Best Christian Guebert Podcasts (2025)

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Song: Vergiss mein nicht (BWV 505) 19:15

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6h ago19:15

19:15

Today we talk "Men in Black", "Coco", "Futurama", and hear a slappin' bass line from an 80's funk song. Oh, and some Bach. Remember to stop and smell the forget-me-nots -- in other words, enjoy those moments. In memoriam Fred Jacobs. Charles Daniels (tenor), Meineke van der Velden (da gamba), and Fred Jacobs (theorbo) performing "Vergiss mein nicht…

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Goldberg Variations: 16. Ouverture 26:27

1h ago26:27

26:27

Overtures belong at the beginning, introducing what is to come. So why is one found at Variation 16 of the giant Goldberg Aria and Variations? Well, it is the beginning, but of the second half of 30 variations. Variation 15 takes us into fear and anguish with a mirrored canon in the (unheard of) key of G minor. After 45 minutes of bright G major si…

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Nun danket alle Gott (BWV 192): closing chorus 23:45

11d ago23:45

23:45

To play baroque music properly -- especially a bouncing jig like this one in 12/8 time -- you must "unlearn what you have learned", and rethink how you articulate music. Articulation is so important -- the music must feel and look light and airy. This performance by the Netherlands Bach Society fits this feeling perfectly -- the musicians look casu…

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Goldberg Variations: Aria 14:04

8d ago14:04

14:04

The towering thirty Goldberg Variations combine into a masterwork of keyboard music. As all variation pieces, they were based on a relatively simple source material. But as is his way, Bach organized the variations with a complex and deliberate structure. But also unlike other composers of this form, he poured more into this source material itself.…

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Cello Suite no. 6: Courante 25:01

18d ago25:01

25:01

Listener HG drew our attention to a similarity between the Courante of this cello suite and the "Cum Sancto Spiritu" from the Mass in B minor. We talk about these dance forms and how they affect the affect, so to speak. Nowadays, it's easy to think of Bach as old-fashioned, and certainly some composers in the late 1700s thought the same; however he…

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Himmelskönig, sei willkommen: Sonata 28:51

25d ago28:51

28:51

"An understated overture" is the description Christian arrives at to describe the humility of the micro-regal sonata which opens the Weimar cantata "Himmelskönig, sei willkommen." Is this thing, marked "adagio, grave," actually a triumphant French Overture? The performance suggests so, in some ways, and not in others. Experienced musicians of baroq…

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Himmelskönig, sei willkommen: tenor aria 26:05

1M ago26:05

26:05

This cantata has an unusual run of three arias in a row -- and the last one of the three is the most remarkable. In deleting a note, creating a rest where there should be music, Bach breaks all the rules -- and creates a stunning effect. See the performance of BWV 182 by the Netherlands Bach Society, Johanna Soller, artistic director…

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Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord in G major (BWV 1019c) 14:06

1M ago14:06

14:06

Bach used the materials for this sonata several times throughout his life. Each collection of parts is different, and there are three versions. This is version 1019c, as labeled by the BWV categorical system for Bach's works. There are five parts of this last of his six sonatas for violin and harpsichord. We discover the joys of rhythmic ambiguity,…

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Schauet doch und sehet (BWV 46): opening chorus 17:26

2M ago17:26

17:26

When assembling his Mass in B minor, Bach drew from many of his older works. Here is one great example. If you, like us, have always been mesmerized by the haunting sound of the "Qui tollis" movement from the Mass in B minor, you absolutely must hear the opening chorus to the cantata Schauet doch und sehet, which is the full version of the material…

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Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (BWV 80): bass/soprano duet 26:02

2M ago26:02

26:02

We return to the Mighty Fortress cantata to do a deeper analysis on the theological counterpoint of this movement. Bach combines two vocal parts -- one is Luther's hymn and the other is new poetry with Bach's own music -- and weaves both of those into a tapestry of staccato strings and marching bass. Bach's theological profundity is what separates …

