Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1759)
Secular Cantatas Vol. 2
Sinfonia in F major, BWV 1046a/1 [4:00]
Was mir behagt, ist nur die Muntre Jagd, BWV 208 [34:52]
Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre Macht, BWV 134a [34:56]
Joanne Lunn (soprano); Sophie Junker (soprano); Damien Guillon (alto); Makoto
Sakurada (tenor); Roderick Williams (bass)
Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki
rec. July 2011, MS&AD Shirakawa Hall, Nagoya, Japan.
BIS BIS-SACD-1971 [74:40]
The goddess Diana spurns the ravishingly handsome Endymion in favour of praising
the great hunter, Duke Christian, whose birthday it is. It could be the basis
for the next Hollywood block buster, but is in fact the plot of Bach’s
Was mir behagt, ist nur die Muntre Jagd (known as the Hunt Cantata)“The
cheerful hunt is all that gives me pleasure.” The piece was written
in 1713 for Duke Christian of Saxe-Weisenfels and was first performed on the
Duke’s birthday. The subsequent plot of the cantata, which was semi-staged
with props, is given over to unashamed praise of the Duke and all his qualities.
The most well-known movement, Sheep may safely graze (track 10), is
used to praise the Duke’s gentle and fatherly characteristics. The scoring
of the work is dramatic and imaginative - Diana’s entry is heralded
by hunting horns; Pales is accompanied by recorders which are associated with
shepherds; and Pan’s first aria is introduced by a trio of oboes. This
disc has been eagerly anticipated after the success of volume 1 and does not
disappoint. The soloists are perfectly balanced by the orchestra at all times.
Particular highlights are the duet between Joanne Lunn and Makoto Sakurada
in (track 13) where the vocal quality of the pair are well matched and the
subtlety of the phrasing of the instrumental parts compliment the larger gestures
from the singers. The soloists are joined by further singers for the chorus
Lebe, Sonne Diesen Erden (Live, sun of this earth) which is fugal in
structure and contains the most enjoyable instrumental writing. The hunting
horns blend perfectly with the other more usual instruments and the overall
effective is of drive and excitement. There are so many recordings of the
Hunt Cantata and it is difficult to compare the sublime soprano sounds
of Emma Kirkby (The Parley of instruments/Roy Goodman, Peter Holman, Hyperion
CDA66169) to the much richer tones of Joanne Lunn but this recording is a
worthy addition to anyone’s CD rack.
The other cantata on the disc, Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre Macht (Time,
Maker of days and years), was written during Bach’s time in the service
of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen for New Year’s Day. The allegorical
characters Time and Divine Providence compete to present the past and future
of the Prince’s reign in the most flattering light. Once again, Bach’s
instrumentation complements the text he is using, for example the scoring
in Aria 4, a duet between the soloists. The text refers to the “strings
of the heart” and the accompaniment is provided solely by the string
section. Once again the performance is flawless. The purity of tone of alto
soloist Damien Guillon is matched in richness and expression by the full-toned
voice of Roderick Williams. Particularly in the duet mentioned above, the
pair makes use of the rivalry between their characters to compete for the
most virtuosic singing which truly brings the music to life. The final chorus
is elegantly paced and showcases the delicate but assured playing of the orchestra.
The chorus almost match the subtlety of phrasing that the soloists achieve,
and this movement provides a lusty and accomplished ending to this rather
special CD.
The recording opens with the Sinfonia from the early version of the
first Brandenburg Concerto. Suzuki explains in the liner notes, that
the scoring of this movement is the same as the Hunt Cantata and may
well have been performed at the same time. The performance of this movement
is equally as good as the playing in the cantatas, except that occasionally
the horns don’t blend in the overall texture as well as they could do.
Overall, this is a pleasing sequel to the first volume of Bach’s secular
cantatas, with extremely able soloists and instrumentalists who are capable
of great delicacy of phrasing and who are a joy to listen to.
Hannah Parry-Ridout
Sophisticated playing from very able performers.