Ton
Koopman began his Bach cantatas survey with Erato, but when
they pulled out of the project part-way through, his initiative
and commitment were such that he found alternative means
to continue. Thus the creation of Antoine Marchand, the banner
under which this splendid collection is released. With excellent
presentation standards and top quality recorded sound, these
are Bach performances to be reckoned with.
In
his perceptive booklet essay Christoph Wolff describes this
collection as ‘the Cantatas of the Picander cycle and of
the early 1730s’. Since this is volume 20, no less, it is
hardly a surprise that the three discs contain a wide variety
of source material. A special feature is the inclusion of
a new discovery, ‘a hitherto unknown sacred work from Bach’s
Weimar period, discovered as recently as May 2005 by Michael
Mead in the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library, Weimar’.
The
extended ‘aria of praise’ Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn’ ihn has
been allocated the BWV number 1127. It was written in 1713
for Duke Ernst of Weimar, and is reckoned to be the first
discovery of a Bach vocal composition for 70 years: that
is, since the cantata fragment Beckenen will ich seinen
Namen, BWV200. It has also been recorded recently for
BIS by Bach Collegium Japan and Masaaki Suzuki (BIS SACD1471).
In their performance all 12 verses are featured, whereas
Koopman and his soprano Lisa Larsson wisely make a selection.
Even so, the repetitive verse form makes the piece seem a
long 17 minutes; but compare this with the 50-plus minutes
taken by Suzuki and his soprano Carolyn Sampson. Clearly
the question is: ‘does more mean better’?
As
ever, this collection of Bach cantatas includes a wealth
of interesting musicological material. Take the two cantatas
with the number 120: BWV120 and BWV120a. To begin with, it
is not a simple matter that one is an arrangement of the
other. Herr Gott, Beherrscher alter Dinge, BWV120a,
is wedding cantata, featuring much but not all of the music
of BWV120, the town council election cantata of 1729. Whatever
the circumstances, and the unknown bridal couple must have
been wealthy enough to have families who were able able to
pay for a large orchestra that includes three trumpets. Be
that as it may, the music is quite splendid. There is a new
opening chorus, which in due course Bach reworked into his
B minor Mass, as well as an extended organ concerto movement
that must have been designed with the composer himself in
mind in the role of virtuoso soloist. This is a magnificent
composition, and Koopman’s performance does it proud. Tempi
seem absolutely right and the recorded balance is faultless,
with impact as and when required.
Gott,
man lubet dich in der Stille,
BWV 120, is no less fine. This shares some material with
the wedding cantata, of course, but it stands strongly
with its own personality, as it surely did when it was
performed as the yearly cantata associated with the town
council election, on 29th August 1729. According
to Christoph Wolff in the accompanying notes, Bach reworked
this piece again in 1742, and he claims that the original
pair of movements from 1729 have not survived. The instrumental
fourth movement may in turn be an arrangement of part of
a lost violin concerto, presumably from Bach’s years at
Cöthen, 1717-23. Again the results are magnificent, and
there is a wide expressive range too.
The
other majestic council election cantata included here is
a later piece, Wir danken dir, Gott, BWV29, probably
dating from 1731. This, along with BWV120, has received a
magnificent recorded performance under the direction of Philippe
Herreweghe. (Harmonia Mindi HMC 901690), both of them more
splendid still than Koopman’s admittedly splendid versions.
But where Koopman scores consistently in his unerring sense
of what is right in matters of balance and tempo. His chosen
forces always seem appropriate to the scale of the music
too, and as such his approach to Es ist das Heil uns kommen
her, BWV9, works rather better than the one-voice-to-a-part
recording of Sigiswald Kuijken (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 05472
77528 2), which sounds austere in comparison.
Throughout
these performances Koopman is sensitive to the relationship
between words and music, in which regard his splendid team
of soloists serves him unswervingly well. Continuo parts
are always effective and generally imaginative too. Just
occasionally one might question the choice of edition, as
in the penultimate movement of the Ascension Oratorio,
BWV11, when Koopman eschews the option of unison strings
for an instrumental combination of winds with a discreet
continuo part. Of course such matters are of choice rather
than something more clearcut; and that is one of the many
compelling rewards to be found in this repertory. For Bach’s
cantatas are full of wonderful discoveries, particularly
in the hands of a musician as sensitive and knowledgeable
as Ton Koopman.
Terry Barfoot
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Sandrine
Piau, Johannette Zomer (BWV14), Lisa Larsson (BWV1127)
(soprano) 
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