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Polonaise 19:23

2M ago19:23

19:23

What good is a centerpiece but to add to the pomp and pride and beauty of a ceremonial occasion? The Polonaise is historically such a centerpiece for such an elegant, lavish affair. Chopin is the natural figure for the Polonaise, a stately dance for pairs, but it was known much earlier to the Baroque composers. Bach was no stranger to Polish style,…

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Trios I and II 22:51

2M ago22:51

22:51

Oboe talk today! Mastering this instrument is almost unreasonably challenging, but the juice is worth the squeeze -- the baroque oboe, when played truly well, is one of the most rewardingly beautiful instruments. Musical examples, as always, are courtesy of the Netherlands Bach Society. Check out their "All of Bach" project. Referenced in today's e…

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: Menuet 25:05

3M ago25:05

25:05

The three instrument families in this big baroque orchestra leads us to speculate that Bach represented three social classes: the royal elite (elegant strings, one leader), the aristocratic nobles (horns, for upper-class hunting expeditions), and the common people (reeds, as for outdoor bands or shepherding). Bach concludes the concerto with the el…

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: movement 3 22:58

3M ago22:58

22:58

The "rule of three" is in full effect here, as Bach carries us along with this jaunty dance, rhythmic triplets and triple sets of musical sentences abounding with life and energy. This eloquent piece can be considered a precursor to the later "sonata form" of the Classical period, along with Bach's other Brandenburg concertos. Performance of moveme…

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: movement 2 22:21

3M ago22:21

22:21

A far far cry from the happy hunting horns of the first part, the second part of Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 is a bitter adagio. To modern ears, its aesthetic of dark gangster drama is less galant, and more "Godfather." (Look at our past seasons to find episodes covering Brandenburg Concertos 3, 4, 5, and 6.) Performance of Brandenburg 1 by the Neth…

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 1: movement 1 23:07

3M ago23:07

23:07

"Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King) It's time for our yearly miniseries celebrating the famous Brandenburg Concertos! This year: Brandenburg 1. The horn call has an undeniable power. Here, Bach uses it to great …

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Jesu, der du meine Seele (BWV 78): 1. Chorus 13:56

4M ago13:56

13:56

-The second part of our look into Cantata 78, where we look at the opening chorus. For an overview of this cantata and a deeper look at the wonderful duet and the rest of the parts, see the episode previous. For this lamentation hymn about Christ's anguish used as ransom for our salvation, Bach chose to accompany the tune with a "lament bass." To s…

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Jesu, der du meine Seele (BWV 78): 2. Duet and overview of mvts. 3-7 28:13

4M ago28:13

28:13

In this year's Leaving Certificate for students in Ireland, the music exam consists of examples from Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Irish composer Gerald Berry's Piano Quartet, and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Also in the exam is this chorale cantata composed in 1724 in Leipzig for a church service in which the biblical story of Jesus healing the le…

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Christ lag in Todes Banden (BWV 4): tenor solo aria 19:13

4M ago19:13

19:13

Welcome to A Moment of Bach, where we sometimes zoom in so close that our targeted moment consists of only one note! But Bach leaves us no choice but to pick this moment from BWV 4, where the music screeches to a halt, almost cartoonishly fast. One thing's for sure: when ever the word "nichts" comes up, Bach can't resist giving us some interesting …

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Mass in B minor: Et incarnatus est 23:06

4M ago23:06

23:06

Here is, almost certainly, Bach's last composition for voices. "Et incarnatus est" is the short choral movement in the Mass in B minor which precedes and sets up the central "Crucifixus." Being not quite yet Christ's death, the "Et incarnatus est" depicts the sighing descent of Christ being made man. A mournful coincidence: this music also imminent…

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Badinerie from Orchestral Suite no. 2 in B minor (BWV 1067) 24:52

