The Resurrection And Ascension Of Christ, Wq.240, Chorus And Chamber Of The Collegium Musicum Of The University Of Tubingen, Wilfried Fischer, Conductor

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach composed his oratorio 'The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus' in 1774, a period when he was music director in Hamburg. Intended to showcase his command of the galant style paired with complex counterpoint, the work was a highly personal project that he published at his own expense. It reflects the shift in German sacred music away from the strict baroque traditions of his father toward a more dramatic, expressive, and Enlightenment-influenced aesthetic that aimed to move the listener through sudden shifts in mood and texture.

This specific recording was produced by the Musical Heritage Society in the early 1970s, utilizing the Chorus and Chamber Orchestra of the Collegium Musicum of the University of Tübingen under the baton of Wilfried Fischer. The Musical Heritage Society was known for making academically rigorous and often rare classical repertoire accessible to home listeners in the United States via mail-order subscription. Fischer’s interpretation is regarded as a conscientious effort to capture the sophisticated interplay between the vocal narratives and the instrumental color that defined C.P.E. Bach’s late-career output.