Bach: Cantatas: BWV 34 129 173 & 184 / Kuijken, La Petite Bande
BACH Cantatas Nos. 34, 173, 184, 129 • Sigiswald Kuijken, cond; Gerlinde Sämann (sop); Petra Noskaiová (alt); Christoph Genz (ten); Jan Van der Crabben (bs); La Petite Bande (period instruments) • ACCENT 25316 (70:01 Text and Translation)
In his cantata series Sigiswald Kuijken serves two masters. First and foremost is Bach; second is the way he believes Bach ought to be performed—which is to say, sung one-to-a-part. Forget what you’ve always been told about two masters; he serves both well. As far as the music is concerned, Kuijken has few peers in its interpretation, and these performances are the proof of it. As for chamber-style performance, the voices are the key, and Kuijken has assembled a well-nigh ideal quartet for the undertaking. Not only are all four singers outstanding soloists, but they also blend well together as a mini-chorus. Fortunately Kuijken’s devotion to authenticity does not extend to gender. Gerlinde Sämann’s and Petra Noskaiová’s contributions are among the many highlights of the disc. Noskaiová’s magical aria in Cantata 34 is a case in point. The excellence of La Petite Bande’s instrumentalists is, of course, a given. One objective of chamber-style performance is to individualize the polyphonic strands of Bach’s compositions, and Kuijken’s musicians and Accent’s engineers have done a superb job of doing just that. Skeptics (I am one) remain unconvinced, but in this recording, along with the series as a whole, Kuijken makes as strong a case as could be for his proposition. Heartily recommended.
FANFARE: George Chien
Product Description:
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Release Date: April 01, 2013
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UPC: 4015023253162
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Catalog Number: ACT25316
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Label: Accent
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Number of Discs: 1
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Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
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Conductor: Sigiswald Kuijken
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Orchestra/Ensemble: La Petite Bande
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Performer: Christoph Genz, Gerlinde Sämann, Jan Van der Crabben, Petra Noskaiová
Works:
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O ewiges Feuer, O Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Ensemble: La Petite Bande
Performer: Christoph Genz (Tenor), Petra Noskaiová (Alto), Gerlinde Sämann (Soprano), Jan Van der Crabben (Baritone)
Conductor: Sigiswald Kuijken
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Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Ensemble: La Petite Bande
Performer: Christoph Genz (Tenor), Petra Noskaiová (Alto), Gerlinde Sämann (Soprano), Jan Van der Crabben (Baritone)
Conductor: Sigiswald Kuijken
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Erwünschtes Freudenlicht, BWV 184
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Ensemble: La Petite Bande
Performer: Christoph Genz (Tenor), Petra Noskaiová (Alto), Gerlinde Sämann (Soprano), Jan Van der Crabben (Baritone)
Conductor: Sigiswald Kuijken
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Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Ensemble: La Petite Bande
Performer: Christoph Genz (Tenor), Petra Noskaiová (Alto), Gerlinde Sämann (Soprano), Jan Van der Crabben (Baritone)
Conductor: Sigiswald Kuijken