5M ago24:52

24:52

Today: we talk about Nokia ringtones, how Bach is the best at bass; Bach's French wordplay, and "Bach can be played at any tempo". Performance of "Badinerie" by the Netherlands Bach SocietyBy Alex & Christian Guebert

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Toccata in E minor BWV 914: fugue 18:37

5M ago18:37

18:37

This week's moment of Bach is a blissful ascending sequence in the fast final fugue movement of this keyboard toccata, which reminds us of the audacious repeating steps up and up (and down and down) of Monteverdi's "Si ch'io vorei morire." Does this fugue opening sound familiar? Its subject is ALMOST another much more famous one. The fugue's ending…

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Easter Oratorio: closing chorus (BWV 249.11) 18:44

5M ago18:44

18:44

"Complex" is Bach's default setting. On this 300th anniversary of the Easter Oratorio, which was premiered in Leipzig on Easter Sunday 1725, we talk about duet recitatives, recorders and bassoons (shout out to Benny Aghassi), and Bach's marvelous trumpet writing. See the performance of the Easter Oratorio here, by the Netherlands Bach Society, cond…

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St. John Passion: "Mein teurer Heiland" bass aria and chorale (BWV 245.32) 25:55

5M ago25:55

25:55

After witnessing Christ's death, we experience a frozen scene -- an aria -- which is a space for reflection that Bach so often gives us in his cantatas and passions. But this time we also experience some harsh tonal whiplash as first we hear Christ's head falling in death, then a dancing, hopeful aria. This aria with interspersed chorale is filled …

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St. John Passion: "Es ist vollbracht" alto aria (BWV 245.30) 29:31

6M ago29:31

29:31

"It is finished." This falling melody, sung by Christ at the moment of His death, is followed by the pivotal alto aria "Es ist vollbracht". We explore the musical texture, the dramatic contrasts, the foreshadowing of the "vivace" middle section, and the way that silence can speak louder than words or music. We also uncover a truth about the word "f…

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Goldberg Variations: 25 (the "Black Pearl") 18:54

6M ago18:54

18:54

Why, at number 25 of 30 variations mostly in sunny G major, is here one of the most profoundly sad things he ever wrote? This one gets at something deep. He certainly knew suffering; was it his personal experience? Bach's full range of expressions is at play in the Goldberg Variations, here including sorrow. Dubbed the "Black Pearl" by keyboardist …

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St. John Passion: "O große Lieb" chorale (BWV 245.3) 21:01

6M ago21:01

21:01

"For me, Bach is the greatest of preachers. His cantatas and Passions tune the soul to a state in which we can grasp the truth and oneness of things, and rise above everything that is paltry, everything that divides us." -- Charles-Marie Widor, from the Preface to the biography J. S. Bach by Albert Schweitzer We all know that Bach is a technical wi…

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Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 61) aria: "Öffne dich" 24:12

6M ago24:12

24:12

At the beginning of our podcast seasons, we always look at a new part of BWV 61. This week Christian chooses what may be the most pure, unassuming aria of total soul transcendence. The aria "Öffne dich" is the 'heart' of this regal Advent cantata, and offers an opposite effect of the other parts while we hear a plead (from us) to our own heart: "Op…

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Great Fantasia and Fugue (BWV 542) 26:33

6M ago26:33

26:33

Welcome to season 5 of A Moment of Bach! We kick off the season with a suggestion from Charles Raasch -- the Great Fantasia and Fugue. Does Bach know where he's going with this one? Of course he does, but, it's still fun to get lost in the music. Come with us as we wander into the complex harmonies, built mostly on fully-diminished dissonances, unt…

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BACHTOBERFEST: BWV 80 (Ein Feste Burg) with Eric Clausen 37:10

12M ago37:10

37:10

Our fourth season was the best year yet for our downloads. Thank you for your listenership! And we still welcome your listener "moments" of Bach as ideas for future episodes. For this season closer, we invite Reverend Eric Clausen, a Lutheran pastor, to help us unpack the background of BWV 80 (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God). The bold and powerful te…

