David's Bach Cantatas journey ...

[Marc]

Well Cantata 30 is an interesting creature as there are obviously (at least) two versions, one including 3 trumpets and timpani. The recording I'm listening leaves these out.

The trumpets et al version is BWV 30a, a secular cantata called Angenehmes Wiederau ("Pleasant Wiederau"; Wiederau is a village near Leipzig.)

The final soprano aria is just glorious (despite the text) and the final chorus is a regurgitation of the opening, Bach must have been busy making babies simultaneously?

I now understand this is a Cantata where Bach crowbared music unsuited to the text. Well done Bach, it's dreadful! But your music is sublime, if very odd.

Mm, I think that this final aria has got the best relation between text and music. The text is very positive, IMHO.

Haste, ye hours, come to me,
Bring me soon into those pastures!
I would with the holy throng
To my God an altar raise,
In the tents of Kedar offered,
Where I'll give eternal thanks.

(Interesting translation link for Bach's works: http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach/.)

Apart from this, Bach has indeed composed optimistic music at times where a God-fearing person has to suffer for his/her belief, even it would mean that this suffering would lead to death. In original Christian belief, death is a release from the bitter earthly life. That's why I guess that Christian music about death can be optimistic. He/she who believes in God, shall be redeemed and resurrect on the Day of the Lords.
The cantata BWV 30 is composed for Baptism Day. With the baptism of Jesus the prophecy is forfilled that all sins and sorrow will be destroyed, for those who kept and will keep belief in God.

Even though I'm a convinced non-believer myself (though being raised in a Roman Catholic environment), I myself had been able to create a better understanding of Bach's music by taking note of things like these. In a softer way, many of these ideas were still present in the Catholic church hymns I sang every Sunday during childhood.

And to Bach, all the music he wrote was meant to celebrate and thank God: Soli Deo Gloria.

In devotional music, God is always present with His Grace.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calov_Bible

About the sometimes less convincing relation between text and lyrics: this could indeed be explained because it's a parody/arrangement of the secular cantata BWV 30a.

Zum Schluß:

Enjoy your journey,
with all the suffering and glory!

[Contratrombone64]

Thought I'd back step and start (where I should have) at Cantata 1. Scored for 2 horns, 2 oboes di caccia, two solo violins, strings. Why I ramdomly started my journey somewhere in the 30s elludes me, but eh, it doesn't matter for these works as BWV numbers are not chronological.

The opening movement is scintilating, of course as I guess Bach's reference here is literaly to the morning star. Though the reference liturgically is the annunciation of the virgin Mary. Hence, a joyous and happy work indeed. The opening chorus really reminds me of St Matthew Passion's opening, by way of texture of musical writing (not scoring). Bach's writing for the pair of horns is horrific, very high and with accidentals, so lots of stuffing ones hands up the instrument's bell, not to mention tortured lips (if indeed played on an instrument of the era). The scoring for the two solo violins is delicious, very violinistic (of course as is Bach's want).

The soprano aria (following the recit) is wonderful. Scored very lightly for a oboe da caccia (who must have an ability to hold his/her breath for decades seemingly), pizzacato cello and chamber organ. This is gentle and lilting.

O fill now, ye flames, both divine and celestial,
The breast which to thee doth in faith ever strive!
The souls here perceive now the strongest of feelings
Of love most impassioned
And savor on earth the celestial joy

After a recit comes the Tenor Aria, this is simply devine other worldly, with a light painting of texture provided by the two solo violins and string body (heaven on toast).

Let our voice and strings resounding Unto thee
Evermore Thanks and sacrifice make ready.
Heart and spirit are uplifted, All life long
And with song, Mighty king, to bring thee honor

Nothing really worth mentioning about the finale chorale except the writing for the second horn, which is quite "out there".

[Contratrombone64]

Cantata 2 opens with an amazing fugue which is dark and sombre not surprising considering the text:

Ah God, from heaven look on us
And grant us yet thy mercy!
How few are found thy saints to be,
Forsaken are we wretches;
Thy word is not upheld as true,
And faith is also now quite dead
Among all mankind's children

The work is scored for a rather interesting ensemble: four trombones each doubles the SATB lines plus strings, plus two oboes.

The following aria for tenor is odd, very odd. Scored for oboe, strings. Bach's mind obviously thought purifying fire and silver was a g minor event. This is a weird work, at times highly chromatic and the opening string writing is determined and pointed.

Recit follows then an Aria for Alto, scored in a rather fugato way for solo violin and continuo. I really find the music slightly at odds with the text but that might just be me (although there is a certain determined quality to its joyousness):

God, blot out all teachings
Which thy word pervert now!
Check, indeed, all heresy
And all the rabble spirits;
For they speak out free of dread
Gainst him who seeks to rule us!

