A magnificent disc. It has been a while since
one of BIS’s Japan traversal of the Bach Cantatas came my
way (April
2001, to be exact: ). The standard has patently not dropped
an inch in the interim if this present offering is anything to
go by. Soloists are superb, the chorus magnificently and lucidly
blended and accompaniments, be they continuo or orchestral, are
ever alive to the twists and turns of Bach’s fertile imagination.
A special mention should go to the instrumentalists who provide
the obbligati in various arias, and who negotiate their difficulties
with aplomb.
All three cantatas come from the year 1724 (August
and September). A change in intended playing order and final production
seems to have occurred somewhere along the line, for the booklet
notes operate on a descending-BWV number basis, the disc itself
on an ascending one (with the Appendix tacked on at the end).
A shame, as Klaus Hoffmann’s commentaries are commendably
detailed, taking in word-painting, scoring and cantata structure
as well as underlining various compositional techniques Bach uses,
not to mention historical placement. Suzuki himself addresses
some musicological issues also.
The first Cantata on display is BWV8, Liebster
Gott, wenn wird ich sterben (‘Dearest God, when shall I
die’). The text concerns death, initially centring on the
all too human concerns of fear of the unknown. This is superseded
by realisation that if Jesus calls, who would not go?, and the
vanquishing of fears by the thought of standing by Jesus.
The opening chorus is superbly worked by Bach.
A duet for Oboi d’amore vies with high flute and horn. Time
is of continual importance in this movement, as Bach even imitates
in sound a clock (muted upper strings, staccato). Hofmann suggests
the 12/8 time signature refers to the 12 hours of the clock; not
inconceivable, given Bach’s well-acknowledged concern with
matters numerological. All four vocal soloists are active in this
cantata. Gerd Türk’s light tenor graces the initial
Aria; with its prominent oboe d’amore it makes a timbral
link to the opening chorus. Robin Blaze’s brief moment of
glory, a recitative lasting 0’55, is memorable for being
accompanied by a halo of strings. Yukari Nonoshita reminds us
of the purity of her voice and her true intonation. Peter Kooij’s
aria ‘Doch weilchet, ihr tollen, vergeblichen Sorgen!’
(‘Yield, you wild, vain sorrows!’) provides the highlight,
though. This movement is more care-free than the rest of the Cantata,
with light, tripping flute (Liliko Maeda) as the text refers to
the protagonist’s aforementioned realisation of Jesus’
joyous call. Kooij has all the right authority and confidence
for this aria, not to mention the agility for the more melismatic
passages, without sounding at all heavy. The framing choral movements,
the second marked explicitly ‘Chorale’, reveal the
excellence of the choir in this recording.
The Appendix to this disc presents a second version
of the initial chorale of BWV8, possibly dating from 1746/47.
Played now in D major, as opposed to E, it sounds a little more
muffled - surprisingly, perhaps, given D major’s usual festive
sound. Similarly, the flute’s repeated notes sound better
(brighter) in E.
The second Cantata, Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu
Christ, BWV33 (‘In you alone, Lord Jesus Christ’)
was written for the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity. A love-thy-neighbour
text provides the soil out of which Bach’s inspiration grows.
It is immediately more approachable than BWV8, beginning with
two oboes chasing each other. Under Suzuki’s direction,
this is just so rhythmically alive. In his notes, Hofmann refers
to the alto aria, ‘Wie furchtsam wankten meine Schritte’
(‘How fearful was my progress’) as ‘one of the
most characteristic movements in all of Bach’s cantatas’.
At an extended 7’23, it dwells on the comforting aspects
of Jesus. Robin Blaze shades the vocal line extremely personally
over a spare accompaniment. Notable also is the duet for tenor
and bass, ‘Gott, der du die Liebe heisst’ (‘God,
whose name is Love’), a festive minuet whose stylised consonant
parallel thirds and sixths would have represented the idea of
comforting love. The voices of Gerd Türk and Peter Kooij
are spatially separated in this recording, tenor to left; bass
to right. Kooij seems somewhat weak, as if not willing to stand
up to his part; an unexpected and uncharacteristic happening.
The final Cantata on Volume 24, Herr Jesu Christ,
du höchstes Gut, BWV113 (‘Lord Jesus Christ, thou greatest
good’) was composed for August 20th, 1724 (the eleventh
Sunday after Trinity). The text centres around the concept of
Jesus’ acceptance of the sinner. The work begins therefore
in oppressive mood (i.e. pre-enlightenment of the sinner). The
colourings are dark, especially as realised as effectively as
here - the notes are quite right to refer to the mood here as
of ‘lamenting oppression’; an atmosphere prolonged
by the Alto chorale that follows. Robin Blaze intones in blanched
voice the chorale text, while the strings wind around it. This
is one of the most effective movements on this disc. Blaze’s
delivery actually makes it disturbing, and quite rightly given
that the first line is by no means unrepresentative: ‘Erbarm
dich mein in solcher Lust’ (‘Have mercy on me who
am so burdened’). Kooij’s affinity with florid lines
comes into its own in his aria, the two oboi d’amore providing
a lovely flow of ideas simultaneously. Two other movements make
this Cantata a veritable treasure-trove of delights: the flute
obbligato of the tenor aria, ‘Jesus nimmt die Sünder
an’ (‘Jesus welcomes sinners’: Liliko Maeda
again); and the brief yet lissom duet for soprano and alto ‘Ach
Herr, mein Gott, vergib mirs doch’ (‘O Lord, my God,
forgive me yet’), in which Yukari Nonoshita gets her chance
to shine.
In short, this is a very special disc. But then
again, from the several volumes I have heard of this series, perhaps
the same thing could be said of any given volume. There is much
to delight, whatever the case.
Colin Clarke
Visit the Bach
Collegium Japan webpage for reviews of other releases
in this series