Bach Cantatas, Vol. 10: Potsdam/Wittenberg
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Music CD Cover
Performer: Peter HarveyComposer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner
Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists
Performer: Joanne Lunn
Performer: James Gilchrist
Edition: Music CD
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2005-11-08
Music Label: Soli Deo Gloria
Free Music Notes for Bach Cantatas, Vol. 10: Potsdam/Wittenberg
Free Music Review: NOT ENOUGH SUNDAYS
Hit: 5 Stars
The strategy of Gardiner's `pilgrimage' was to perform the Bach cantatas on the liturgical dates for which Bach wrote them. This is always possible when the feast in question is on a specific calendar date, like Christmas. Following variable feasts like Easter or Trinity there is a minor organisational problem, namely that the year 2000, the year of the pilgrimage, may not have as many Sundays after Trinity as had the year of Bach's composition. 1723 had 25 Sundays after Trinity, 2000 did not, so cantata 90 is given to us here with its counterparts for the 19th Sunday-after. Now and again we don't actually know the occasion of the cantata, so the short but very fine cantata 192 is allotted a place here with the cantatas for the feast of the Reformation.
This issue holds seven cantatas, almost exactly two hours of music. The texts for the 19th Sunday-after are rather downbeat, with a strong emphasis on the burden of sin, although possible redemption gets a few tentative mentions. Relief from the generally rueful tone comes mainly in two arias in cantata 5, the gorgeous Ergiesse dich with its flowing accompaniment and the relaxed and confident Verstumme, Hoellenheer in which the legions of hell are told what to do with themselves, rather in the manner of `Get thee behind me Satan'. The atmosphere has lightened a little by the time of the 25th Sunday-after, but the real change of tone comes with the ebullient music for the feast of the Reformation on the second disc. The set ends with the famous cantata 80, famous for its mighty setting of Luther's hymn Ein' feste Burg in Bach's second revision.
This is the 11th or 12th set that I now own from the series, and I have learned what to expect. Gardiner's sense of style is deep and devoted. The performers, vocal and instrumental, were largely having to learn the music as they followed their daunting schedule, but their sheer talent ensures that they bring confidence and assurance to the sense of fresh revelation and discovery. The recording, although very good in general, is not quite as good as sometimes. There is a slight sense of strain with the soprano voices, both solo and choral, and it's a pity that this is particularly evident right at the start on the first track. By way of compensation, the tone of the alto William Towers is one that I find exceptionally agreeable, not something I can always say about male altos. There is a bonus on the instrumental side too, with some terrific tone from the hastily co-opted Fernando Gunter with his bass sackbut in the tremendous Ein' feste Burg.
As always, there is a short essay from one of the performers, and another long and eloquent effort from Gardiner himself. Gardiner's contributions are deeply personal in character, and they speak to a profound love and fascination. Everything he says is illuminating, but some of his insights mean more to me as a listener than others do. In general, I find far fewer representational effects in Bach than Gardiner finds. In cantata 56, as an example, he cites the cello arpeggios in the second number as `depicting' the lapping waves. For me `depicting' is much too strong, and I'll settle for `suggesting'. Compare the flowing figuration in Ergiesse dich from cantata 5 with the murmuring river effects in Smetana's Ma Vlast and you may see the distinction I am trying to draw. That is a representation of the flowing river, Bach's is not. I don't myself believe that Bach was greatly concerned with specific details of the texts he set in the way Handel was. Naturally, there are certain texts where he cannot realistically ignore the pictorial aspects, but in general the infinite fountain of pure abstract music that flowed through him serves magnificently to accompany the statements of faith in his religious music, and his solution in every case is simply the solution that is best from an exclusively musical standpoint.
Another superb addition to a superb series.
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