Magnificat (BWV 243): Fecit potentiam

Nestled in the middle of Bach's setting of the Magnificat, we can find a moment of extreme tension -- a striking diminished chord, followed by silence, and then... instead of a resolution, Bach playfully subverts our expectations and gives us an even weirder dissonance, an augmented chord.  The choir and orchestra of the Netherlands Bach Society, operating as always on a high level of musicianship, approach this moment with care -- the diminished chord, signifying the peoples' sin of arrogance, is given a few seconds to resound in the church... then, the next phrase, depicting the thoughts of the sinful heart, becomes immediately introspective and tormented. Bach's Magnificat, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, conducted by Jos van Veldhoven -- this link takes you to the featured "Fecit potentiam" movement: https://youtu.be/EsUWG2axB3w?t=928 Interview video with soprano soloist Hana Blažíková: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAV8CYGZd_U&t=0s

Om Podcasten

Welcome to A Moment of Bach, where we take our favorite moments from J. S Bach's vast output—just a minute's worth or even a few seconds—and show you why we think they are remarkable. Join hosts Alex Guebert and Christian Guebert for weekly moments! Check your podcast app and subscribe for upcoming episodes. Our recording samples are provided by the Netherlands Bach Society. Their monumental All of Bach project (to perform and record all of the works of J. S. Bach) will serve as source material for our episodes. https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/allofbach Artwork by Sydney LaCom