Search - Johann Sebastian Bach :: J.S. Bach: Cantata BWV 170; Cantata BWV 82; Cantata BWV 159 [Australia]

SOMEONE SPOTTED THE ERROR

DAVID BRYSON | Glossop Derbyshire England | 12/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my time I've seen some strange errors in liner-notes to cd's, and before their era in the sleeve-notes of vinyl LP's, but the mistake on my copy of this disc is the strangest yet. The list of performers on the front is completely wrong - that's totally, 100% wrong. Would-be purchasers of this fine disc who see the picture as shown here over the names of Arleen Auger, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Alfreda Hodgson, Gwynne Howell, The London Chamber Choir, the Argo Chamber Orchestra and Laszlo Heltay can relax, unless of course those were the artists they had hoped to hear.



There is no ambiguity about the music, which is Bach's cantatas 170, 82 and 159 as billed. The recordings date from 40 years ago and have now been remastered very skilfully. Aside from the intrinsic quality of the singing and playing, a set of Bach cantatas from that era is interesting as a historical record of where the `authentic' movement had got to in the matter of performing music from the early 18th century. Hogwood's Messiah had not yet appeared if I remember aright, and the comment I saw on that suggested that it was viewed as a watershed from which the main channel has now run on through the school of McCreesh, Andrew Manze and other lofty authenticists too numerous and familiar to mention. However by the mid-60's such performers as the Academy of St Martin's in the Fields under Marriner had firmly turned their backs on the old-fashioned school of presenting Bach and Handel as it had been known from, say, Sargent, Boult and Mengelberg to say nothing of the highly individual approach that Beecham took to Handel. Unless I am mistaken the instruments used here are not `period' instruments as Manze would recognise such, although there is a continuo on harpsichord and organ, the latter being a small and light-toned instrument.



There is only a very little choral work here, in cantata 159, and the chorus is appropriately small though not minuscule. The real interest is in how the soloists handle this music, and I imagine that for modern listeners the soloist who will divide opinion is likely to be Janet Baker. For my own part, I admire her work in Purcell and Handel, I continue to admire it here in Bach, but there is no pretending that she makes much effort to be `period' in her style. She just sings as herself not as some harbinger of Emma Kirkby, and as if to emphasise the `take it or leave it' feel to her contribution the recording in cantata 170, where she is the only soloist, gives her a very close perspective. In cantata 159 she has to handle a short duet with Shirley-Quirk and although the recording doesn't zoom in on her to the same extent she still seems a different kind of stylist from her partner. Shirley-Quirk is the kind of on-the-way-to-fully-authentic singer who would appear naturally in a production with, say, Ledger or Mackerras. I would put Robert Tear in that same bracket, although I had difficulty in recognising him in this low-lying tenor part. This is not the familiar trumpet-toned voice that had thrilled me in Handel, although his low register is magnificent now that I get the chance to hear it.



I suppose I need hardly say that the artistry from all sides is superb, given the assumptions one has to make regarding the general style. In the continuo contributions we are privileged to hear Malcolm and Ledger no less, the latter also having a higher profile in the obbligato for organ in cantata 170. The recorded quality gives me no problems, although one would know that it is a remastered job. The anonymous liner-note is succinct but basically adequate, but the texts to the works are not provided let alone translated. I expect that it will be sufficient for most of us to get the general idea of what is being sung in each number, and the liner assists with that, as well as having some quite interesting things to say, which is more than I could claim for many a more pretentious effort.



This disc gets a warm welcome from me, and I speak for nobody else. Performing traditions evolve over time, sometimes over quite short periods, but for me there's more than one way of skinning a cat and more than one way of singing a Bach cantata. I would not want all my Bach cantatas done like this, but I would not want these done in any other way."