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Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (BWV 80): alto/tenor duet 30:03

12M ago30:03

30:03

Martin Luther, J.S. Bach, and Reformation Sunday -- this most Lutheran of all cantatas is our subject for today. "Ein feste Burg" was the battle-cry of the Reformation: "A mighty fortress is our God!" Bach's cantata weaves in all 4 stanzas of Luther's strong hymn. We marvel at movement 1 with its "dizzyingly complex counterpoint" (as Richard Atkins…

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Geist und Seele wird verwirret (BWV 35): first aria 25:12

12M ago25:12

25:12

The organ, a sacred sound, gets an unusual role in this cantata for solo voice. We hear the organ leaping all over with a virtuoso part against violins and oboes and the alto soloist. There is no better way to convey the rich concept of the "confused joy" of the believer who witnesses miracles. In this cantata, which took place during the Sunday wh…

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Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist (BWV 667) with Katrina Liao 33:13

1y ago33:13

33:13

Organist Katrina Liao joins us to talk about one of her favorites, this chorale prelude that is crackling with spiritual fire. The off-beat bass at the beginning is a neat touch -- could Bach have meant to signify the Holy Spirit by focusing on the 3rd division of the beat? -- but, Katrina's favorite moment comes in the second verse, when the bass …

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Italian Concerto (BWV 971): second movement 26:26

1y ago26:26

26:26

Why do we play games? Because they're fun? Or is it because they give us a sense of structure and a clear goal, a refreshing contrast to our real lives, which are messy, unpredictable, and complicated? In the same way, we listen to Bach to give a much-needed feeling of structure and clarity to our hectic, messy lives. But sometimes, he doesn't quit…

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Fugue no. 4 in C# minor (Well-Tempered Clavier Book I) 23:32

1y ago23:32

23:32

An austere fugue subject here begins with a strange leap. To play this four-note opening on a keyboard is to outline a symmetrical structure, reminding us of the bare pillar that holds up the structure. Adorned on the structure are two faster, florid themes which enter later in this long piece. But our moment today is its ending -- a deceptive endi…

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Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben (BWV 8): opening chorus 18:51

1y ago18:51

18:51

Today we bring you 24 repeated notes on the same pitch. Can you think of any other Bach piece which features this special effect? Certainly this is unique in the orchestrational context here: a high-pitched recorder, beeping out a digital-sounding alarm clock noise. Or is it a bell ringing? We explore what this all means -- because, of course, with…

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Der Herr denket an uns (BWV 196): duet (ending) 17:02

1y ago17:02

17:02

In his early twenties Bach produced this compact, delightful cantata, likely for a wedding. The text of the duet is still applicable in a religious school community: The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Bach saves a special effect for the last two measures, where a modern technique is used: from highest of highs to the …

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Violin Concerto in D minor (BWV 1052R) 21:05

1y ago21:05

21:05

Bach proves his mastery of the Baroque concerto here, as in the Brandenburgs -- except this time, we don't have the original music! We do have a harpsichord concerto as well as an organ concerto version of the first movement (which is actually from a cantata)... but we do not have the violin concerto version, which scholars assume must exist. The r…

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Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben: bass aria "Ich will von Jesu Wundern singen" 20:18

1y ago20:18

20:18

"I shall sing of the wonders of Jesus." The trumpet reflects the text purely before the singer begins. The oboes and violins join in and play off the trumpet, each finishing each other's musical lines. You probably know this cantata for its most famous movement -- two verses of what we would call in English "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." But there …

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Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit: "sanft und stille" 20:17

1y ago20:17

20:17

A hidden gem, a fully-formed masterpiece from a young Bach, a cantata unburdened by his later fascination with Italian-style recitative and da capo arias: it is the incomparable Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. We look at this cantata for a third time (see season 1 episode 8 for the sonatina, and season 3 episode 15 for the soprano solo ending …

