Magnificat (BWV 243): Esurientes

Bach's Magnificat tells the story of Mary's rejoicing and God's providence. In the lovely "Esurientes" alto aria with a duo of flutes, we hear God's bounty against the silence of the rich being turned away empty-handed. But how do we, or Mary, or Bach, cope with the ever-present staggering wealth inequality in human society? Admitting it and learning about it is a start. Mary was optimistic, and the least Bach can do with Mary's song is to highlight its joy and inherent fairness in a hopeful and positive way. At "He has filled the hungry with good things..." the melody rises; the song falls at "...and sent the rich away empty." At the very last note, someone will leave empty-handed. But we, the listener, will be musically enriched.  Bach's Magnificat, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society, conducted by Jos van Veldhoven -- this link takes you to the featured "Esurientes" movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsUWG2axB3w&t=1174s Alto: Maarten Engeltjes Flutes: Marten Root, Doretthe Janssens

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