Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Recreation for the Soul
Jesu, der du meine
Seele, BWV 78 [19:58]
Nach dir, Herr, verlanget
mich, BWV 150 [13:18]
Herz und Mund und Tat und
Leben, BWV 147 [28:02]
Elin Manahan Thomas (soprano); Daniel Taylor (alto); James Gilchrist
(tenor)
The Magdalena Consort/Peter Harvey (bass)
rec. 17-19 April 2013, The Church of St. John the Evangelist, London.
German texts and English translations included.
CHANNEL CLASSICS CCSSA35214 SACD [63:00]
This release has been reviewed extensively and was enjoyed considerably by
John Quinn. I refer you to his comprehensive background notes on each of
these cantatas. With increasing numbers of easily accessible themed, part or
complete sets of J.S. Bach's remarkable catalogue of cantatas this kind of
single-disc release can seem like a little boat bobbing around on an ocean
of choices. The qualities of this recording and performance make it easy to
welcome in any context, even if you find yourself duplicating BWV
numbers.
Following the single voice to a part chamber-music approach pioneered by
Joshua Rifkin, this is a period instrument ensemble with a starry vocal
cast. None of this is any guarantee of success, but the colourful sympathy
of the instrumental accompaniments and the vocal give-and-take heard from
the soloists is a delight from start to finish. The first soprano and alto
duet of BWV 78 reassures us of this very early on in the programme,
the lightness of Elin Manahan Thomas's soprano uniting with Daniel Taylor's
high alto to create an energetic and playful antidote to the darker dramas
elsewhere. James Gilchrist's communicative tenor is more than just a safe
pair of hands, his recitatives and arias delivering all of the defiance
asked for in BWV 78 and tenderness in BWV 147. Founder of
The Magdalena Consort Peter Harvey's bass is powerful and emotive, but as
with all of the other soloists there is a sense of control and restraint
which keeps us in our respectful ecclesiastical place, and doesn't run the
risk of taking us to the bawdiness of the opera house.
The famous chorales in BWV 147; Wohl mir, dass ich Jesum
habe and Jesus bleibet meine Freude are taken at a suitably
brisk but not overly hasty pace, and with impeccable ensemble the voices
blend both with each other and the rich sound of the full ensemble. What you
miss with the single voices in these and other choral sections is that
opening out into realms of greater richness which a fuller choir can
achieve. A snatch of BWV 78 gives this sort of spiritual flavour on
the BIS A Choral Year with Bach, which amounts to a sort of Bach
Collegium Japan sampler (review). John Eliot Gardner's Monteverdi Choir is
similarly elegant in BWV 147 (review), but the drier acoustic of this recording doesn't give me
quite the same level of sublime enjoyment as Bach Collegium Japan. The
subtle weighing up of preferences in these aspects of a recording can be an
enjoyable life's work and never be resolved entirely, so as ever we can
relax and take pleasure in the ease with which we can have numerous versions
of the music we love, and chose which version to play at any particular time
based on the mood of the moment. Illustrating this point you can have James
Gilchrist on Gardner's account of BWV 78 (review), a pilgrimage made by Daniel Taylor in Gardner's
Vol. 16. Peter Harvey's contribution to Gardner's St John Passion and Cantata Pilgrimage should also be
acknowledged. Popular soprano Elin Manahan Thomas's credentials also precede
this release, and she proves a perfect Bach singer.
Production standards are up to Channel Classics' usual fine standard. The
booklet provides all texts in German and English, and Peter Harvey's notes
are informative and useful in taking a peek behind the content of the
scores. The recording is nicely atmospheric, the continuo instruments
perfectly audible without being too prominent, the whole balancing
brightness and detail perfectly against a nicely broad stereo spread of
sound which becomes all-embracing as more musicians take their entries.
Dominy Clements
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