The following recit is worthy of mention because of its scary text: the string writing here is gloomy and woeful, worthy of any black and white horror film.

The wretched are confused, Their sighing "Ah," their anxious mourning Amidst such cross and woe,
Through which the foe to godly souls deal torture

[Contratrombone64]

Cantata 3 is in my favourite key (at least the opening is): A major. Scored rather oddly, to my mind, for two oboes d'amore, strings with a trombone stuck on the bass line (it's the trombone that I think is odd).

I love it when Bach uses the oboe d'amore, he writes for it so deliciously. Not surprising it's in A major, as that's the home pitch of the oboe d'amore. This music is so exquisit as to be a sharp hint of lemon juice on the sweetest of cakes. I must say choral writing is stern an sombre.

Here's the text:

Ah God, how oft a heartfelt grief
Confronteth me within these days!
The narrow path is sorrow-filled
Which I to heaven travel must.

It kind of explains the bitter sweet music that perfectly accompanies this marvellous choral opening.

The recit that follows is amazing simply because Bach decides to use the SATB choir to announce it and then he uses them individually to state other parts, very odd Bach, thank you!

Now comes a very dark aria for Bass with an accompaiment of just continuo in F sharp minor. Hideously difficult vocal writing as was typical of Bach, so the Bass here needs to be of the highest calibre, text:

Though I feel fear of hell and pain,
Yet must steadfast within my bosom
A truly joyful heaven be.

A recit follows and then, as if for respite a delicous Duet for Soprano and Alto scored in E major. This is gently accompanied by all the violins and two oboes d'amore in unison and continuo (violas just sit there poking their tongues out at the boys in the choir trying to make them giggle I guess). All humour aside, this music is sublime and delicious.

[Contratrombone64]

Cantata 4. Technically speaking this cantata opens a "sinfonia" as there is no vocal writing. The scoring here is for 2 violins, 2 violas and continuo. The music is tortured and painful, quite appropriate as the whole work is about Christ in Death's bonds.

This cantata is not typcial (what is) because it's basically 8 verses of a hymn so each movement is titled "Verse 1" "Verse 2" and so forth.

Verse 1, is lovely with a frantic dovetailing between violin 1 and 2, kind of like jumping frogs. Then the tempo increases and the writing becomes very syncopated. Bach never ceases to amaze me.

Verse 2 is a weird creature with just Soprano and Alto taking alterate parts of the text. The accompaniment (just continuo) is a kind of determined moto perpetuo, rather like the continuo line in "air on a G string" from the Orchestral Suite 3 in writing (NOT in sound).

Verse 3 is in e minor and scored for Tenor solo with just the violins in unison (and of course continuo). The violins jump about helter skelter in a rather deliciously insane manner, difficult writing that you'd need to practise to get it under the fingers, though Bach's use here is perfectly suited to the violin (of course). Near the end of this the poor violins crunch some amazing triple and quadruple stops (weird and fantastic!).

Verse 4 has a change of pace, somewhat, but with intensity and eyes gazing unflinchingly at the horizon. It's a mad recit for S TB with the A providing the cantus firmus.

Verse 5 is a sombre and chromatic Bass solo. The writing for strings is steady and evenly paced, except for a couple of sections where their dancing shoes are put on briefly to emphasise some part of the text (as Bach does so wonderfully). Just love this, such beautiful writing and the Bass needs to be able to sing a bottom E comfortably.

Verse 6 Here is the spotless Easter lamb, is a rather wonderful duet for Soprano and Tenor with the most amazing dactilic (how do you spell that??) continuo writing that kind of sword fights with the rather more gentle vocal writing - Bach you were quite mad.

Verse 7 is the final chorale, and is quite like all other final chorale endings for Bach's cantatas, which I find slightly dissapointing considering the way he chose to compose this (through composed hymn). Nevertheless it sums up the gloomy mood wonderfully I guess

[Contratrombone64]

Now comes the joyful Cantata 5 that has the most wonderfully spikey writing for strings and oboes. It is actually scored for two oboes, strings and "tromba di tirarsi (what ever the hell that is)" accompanying the cantus firmus in the soprano line. The ATB writing for the rest of the choir is virtuosic in the extreme. It's not quite a fugue but you know Bach, he couldn't resist fugato style at all.

Recit follows and now comes my FAVOURITE movement in all the Cantatas I've heard so far because it uses (very unusually) a solo viola and the writing is technically very challenging, pure joy. I sort of wonder if the first violinist didn't grab the poor viola players instrument for this because the writing is just so difficult.

