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During
the Weimar period, Bach wrote about 20 or so church cantatas, all
filled with youthful vitality and remarkable sensibility. Cantata
BWV 21, Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis ("There were many afflictions")
is a large cantata consisting of 11 movements organised in two parts.
This is notable for its scale even among Bach cantatas. Some recent
analysis have suggested that Bach added movements 1, 7, 8, 10 and
11 for a 'repeat' performance of this important cantata during the
Third Sunday of Trinity in 1714, hence the text of the parable of
the lost sheep (Luke 15:10).
The
original work comprising only Track 2-6 and 9 was intended for the
memorial service of the wife of a Prime Minister, held in Weimar
on the 8th October 1713. Many further versions were available as
Bach found favour with this and some of his other cantatas.
Cantata BWV 31, Der Himmel lacht! die Erde jubilieret
is intended as a Easter day cantata and together with Easter Oratorio
and Cantata BWV 4, no other works for Easter have survived. Again,
these works, including the here described cantata was frequently
reperformed even Leipzig. Cantata No. 31 takes a text from Salomo
Franck, is a true festival piece and requires 3 trumpets, timpani
and three oboes and an oboe da caccia. The rejoicing of Jesus' resurrection
is celebrated, further rejoiced and culminates in the final great
chorale singing of death and eternity.
One
should read the extensive notes provided by Tadashi Isoyama and
Masaaki Suzuki. Details like various instruments added, parts omitted,
changed and transposed, and into what key, etc. help the informed
listener to go much further, and will of course reward the diligent
novice.
Above
right: Unverified portrait of Bach, by Johann Ernst Rentsch,
1712
The
immediate substance of the Bach Collegium Japan is pleasing. The
instrumental colours are remarkably beautiful and clear. Variously,
instrumentalists are proficient. The chorus is only minimally untidy
and the entire effect comes across very well. The sopranos are at
times almost bird-like and as a result a little irritating. This
is heard especially in the first chorus in Cantata 31. In addition,
there seems to be a lack of choral direction, resulting in an almost
uninvolved performance throughout. Dynamics are taken without fail
but something is amiss here.
Peter
Kooij has a commanding voice. Though not all registers are as full
as his head tones, there is little to fault in his voice. Gerd Türk
is light, fresh and very tender. High notes become ever sweeter.
A detectable change in register between the higher and lower registers
becomes distracting only when one listens hard for it, such as in
"Adam muß in uns verwesen". The soprano Monika Frimmer is tight
at the highest registers such as is heard in track 12 "Seufzer,
Tränen..." , but such purity of voice is already seldom heard and
hers is a laudable baroque voice, a worthy replacement for these
parts intended for the treble voice.
Further,
the choice of soloists are well-balanced and most importantly, all
are very 'humanistic' voices. This is an important point as few
singers manage to bring out the unique nature of voice - primarily
as the voice of man, and further as an instrument. Many successful
soloists succeed precisely because their instrument is recognizably
human, evocative, emotive, full of nuance on the meanings of words,
yet unmistakably instrumental - superb tone and flawless execution.
The
voice is the only instrument capable of carrying explicit meaning.
In this recording, the many duets and solos benefit tremendously
from the interpretation of these empathetic singers; clearly the
biggest plus in this recording.
Masaaki Suzuki is insecure as a conductor in these two performances.
Tempo problems abound and though mostly minor, the glaring ones
irritate and leaves me terribly unsatisfied. The opening Sinfonia
of Cantata No.31 appears to become hurried for no apparent reason.
In addition, the oboe soli in track 8, "Letste Stunde, brich herein"
sounds hurried - this soli requires more space and a slower tempo
to fully evolve the Bach line... a very innate quality that must
be felt rather than studied. Suzuki seems to be unaware of this.
The failure to understand and deliver the Bach in Bach's music is
this disc's greatest fault. This error is less felt in the choral
segments but not entirely absent. As a result, the great depth of
this music fails to come across.
The
inclusion of alternative movements "Seufzer, Tränen...", "Ach Jesu"
and "Komm, mein Jesu" sung by tenor instead of soprano reflects
the many versions of Cantata No.21 - that Bach frequently made changes
to his scores to suit the number and the voice parts of his performers
at different occasions is no secret. The fact that Bach also re-used
this cantata on so many occasions testifies that the work has great
relevance to, if nothing else, Bach himself.
The
recording is superb. Sounds are balanced and well-placed. More can
be heard; and more is thus demanded also.
NG
YEUK FAN
wonders how each and every Bach enthusiast will describe the 'Bach
line'...
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12.7.1998 © Ng Yeuk Fan
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