vocal solos from soprano Veronika Winter, alto Anne Bierwirth, Jan Kobow and Ralf Grobe.

Variety is equally the name of the game going forwards, pleasures worth mentioning including the dulcian's rise to solo status in the Magnificat in F (the dulcian being a Rennaissance forerunner of the bassoon), played here with perky sensitivity by Nora Hansen. Also the beautiful colouring and smoothly agile embellishments from pure-toned and expressive Veronika Winter in the first of the concertos, Meine Sünden betrüben mich P. 364. Then the sprightly energy and feast of textural and timbral contrasts of the concluding Magnificat in CPWV 1504 – incidentally the only work whose authorship is in question, its unsigned manuscript leaving open the possibility that it's actually the work of Pachelbel's composer-organist son, Carl Theodorus Pachelbel (1690-1750).

No matter which Pachelbel wrote the programme-closer though, this is a thoroughly enjoyable listen. © Charlotte Gardner/Qobuz