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Fugue no. 2 in C minor, Well-Tempered Clavier Book I (BWV 847) 24:02

1y ago24:02

24:02

The famous C minor fugue near the beginning of the Well-Tempered Clavier expresses the emotions of sadness, loneliness, and melancholy, according to harpsichordist Masato Suzuki. Suzuki provides a sensitive performance with attention to articulate detail in the fugue subject. This, naturally, leads Christian and Alex into a comparison with race car…

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Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (BWV 199): middle aria "Tief gebückt" 28:22

1y ago28:22

28:22

Vivid and subtle, this cantata follows the spiritual journey of the soprano soloist who carries the weight of sin on her shoulders. The journey is one from darkness into light, and our moment, sent in by listener Dave, comes at the cathartic middle movement, where hope is found in patience. Soprano Julia Doyle delivers a heartfelt rendition of this…

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Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist (Clavier-Übung III; BWV 671) 25:04

1y ago25:04

25:04

On the last note of Mozart's "Kyrie eleison" in his requiem, he chooses a stark and intense open fifth instead of a triad. What happens when a composer finishes...not correctly? Is this allowed? When using old melodies which start and end on scale degree 3 (relative to major), Bach adapts this old Phrygian mode to his idiom, but this does create an…

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Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BWV 62) opening chorus 26:26

1y ago26:26

26:26

We take a suggestion from listener Bruce, and jump into the "other" Nun komm cantata, BWV 62. Yes, BWV 61 is admittedly the one we prefer, having talked about it several times on this podcast over the last four years. But sometimes it's good to shine some light on the facets of a hidden gem. The opening movement of BWV 62 contains multitudes. Nun k…

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Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (BWV 140): Zion hört (chorale) 36:13

1y ago36:13

36:13

Yes -- the famous one! One of Bach's most universal melodies, the melody in the strings opens a profoundly perfect setting of a verse of the hymn "Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" in the central movement (4th of 7) in the beloved masterwork "Wachet auf" cantata. Here is the exceptional performance by the Netherlands Bach Society. Why does this ope…

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O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort (BWV 60): "Es ist genung" (closing chorale) 21:26

1+ y ago21:26

21:26

In four notes, Bach reframes our idea about what is possible in common practice harmony. This is one of the weirdest moments of Bach, coming from one of the weirdest openings to a hymn tune. But as always, it makes sense in the context of the text. It even makes sense harmonically, as we see when the hymn tune closes on four much more normal-soundi…

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O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (BWV 656) 25:10

1+ y ago25:10

25:10

A textbook "moment" of Bach -- in a charming setting of the three verses of the German song "O Lamb of God, Most Holy," suddenly near the end of the third verse Bach finally heeds the text and shows us the strange despair we are praying for mercy to avoid. He employs several musical devices in this sudden moment: a change in meter, a suggestion of …

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Air on the G String (Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068) 26:53

1+ y ago26:53

26:53

One of Bach's most famous works, and one of the greatest melodies of all time -- this comes to us by way of an almost impossibly good performance/recording by the Netherlands Bach Society. By having the first violin part played by a section rather than a solo, they give Bach's wandering melody more purpose than it has in the famous version for solo…

1
Lobet den Herrn (BWV 230) 23:50

1+ y ago23:50

23:50

Did Bach write this? Many think not. It's brilliant nonetheless! We get into a talk about aspects of this motet which would or would not be hallmarks of Johann Sebastian. BWV 230 as performed by the Netherlands Bach SocietyBy Christian & Alex Guebert

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Brandenburg Concerto No. 6: movement 3 16:39

1+ y ago16:39

16:39

This delightful jig closes out our miniseries on Brandenburg 6. Here we speak about the third movement's jumpy beats. and how these rhythmic anticipations give the whole piece a bouncy energy. Bach, the expert violist among so many other things, gives the two viola parts the most intricate material, playing off each other and passing along the musi…