Academy of St Martin in the Fields - Academy of St Martin in the Fields - Bach (2023)

A small orchestra specializing in music of the Baroque and Classical eras, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields became one of the most popular ensembles in the entire field of classical music, making albums that topped classical charts and even made an impact in pop. The group's seamless sound was identified in the minds of many listeners with that of Baroque music itself. The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (the name has been spelled both with and without the hyphens, and with and without the period after "St") was formed in 1958 by violinist Neville Marriner, who was interested in exploring the then largely new field of Baroque music with a group of other musicians. Performing without a conductor until market forces dictated that Marriner take the post, the group played its first concert on November 13, 1959, at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and took its name from that venue.

The orchestra began recording in 1961 on the L'Oiseau-Lyre label, championed by its founder, Louise Hanson-Dyer, and at first, finding more success with recordings than with concert appearances. The Academy moved to the early music-oriented Argo label in 1965. Appearances on the BBC Proms programs brought the group to a wider public, and in 1970 it incorporated, under the direction of Marriner and other founders, as a fully professional ensemble. Soundtrack performances in BBC television films added to the Academy's financial stability. Although he took up the conductor's baton, Marriner preferred to lead the orchestra from the first violinist's chair, and as violinists Iona Brown and Kenneth Sillito took over the group's direction on occasion, they followed the same practice in Baroque works. After Sillito's retirement in 2012, violinist Joshua Bell was named the music director. Pianist Murray Perahia has been the principal guest conductor since 2000; Perahia had for some time led the group in conductorless performances of Mozart and other Classical-period piano concertos. The Academy's repertory also expanded over time, coming to include the Wagner Siegfried Idyll and even contemporary works. The original Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra grew to include several subgroups, the Chamber Ensemble (formed 1967), which focused on small-group chamber music for strings, and a larger grouping that could include as many as 45 musicians. A Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields, formed in 1975 for a tour performance of Bach's Mass in B minor, BWV 232, grew into an independent organization. The Academy continued to perform at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and added a short Royal Festival Hall Season as its popularity grew. However, recordings remained at the center of the group's activities, and to date, it has issued more than 500 albums. Its recording schedule often involved more than a dozen albums a year. The orchestra moved to the Philips label in 1971; it has since recorded for Decca, London, ASV, and other labels. One milestone was the orchestra's 1984 recording of the score for the film Amadeus, which topped classical charts, appeared on pop charts, and remains one of the best-selling classical albums of all time. In 2019, the Academy, with young pianist Jan Lisiecki conducting from the keyboard, issued a complete recording of Beethoven's piano concertos on the Deutsche Grammophon label.

