Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Missae
CD 1*
Missa in F major BWV 233 [27:11]
Missa in G major BWV 236 [28:03]
CD 2**
Missa in G minor BWV 235 [28:38]
Missa in A major BWV 234 [32:28]
Sanctus in D major BWV 238 [3:02]
Agnès Mellon (soprano); Gérard Lesne (alto); Christoph Prégardien (tenor);
Peter Kooy (bass); Chorus and Orchestra of Collegium Vocale, Ghent
Philippe Herreweghe
rec. April 1990*; July 1989**, Abbaye aux Dames, Saintes, France. DDD
VIRGIN VERITAS 5099 6 28482 2 1 [55:31 + 64:19]
This is a welcome reissue of EMI releases from twenty years ago by performers
under the ever-reliable Philippe Herreweghe - all at the top of their form.
On the surface, even Bach's much better-known B Minor Mass comes as
a surprise since such form of worship is usually associated with the Catholic
service - while Bach was avowedly Protestant. Yet Luther's reforms also envisaged
settings of the Kyrie and Gloria from the Latin Ordinary. There
must have been something familiar (one daren't say 'comforting') about using
the older language alongside the vernacular - especially on feast days and
holidays. Maybe the very formality of Latin added a depth and a weight to
the service in university towns like Leipzig. Maybe Bach welcomed, or at least
allowed, these.
Yet these settings are neither gloomy nor unduly heavy. Indeed, at various
points instrumental music and/or musical material from the cantatas (numbers
79 and 179 in the G major and A major; and 102 and 187 in the F major and
G minor Masses) are adapted to give them real and palpable liveliness. In
addition to using other composers' mass movements for services, Bach is known
to have written at least five of his own, four of which are presented here.
(The earliest dates from 1733 and found its way into the first half of the
B Minor Mass, as BWV 232i.) The rest were all composed in the late
1730s (in the middle of the composer's tenure at Leipzig) and follow the same
six-movement form: a choral Kyrie followed by a five-part Gloria
consisting of alternating solo and choral movements. Yet each of these Masses
is an original work in its own right: compelling, beautiful and whole, with
innovative instrumentation and orchestral texture that respect and support
the text at all points.
It's this integrity that stands out in these interpretations from soloists
and the Chorus and Orchestra of Collegium Vocale, Ghent. And a gentleness
and reluctance to accentuate anything spectacular or demonstrative. Listen
to the Cum Sanctu Spiritu of the G major, BWV 236 [CD.1 tr.12], for
instance: all the necessary power is there. But with a humility - not an underplaying,
or understating - that adds to its impact. The supremacy of the text, which
is what Bach wanted at all costs. By the same token, no excitement is sacrificed
in the airy Gloria of the other G minor, BWV 235 [CD.2 tr.2].
Those aspects of its impact that come from the counterpoint endure alongside
a maturity of interpretation and self-confidence which are deeply satisfying.
The atmosphere which Herreweghe and his singers create is also a personal
one. The worshipper and his/her relationship with the divine. Yet neither
overtly penitent nor supplicatory. At the same time neither routine nor excitable.
The mass as an act of considered renewal using beautiful and profound creativity.
It's almost as if the intensity strikes the listener (as it may have struck
the worshipper) after the performance has ended as much as during it. In accord
with Bach's purpose, this must also serve to extend the 'life' of the music.
The advantages that these recordings have over others - Koopman's on Challenge
are superb - include a sense of calm, a confidence in the structure of the
works; and a belief that thoughtful adherence to the score by performers who
know and love it cannot but help to make for compelling listening. All four
vocal soloists do splendid jobs and the chorus is especially impressive. Above
all, the balance struck between detail and architecture is one of great musicality
and expressiveness.
The documentation that comes with this two-CD set is a little sparse: nothing
but track listings and a brief introduction to the Masses … no texts, no details
of the performers or the rationale for this recording. Nevertheless, these
are clear, communicative and well-executed interpretations that will not disappoint.
Mark Sealey