Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists :: Bach: Cantatas, Vol. 22

I'M BACK!!

GEORGE RANNIE | DENVER, COLORADO United States | 06/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here I am again trying to praise to the highest degree yet another installment of the John Elliot Gardiner's "Bach Pilgrimage" that is being evidenced by these recordings of the Cantatas at different locales through out the world in the year 2000. (My understanding is that the Cantatas eventually are to be released, on CD, in their entirety by Gardiner and his forces or, at least, all of the ones now known to exist). This 11th release was recorded "live" at St. George's church, Eisenach, Germany, where Johann was baptized. This two disc 11th release (actually Volume 22) wonderfully maintains those very lofty standards that Gardiner and his forces have set previously. Volume 22 is filled with some of the most glorious choruses that I feel dear Johann ever penned. The Monteverdi Chorus and The English Baroque Soloist, playing on "original instruments", are splendid indeed. Listen to the very early and very familiar cantata "Christ lag in Todesbanden", BWV 4, on the 1st disc. That Cantata certainly finds JS Bach at his very best (and that's saying a whole lot). The rather operatic sounding cantata "Ein Herr Das Seinen" on the second disc is marvelous too. The performances, (as in the entire recording), in those Cantatas also find Gardiner and his forces at their very best delivering truly awe inspiring performances of the works. The works in Volume 22 were written for the "Easter Season" which is, of course, a very important time for all Christian churches and Bach in the works contained in Volume 22 certainly "rises to the occasion"--the works in this release are glorious in every way. Volume 22 contains some of the most "moving" music that I have ever heard! Although this release features some marvelous choral music, the soloists have plenty to do, and they do it very well!



Stephen Varcoe's bass voice has never been particularly appealing to me; however, in this recording, he delivers his solos admirably executing the "runs" trills, grace notes, etc., wonderfully. Again, tenor James Gilchrist, is most splendid singing his arias and recitatives accurately and beautifully easily meeting Bach's many vocal challenges--listen to tracts 13 and 14 of the 1st disc and tract 8 of the second disc. Male alto, Daniel Taylor, is good too singing with full rich tones--no "countertenor hoots" are to be heard. The two soprano soloists are "easy on the ear" possessing sweet light lyric and very flexible soprano voices.



Some fine examples of Bach's great instrumental writing are also very evident in Volume 22 with some wonderful trumpet, oboe, violin and cello obbligatos. I loved the lively "Sonata" that serves as an instrumental introduction to the cantata, "Der Himmell Lache" as well as the "Sinfonia" to the cantata

"Christ lag in Todesbanden".



Although, this is a "live" recording, the extraneous noise level is very low. One would never know that it is "live" if it were not so indicated on the "jacket" as such. Plus the recorded sound is marvelous being so clear, rich and full.



Per usual, Gardiner's notes (in the very nice booklet-type recording sleeve) are very informative giving the historical and religious significance of the works contained therein (I just wish that there were photos of the soloist--just a very minor quibble on my part--I do, however, really like the cover photos on all of the releases thus far--they are wonderful).



In conclusion, I adore this release, as I'm sure you will too, if you purchase Volume 22 of Gardiner's "Bach Pilgrimage"; it's truly wonderful.

"

EASTER WITH BACH

DAVID BRYSON | Glossop Derbyshire England | 09/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are 6 cantatas in this 2-disc set, two each for Easter day itself, Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday. One is known to be an early composition, another is dated to 1715 when Bach was 30, and the balance are from his main period of cantata output 1724-1729. For newcomers, Gardiner and his associates dedicated themselves to the daunting project of performing the entire series on the days for which the master intended them within the year delimited by Christmas day 1999 and Christmas day 2000. The format is uniform throughout the series so far as I am aware at this stage, with an introduction by Gardiner and a lengthy and highly personal essay from him on the works performed in each set, full sung texts in German and English and, nestling shyly at the back, a short essay from one of the other performers.



