Vox Luminis has teamed up with the Freiburger Barockorchester again, and together they celebrate music for Ascension Day. This topic inspired great composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, four of whose Ascension cantatas have been preserved.

The festive and colourful Cantata BWV 128 Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein was composed towards the end of Bach’s second year in Leipzig. The Ascension Oratorio BWV 11 was written for larger forces and ends with a triumphant chorus.

In the case of Georg Philipp Telemann, more than thirty cantatas for Ascension Day alone have survived. The cantata Ich fahre auf zu meinem Vater (“I ascend unto my Father”) was composed in 1721. The recording of this cantata is a world premiere.

“Les voix de Vox Luminis sont splendides, dans un discours clair et lumineux, comme le demandent ces partitions de réjouissance. Mais ce qui frappe, par-delà les qualités musiciennes et vocales, c’est l’extraordinaire aptitude de Lionel Meunier à construire une expression musicale effervescente dans un cadre parfaitement contrôlé.

—Musiq3, Pierre Solot

“Record of the Week: This is just beautifully balanced Bach and Telemann impeccably, indeed lovingly, performed with real understanding.”

—BBC Radio 3

“Das ist barocke Musizier-Praxis, wie sie sicher auch Bach und Telemann gefallen hätte.”

—Rondo, Michael Wersin