The recit that follows is typical except that Bach, bored maybe, throws in a single Oboe above chanting a chorale like melody, odd.

The Bass Aria that follows is devine and a tour de force for the "tromba di tirarsi". The poor bugger I can imagine had been siting through viola solo sweating and trying to blow warm air into his instrument as the writing here is as difficult as Bach wrote for the tromba. Kind of reminds me of "And the trumpet shall sound", though musiclaly it's totally different of course. God this is such joyous music, makes me weep.

[Contratrombone64]

Cantata 6 has the most disturbingly tragic musical painting, which what can only be described (by me at least) as sighs of desperation from the strings in unison on the same note in a sort of panting. The text here is "Bide with us, for it will soon be evening, and the day is now declining", well it's the damned gloomiest sunset I've ever come across. The middle section is somewhat more joyous, though not much. And the respect return to the begining happens, of course.

The aria which follows is for Alto:


High-exalted Son of God,
Let it thee not be unwelcome
That we now before thy throne
A petition lay before thee:
Bide, oh, bide for us our light,
For the darkness doth steal in.

This is scored for solo Oboe di caccia (Bach just loved this instrument), and the writing is devine and poignant. It's a contemplative and lilting slow waltz. Bach here uses pizzacato cello and chamber organ as the continuo, lovely.

Next is an aria for Soprano with, wait for it ... Violoncello Piccolo, Bach actually used this instrument quite a few times in the cantatas. His writing is lovely and must be very demanding for the solo Cellist (in my score it's written in the alto clef). The text is:

Oh, bide with us, Lord Jesus Christ,
For now the evening is at hand,
Thy godly word, that radiant light,
Let in our midst, yea, never fade.
Within this recent time of woe
Grant us, O Lord, steadfastness sure,
That we thy word and sacrament
Keep ever pure until our end.

After a typical recit is a wonderful Aria for Tenor to the words:

Jesus, keep our sights upon thee, That we not
Walk upon the sinful pathway. Let the light
Of thy word o'er us shine brighter,
And forever grant thy favour.

It is scored for strings alone with the first violin line almost sighing and moaning, glorious.

This cantata is a sad one, wrists and razor blades at the ready.

[Contratrombone64]

Now I come to Cantata 7. Scored for two Oboes d'amore, solo violin, and strings. The opening chorus is in e minor and is rather pointed, with quite vertical writing (unusual for Bach) mostly, with loads of spaces where there is brief silence. The solo violin writing is marvellous, with scampering across three strings, arpeggiated.

This Cantata is very serious, of course, as it deals with the story of Christ at the time of John the Baptist's wanderings.

The aria which follows has uses a series of descending demisemiquavers (32nd notes) in the cello, which must be a bloody nightmare to coordinate with the portative organ! The bass singing over this is not walk in the park either.

No point in discussing the text here really as it concerns baptism and water (not to diminish its import, at all).

The Tenor Aria that follows has "jumping lambs in the green grass" writing for the two solo violins, just devine. Like a manic jig! Note to self: get your viola out and start playing it again David!!

This is a lovley Cantata.

[Contratrombone64]

Now comes the fabulous Cantata 8. Scored for two oboes d'amore, Transverse Flute (which seems to chirup along on single notes like a bird yelling its head off in a tree), strings and a horn that yells along with the sopranos.

This cantata has a horrfically difficult solo for the transverse flute in the fourth movement, a Bass aria.

The closing chorale is NOT typical - hardly a hymn tune setting but nevertheless determined and wide in scope.

[Contratrombone64]

here I add an article (or at least a minor part thereof) about the recording that I own for this set (The Netherlands Bach Collegium and the Holland Boys' Choir), the choir being an amateur one, nevertheless pretty good

In 1999 and 2000 all Bach's sacred cantatas were recorded within 15 months, a tremendous achievement, considering the fact that it was accomplished with the same amateur (read literarily: music-loving) choir, soloists and orchestra throughout the project, in itself deserving an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. The project aroused storms of criticism in The Netherlands on alleged grounds of inferior haste-work (Recording at this speed must be superficial and lacking depth) and commercialism (imagine! Culture with a capital C on the shelves of a drugstore: how low can you go!), even before anyone had heard a single note! Since the release of the first boxes, reviews have become more and more favorable, especially from foreign critics from all over the world. The cantatas project was concluded by a rewarding tour of cantatas concerts in The Netherlands, including the Trauer-Ode, BWV 198 Lass Fürstin, lass noch einen Strahl, BWV 30 Freue dich, erlöste Schar and BWV 102 Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben. In the fall of 2000, Pieter Jan Leusink and Holland Boys' Choir made a new recording of J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) and their first St John Passion (BWV 245). Both of them will be released in the course of this year