My own less demanding pilgrimage to collect all the cantatas is not long under way, but I have had no disappointments so far, either from Gardiner or from a selection of other artists. I seem to sense that none would dare give anything but their best efforts to this astounding procession of masterpieces. It cannot have been easy to learn them all to recording standard in one year, but the very thought of what Bach achieved must have kept any such thoughts in proportion. If I had to draw exceptional attention to any aspect of the performances here it could only have been to note some shortfall, and I have none to note. All are excellent, and I was particularly pleased with the countertenor Daniel Taylor, not because he outshone the others but because this type of voice is often one I have problems with. I tend to like countertenors best when they most resemble female altos, which of course prompts the question why in that case have male altos? The answer is presumably historical authenticity.



The style of singing and the instruments used are of the `authentic' variety which is near-invariable nowadays in Bach, Handel and their contemporaries. Any effort required from us as listeners to accommodate ourselves to the idiom pays off in terms of greater understanding I am in no doubt at all, and as it happens I have come to my Bach cantata project fresh from collecting the entire oratorios of Handel. What was it in the air or soil of Saxony, or in the stars above it, that produced two such titans within months of each other? Getting to know each better has unquestionably added to my appreciation of the other, and I like to think to my comprehension of both also. When visited by the thought that Bach's choral writing, just as a display of that art, is not a thing of wonder and amazement like Handel's, I soon realised that I should be looking for something else. In Bach's choruses we find the sublime march of his polyphony that transcends any particular timbre, vocal or instrumental, and gives a sense of rightness and beauty to whatever voices he favours it with. Handel is always the musical rhetorician, with an instinct for variation, repetition of words, changes of pace and interplay between the voices and the accompaniment that left Haydn feeling aghast and inadequate and that probably no composer has ever equalled. In Bach's solos and ensembles the introduction sets off a celestial and uninterrupted musical sequence that I often wish would never come to an end. When Handel contemplates the deity, there He is, as in Michelangelo. There is no Italianate sense to Bach but a serene and unshakable Lutheran faith expressed in a music that seems itself the reward from on high for such total devotion.



Bach's music is often difficult technically, but this is a great age of technical executants and you will find no suspicion of difficulty or strain here. In terms of grasp of Bach's idiom and style, these are eminent specialists. The interpretative challenge is to convey the seemingly infinite variety of Bach's inspiration, a variety all the more extraordinary in being expressed through a musical language that was conservative even its own time and which seeks no novelties or special effects as such. To me that says that as far as interpretation goes Bach does much more than most of the great masters do in pre-packaging it for the performing musicians. This is not to diminish what has been achieved here, it only means that the performers have recognised their solemn duty and carried it out admirably. The recording plays its own part more or less ideally to my ears, and I beg everyone to read with proper care and thought the essay to which Gardiner has given so much care and thought of his own.



I sense that this is another musical journey that I am going to enjoy."

Continues the high standard for the series

Carl C. Nelson | Thompson Station, TN USA | 05/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Volume 22 (Number 11 in the series) of Sir John Eliot Gardiner's 2000 Bach Cantata Pilgrimage covers cantatas written for Easter Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. They were recorded at Georgenkirche (St. George's Church) in Eisenach, Germany, where J. S. Bach was baptized and later served as concertmaster. No setting could be more appropriate for these fantastic Easter cantatas.



There really is very little that can be said to review the releases from the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage. Each performance is glorious, soaring, intimate, meaningful, and moving, and Volume 22 does not disappoint. The highlight is probably the magnificent BWV 4 (Christ lag in Todesbanden), with its theme of Christ's triumph over death, but BWV 6 (Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden) is the most personal and complex of this disk.



As with all releases in this series, the packaging is exquisite with Gardiner's lucid liner notes. Highest recommendation for both this release and the series.



Contents:



Cantatas for Easter Sunday

BWV 4, "Christ lag in Todesbanden"

BWV 31, "Der Himmel lacht! die Erde jubliliert"



Cantatas for Easter Monday

BWV 66, "Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen"

BWV 6, "Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden"



Cantatas for Easter Tuesday

BWV 134, "Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiss"

BWV 145, "Ich lebe, mein Herze, zu deinem Ergotzen""