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After
the general excellence of Volume 36 in this series  ,
the present disc came as a disappointment. While conductor Helmut
Rilling's tempi are as brisk as ever, there isn't quite the same
snap in the first two works that enlivened the cantatas on the previous
disc, and BWV 116 is little short of a disaster on several counts.
Moreover, some decidedly uneven engineering has left the results
very mixed. Matters improve in BWV 117, but one out of three is
not a good average. As well as that performance goes - and it goes
very well, indeed - I would hesitate on recommending the disc for
just one work.
BWV
115 Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit ("Get thyself, my soul,
prepared'). This is a subdued, intimate cantata with the relative
lushness of BWV 112-114 replaced with a chamber music-like transparency.
The music of the opening chorus, at first playful, takes on an urgent
character as the singers urge us to "fleh und bete" ("pray
and plead," as Dr. Bomba's notes more accurately translate,
than "begging, praying" in Hanssler's libretto).
This
urgency carries over into the aria for alto, where we are implored,
"Oh slumbering spirit … / Arouse thyself now." Helen
Watts acquits herself well in this movement, though here the Hänssler
engineers have left her at somewhat a disadvantage, with the instrumentalists,
closer miked than she, coming dangerously close to drowning her
out. The players also seem somewhat stilted in this movement; greater
sensitivity in phrasing would have made their passages seem less
monotonous than they are here.
Usually
it is the arias in which Bach's talent best shines, but here the
recitative also comes off well, thanks to Wolfgang Schöne's strong
contribution. The aria that follows seems to float on air, despite
some earthbound solo flute work, due to Arlene Augér's matchless
phrasing. The miking in both these movements is also better than
in the first aria, but there is still somewhat of an inequity of
balance, more so in the aria than in the recitative. Lutz-Michael
Harder comes off less pleasantly in the second recitative than his
fellow singers in the preceding movements, but that and the final
chorale are both brief.
 BWV
116 Du Freidefürst, Herr Jesu Christ ("Thou Prince of peace,
Lord Jesus Christ") also comes off as restrained in Rilling's
hands; although there is some wonderful choral writing in the opening
movement, the general impression is one of leadenness. Helen Watts'
halting delivery does not come off any better; making matters worse,
she is almost entirely drowned out by the instrumentalists this
time. Not all is lost, however. Lutz-Michael Harder comes off better
this time in his recitative, and he, Arlene Augér and bass Phillipe
Hunterlocher blend very well together in the trio that follows,
though the engineering problem that plagued Watts' aria recurs in
the latter.
BWV
117 Sei Lob und Her dem höchsten Gut ("Give laud and praise
the highest good") actually comes off best in this recording.
Set like BWV 112
without any changes to the chorale text, the cantata itself is something
of a mystery. Dr. Bomba writes, "Neither a specific date nor
a specific Sunday can be assigned with certainty to this text. The
hymn by Johann Jakob Schütz [whose text Bach uses here] is
a commonplace hymn of praise and thanksgiving that would suit a
number of occasions, including wedding services."
Nevertheless,
the general theme of praise and jubilation seems to have inspired
Rilling and his forces to outdo themselves. The instrumental playing
in this performance has much more life and color than in the previous
two cantatas, and the singing in the choral movements is likewise
bright and polished as they "Give laud and praise the highest
good, / The Father of all kindness." What's more, we have the
chorus in three numbers in this cantata (Nos. 1, 4 and 9) instead
of the usual two, which in this case is an added bonus.
There
is much to praise in the soloists, as well. There is no solo soprano
part in this cantata, alas, but bass Andreas Schmidt more than makes
up for it. He sounds divinely inspired in his recitative "To
thee give thanks the heav'nly host," and delivers his aria
"When strength and help must fail at times" with great
style and assurance. Adalbert Kraus is likewise excellent, singing
"Whate'er our God created hath, / This, too, would he keep
safely" as though he really believes it. He is a little shaky
in one or two spots in his recitative, but is otherwise assured.
Alto
Mechthild Georg's tone is a bit swollen and fruity for my tastes,
but she is technically more secure in her recitative and aria than
Watts was in BWV 117. The recording balance is also much better
in this cantata, and after the let-down of the other two cantatas
on this disc, it is somewhat heartening that the performance of
this one is a decided improvement. If the rest of this disc were
only this good …
JONATHAN
YUNGKANS
is still an unrepentant modern-instrument lover in Bach's music.
Nobody's perfect.
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794: 1.11.2000 ©Jonathan
Yungkans
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