Sacred Works (2018)

"This release features a thoughtful program of music by Johann Friedrich Fasch. Two major choral works are separated by an instrumental suite. The Mass in G major is fascinating. Fasch breaks the text down almost to its component phrases. He then seems to treat each phrase differently, moving seamlessly from choral contrapuntal passages to vocal quartet. The choir and instrumental ensemble exchange phrases, and soloists weave in and out. Johann Sebastian Bach admired Fasch. Both composers wrote with a high degree of complexity. And yet Fasch’s seems more accessible. Even when the choir, soloists and instrumental ensemble all seem to go their own ways, the polyphony remains light and transparent. For anyone who enjoys the High Baroque, these works are not to be missed. The performances are top-notch, and the recording quality does them justice." (wtju.net)