Vox Seraphim: De Profundis

Conductor Eugene Lavery leads the Vox Seraphim Choir and Baroque Orchestra in a performance of J. S. Bach's Cantatas 131 & 150 and Christoph Graupner's Aus der Tiefen.
Cantata 131 Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir (Out of the depths I call, Lord, to You) was composed in 1707 or 1708 making it one of Johann Sebastian Bach's (1685-1750) earliest Cantatas. The cantata was commissioned by the minister of one of the churches in The cantata was commissioned by the minister of one of the churches in Mühlhausen, the city where Bach worked at the time. The libretto is based on Psalm 130 De profundis, one of the penitential Psalms, and is scored for tenor and bass soloists with four part choir.
Cantata 150 Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich (For Thee, O Lord, I long) is believed to have been composed in 1707 and is unique among Bach's cantatas in its sparse orchestration and in the independence and prominence of the chorus, which is featured in four out of seven movements. The text alternates verses from Psalm 25 Ad te Domine levavi animam meam and poetry by an unknown librettist.
Christoph Graupner (1683–1760) was a German composer and harpsichordist of late Baroque music who was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann and George Frideric Handel. While largely overlooked today, Graupner played a crucial role in the history of music when in 1722, he applied for the Music Director job at Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Telemann had been the first choice candidate to assume this prestigious role, but after withdrawing the search committee turned to Graupner who was subsequently offered the position after a successful audition. Graupner however declined the job after securing improved working conditions in his post in Darmstadt and Leipzig's Thomaskirche eventually had to settle for a third candidate - Johann Sebastian Bach. Graupner's Cantata 1113/23a Aus der Tiefen rufen wir (Out of the depths we call) was composed for the audition in Leipzig and like Bach's Cantata 131 is set to text from Psalm 130 De profundis. The work is notable for its opening movement for chorus supported by two 'pleading' oboes and sustained strings evoking God's assistance in the greatest time of need.

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