Written for the funeral of Bach’s uncle Tobi?
mainThe latest instalment in the Netherlands Bach Society’s weekly video series of the complete works of J S Bach is the mysterious Actus Tragicus, an early cantata which some scholars believe responds to a family death.
The soloists are Dorothee Mields (soprano), Alex Potter (alto), Charles Daniels (tenor) and Tobias Berndt (bass).
Click here to watch.
Stunningly beautigul music, beautifully performed. Interestingly, the mood only gradually clears-up towards the end, and the promise of paradise is still in the minor, understanding that you cannot plunge the pained congregation suddenly into heavenly joy when the coffin is still there for all to see.