Tracklist
1. Bach, JS: Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056: I. — (3:31)
2. Bach, JS: Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056: II. Largo (3:28)
3. Bach, JS: Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056: III. Presto (3:07)
4. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Chor. "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben" (4:29)
5. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Recitative. "Gebenedeiter Mund!" (1:45)
6. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Aria. "Schäme dich, o Seele nicht" (4:00)
7. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Recitative. "Verstockung kann Gewaltige verblenden" (2:12)
8. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Aria. "Bereite dir, Jesu, noch itzo die Bahn" (4:48)
9. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Chorus. "Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe" (3:31)
10. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Aria. "Hilf, Jesu, hilf, daß ich auch dich bekenne" (3:06)
11. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Recitative. "Der höchsten Allmacht Wunderhand" (2:26)
12. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Aria. "Ich will von Jesu Wundern singen" (3:07)
13. Bach, JS: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Choral. "Jesus bleibet meine Freude, Meines Herzen Lust und Saft" (3:36)
14. Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048: I. — (6:26)
15. Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048: II. Adagio (1:29)
16. Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048: III. Allegro (5:46)
17. Bach, JS: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190: No. 3, Aria. "Lobe, Zion, deinen Gott" (3:25)
18. Bach, JS: Johannes-Passion, BWV 245, Pt. 2: No. 30, Aria. "Es ist vollbracht" (5:38)
19. Bach, JS: Easter Oratorio, BWV 249: No. 9, Aria. "Saget, saget mir geschwinde" (6:49)
20. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: I. Ouverture (7:15)
21. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: II. Rondeau (1:54)
22. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: III. Sarabande (3:21)
23. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: IV. Bourrées I & II (2:20)
24. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: V. Polonaise & Double (3:32)
25. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: VI. Menuet (1:12)
26. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: VII. Badinerie (1:26)
27. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 1, Aria. "Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten" (7:12)
28. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 2, Rezitativ. "Die Welt wird wieder neu" (0:30)
29. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 3, Aria. "Phoebus eilt mit schnellen Pferden" (3:09)
30. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 4, Rezitativ. "Drum sucht auch Amor sein Vergnügen" (0:44)
31. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 5, Aria. "Wenn die Frühlingslufte streichen" (3:00)
32. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 6, Rezitativ. "Und dieses ist das Glücke" (0:50)
33. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 7, Aria. "Sich üben im Lieben, in Scherzen sich herzen" (5:11)
34. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 8, Rezitativ. "So sei das Band der keuschen Liebe" (0:27)
35. Bach, JS: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 "Wedding Cantata": No. 9, Aria und Gavotte. "Sehet in Zufriedenheit" (2:05)
36. Bach, JS: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209: No. 1, Sinfonia (6:26)
37. Bach, JS: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209: No. 2, Recitativo. "Non sa che sia dolore" (1:04)
38. Bach, JS: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209: No. 3, Aria. "Parti pur, e con dolore" (8:53)
39. Bach, JS: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209: No. 4, Recitativo. "Tuo saver al tempo e l'eta contrasta" (0:37)
40. Bach, JS: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209: No. 5, Aria. "Ricetti gramezza e pavento" (5:55)
41. Bach, JS / Orch. Marriner: Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208 "Jagdkantate": IX. Aria. "Schafe können sicher weiden" (4:39)
42. Bach, JS: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51: No. 1, Aria. "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen" (3:48)
43. Bach, JS: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51: No. 2, Rezitativ. "Wir beten zu dem Tempel an" (2:14)
44. Bach, JS: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51: No. 3, Aria. "Höchster, mache deine Güte" (4:02)
45. Bach, JS: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51: No. 4, Choral. "Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren" (3:53)
46. Bach, JS: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51: No. 5, Aria. "Alleluja!" (2:02)
47. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: I. Ouverture (7:54)
48. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: II. Air (4:57)
49. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: III. Gavottes I & II (4:20)
50. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: IV. Bourrée (1:20)
51. Bach, JS: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: V. Gigue (2:59)
52. Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047: I. — (5:24)
53. Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047: II. Andante (3:57)
54. Bach, JS: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV 1047: III. Allegro assai (2:49)
55. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: I. Chorus. "Magnificat anima mea Dominum" (2:42)
56. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: II. Aria. "Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo" (2:19)
57. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: III. Aria. "Quia respexit humilitatem" (2:47)
58. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: IV. Chorus. "Omnes generationes" (1:16)
59. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: V. Aria. "Quia fecit mihi magna" (2:11)
60. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: VI. Duet. "Et misericordia" (3:22)
61. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: VII. Chorus. "Fecit potentiam in brachio suo" (1:47)
62. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: VIII. Aria. "Deposuit potentes de sede" (1:56)
63. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: IX. Aria. "Esurientes implevit bonis" (2:45)
64. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: X. Terzetto. "Suscepit Israel puerum suum" (2:02)
65. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: XI. Chorus. "Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros" (1:35)
66. Bach, JS: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: XII. Chorus. "Gloria Patri, gloria filio" (2:15)
67. Bach, JS: Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 1: No. 1, Chor. "Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage" (8:17)
68. Bach, JS: Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248, Pt. 1: No. 4, Aria. "Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben" (5:32)