I
must admit that I was intrigued when I received this latest
recital offer from French soprano Natalie Dessay. Widely
celebrated for her intuitive, exciting performances on stage
and the easiness with which she sings extremely difficult
coloratura roles,
Ms Dessay’s decision to record a CD with solely Bach cantatas
did not appear the most obvious choice. Delightfully, although
her choice might not be obvious, it was definitely right.
From the tasteful, stylish packaging, in subtle black and
white, with only the composer’s name in bright orange, to
the insightful performance of the orchestra and Ms Dessay’s
fresh singing and clear German diction, this disc is a wonderful
gem and a joy to discover.
In
his time, Johann Sebastian Bach was better known as a virtuoso
organist rather than as the brilliant composer we have come
to know and admire today. His sacred compositions, choral
or instrumental, contain a positive energy and a seemingly
easy freedom that conceal his unbelievable musical rigour.
His style was innovative and complex, often containing religious
and numerical symbols that fit perfectly together and that,
even today, are still profoundly puzzling. For this, he is
considered by many experts to be the greatest composer that
ever lived. I would hardly disagree, however, I must confess
that some of his music, perhaps due to the religious content,
leaves me untouched. Arguably and at the risk of infuriating
Bach enthusiasts and devoted scholars, I think that although
his music is undoubtedly intellectual and brilliant, it lacks
human sentiment, meaning contradictory feelings, conflict
and powerful emotional expression. I am pleased to say that
this CD with three Bach Cantatas for solo soprano has managed
to change my mind. This is not only due to the music but
mostly to Natalie Dessay’s beautiful, remarkably pure rendition
of the soprano parts, and also Emmanuelle Haïm’s expert interpretation,
leading Le Concert d’Astrée in a harmonious, suitably radiant
performance.
The
recital begins with perhaps the most famous of the composer’s
cantatas:
Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, in four movements,
or five if the finale, the
Alleluja is considered
independently. Dessay delivers all of them with grace and
purity of tone. Her voice sounds playful yet respectful,
luminous and precise but never dry or indifferent. In the
first aria, in the recitative and in the
chorale,
the trumpet solos are wonderfully played by distinguished
musician Neil Brough. Particularly during the first aria,
the trumpet engages in a finely tuned “duet” with Dessay’s
voice; both artists brilliantly displaying Bach’s virtuosic
demands on his soloists. The second aria is my favourite
of the four movements, with its difficult melodic. Although
marked in the key of A minor, it is not melancholic or sad
but touchingly beautiful. Dessay sings it to perfection,
with an almost angelic quality and demonstrating a great
understanding of the composer’s possible intentions.
The
second work,
Ich habe genug, is to my mind the jewel
in the crown of this precious CD, even though it is one of
Bach’s bleakest cantatas. Written in its original form for
a bass singer, with oboe, strings and basso continuo, it is a dark and gloomy work. Its depressing message is summed up in
the final verses of the last aria:
Ich freue mich auf
meinem Tod, ach! hätt’ er sich schon eingefunden. Da entkomm
ich aller Not, die mich noch auf der Welt gebunden [With
joy I look forward to my death, would that it were here already.
Then I shall escape all the distress, which afflicts me here
on earth]. The version used in this CD is the one where the
bass part is replaced by a soprano and the oboe by a flute,
with minimal alterations. The music though terribly sad is
also poignantly beautiful. Dessay comes into her own in the
performance of this cantata, putting her consummate skills
as a dramatic actress to great use and delivering a moving,
deeply felt interpretation. One senses the despair in every
word she sings, the depressing mood in each phrase she utters
and the sadness within a heart that really has had enough
and has completely lost the will to live. It is brilliantly
sung; wonderfully cushioned by Le Concert d’Astrée, and beautifully
accompanied on the flutes by Alexis Kossenko in the first
and last movements, and Olivier Bénichou in the second.
The
third and final cantata in this recital,
Mein Herze schwimmt
im Blut, is a more complex and ambitious work by Bach,
formed of eight sections that alternate between arias and
recitatives. The theme is of humility and repentance, and
its vocal parts are technically challenging, demanding a
highly accomplished singer; and this we certainly have in
Dessay. The first aria is arguably the most beautiful; a
poignant supplication, wonderfully delivered by Dessay, who
is brilliantly seconded by Patrick Beaugiraud, performing
the oboe solo. The final aria, again with an oboe solo, is
joyful, with dance-like rhythms that perfectly suit Dessay’s
voice. It is an optimistic finale to a work of great beauty.
This
recording comes also with a bonus DVD, which is very interesting
and enjoyable in its own right. It contains live footage
from the recording sessions, which took place at the Church
of Notre-Dame du Liban in Paris. The film intentionally creates
an atmosphere of peace where one can retreat to pray if one
so wishes. It is tastefully and stylishly filmed, with candles
in strategic places around the musicians. Every person and
each object are enveloped in a golden glow, giving the appearance
of warm sun-light filtered through the windows of the church.
The few words exchanged between singer, conductor and musicians
are in French, and there are no subtitles but the dialogue
is scarce so that a non-French speaker will not miss anything.
The emphasis is put on the care taken with the interpretation
and delivery of the music and on Dessay’s singing. It is
wonderful to watch how she immerses herself in the compositions,
as if her being dissolves and becomes part of one single
musical entity. The film confirms the singer’s artistry,
her delicate high notes, her elegant phrasing and her fine
command of languages. She sings the texts to all cantatas
in the original German with the same natural flair and adroit
pronunciation as she would in her native French. The film
also showcases effectively the friendly relationship and
artistic understanding between Dessay, Emmanuelle Haïm and
the musicians of Le Concert d’Astrée. She has collaborated
extensively with the conductor and the orchestra on many
occasions, both for recordings as well as for live concerts.
There is an easiness, respect and healthy mutual admiration
in the way they interact with each other and dedicate themselves
to the music. Simply inspiring and lovely to watch.
This
recital is dedicated by Dessay to Martin Luther King. Whether
one enjoys Bach’s music and whether one appreciates this
singer’s artistry or not, is almost irrelevant; this is a
magnificent sequence from a mature artist, who patently comprehends
the beauty and purity of the music. It deserves to feature
in any classical music collection.
Margarida Mota-Bull
Natalie
Dessay (soprano)
