Aria: Ach, an deinem Busen

This is an aria for alto, flute, strings, and continuo in the late Baroque style. The text is taken from Goethe's Ganymed, and a sample translation can be found here.

The form is binary, with the usual closing orchestral ritornello joined by the soloist.

Hello

This aria could very well be in a Baroque opera.
It's a shame that the sounds are so strange.
It sounds like it's from the 90s with the new age style, when they did covers of classics.
It sounds like electronic music.

I've used an 8-bit soundfont here because I have not found any orchestral soundfonts that I liked. Everything has just too much vibrato and too heavy a texture from a HIP (historically-informed performance) point of view. I think Bach works well realised as 8-bit music so this is the approach I took.

If you prefer audio which is faithful to the original instrumentation then I've attached a version of it here.

On 2/8/2026 at 11:10 AM, muchen_ said:

I've used an 8-bit soundfont here because I have not found any orchestral soundfonts that I liked. Everything has just too much vibrato and too heavy a texture from a HIP (historically-informed performance) point of view. I think Bach works well realised as 8-bit music so this is the approach I took.

If you prefer audio which is faithful to the original instrumentation then I've attached a version of it here.

MP3

 

 

Play / pause

• aria_alto_audio

0:13

 

 

2:47

volume

 

> next

menu

 

aria_alto_audio

 

> next

This sounds lovely! Great job

11 hours ago, L.S Barros said:

This sounds lovely! Great job

Thank you!

On 2/8/2026 at 9:10 AM, muchen_ said:

I've used an 8-bit soundfont here because I have not found any orchestral soundfonts that I liked. Everything has just too much vibrato and too heavy a texture from a HIP (historically-informed performance) point of view. I think Bach works well realised as 8-bit music so this is the approach I took.

If you prefer audio which is faithful to the original instrumentation then I've attached a version of it here.

MP3

 

 

Play / pause

• aria_alto_audio

2:47

 

 

2:47

volume

 

> next

menu

 

aria_alto_audio

 

> next

Very nice. It is tasteful. Its easy to follow, even for a child. And that's a compliment! It's not like other composers who try too hard to be original and sophisticated, sacrificing fundamental qualities of music like accessibility and consistency. Sophistication is in the details and originality is a subjective concept, unlike authenticity.