Bach: Cantatas Vol 22 / Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists

$37.99
Label
SDG
Release Date
January 2, 2007
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      BACH, J.S.
    • ORCHESTRA / ENSEMBLE
      Monteverdi Choir
    • PERFORMER
      English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      January 02, 2007
    • UPC
      843183012824
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      SDG 128
    • LABEL
      SDG
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      2
    • GENRE
      Choral - Sacred
    Works ⌄

    1. Sinfonia

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    2. Versus I: Christ lag in Todesbanden (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    3. Versus II: Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt (Soprano Chorus, Alto Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    4. Versus III: Jesus Christus, Gottes Sohn (Tenor Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    5. Versus IV: Es war ein wunderlicher Krieg (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    6. Versus V: Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm (Bass Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    7. Versus VI: So feiern wir das hohe Fest (Soprano Chorus, Tenor Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    8. Versus VII: Chorale - Wir essen und leben wohl

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    9. Sonata

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    10. Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    11. Recitative: Erwunschter Tag! Sei, Seele, wieder froh! (Bass)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Stephen Varcoe

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    12. Aria: Furst des Lebens, starker Streiter (Bass)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Stephen Varcoe

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    13. Recitative: So stehe dann, du gottergebne Seele (Tenor)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    14. Aria: Adam muss in uns verwesen (Tenor)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    15. Recitative: Weil dann das Haupt sein Glied (Soprano)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Gillian Keith

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    16. Aria and Chorale: Letzte Stunde, brich herein (Soprano, Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Gillian Keith

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    17. Chorale: So fahr ich hin zu Jesu Christ (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    18. Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    19. Recitative: Es bricht das Grab und damit unsre Not (Bass)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Stephen Varcoe

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    20. Aria: Lasset dem Hochsten ein Danklied erschallen (Bass)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Stephen Varcoe

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    21. Recitative and Aria: Bei Jesu Leben freudig sein (Tenor, Alto)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist, Daniel Taylor

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    22. Aria: Ich furchte zwar des Grabes Finsternissen (Alto, Tenor)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist, Daniel Taylor

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    23. Chorale: Halleluja! Halleluja! Halleluja! (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    24. Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    25. Aria: Hochgelobter Gottessohn (Alto)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Daniel Taylor

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    26. Chorale: Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    27. Recitative: Es hat die Dunkelheit (Bass)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Stephen Varcoe

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    28. Aria: Jesu, lass uns auf dich sehen (Tenor)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    29. Chorale: Beweis dein Macht, Herr Jesu Christ (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    30. Recitative: Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiss (Tenor, Alto)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist, Daniel Taylor

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    31. Aria: Auf, glaubige, singet die lieblich Lieder (Tenor)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    32. Recitative: Wohl dir, Gott hat an dich gedacht (Tenor, Alto)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist, Daniel Taylor

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    33. Aria: Wir danken und preisen dein brunstiges Lieben (Alto, Tenor)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Daniel Taylor, James Gilchrist

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    34. Recitative: Doch wurke selbst den Dank in unserm Munde (Tenor, Alto)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist, Daniel Taylor

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    35. Erschallet, ihr Himmel, erfreue dich, Erch (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    36. Aria: Ich lebe, mein Herze, zu deinem Ergotzen (Tenor, Soprano)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist, Angharad Gruffydd Jones

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    37. Recitative: Nun fordre, Moses, wie du willt (Tenor)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: James Gilchrist

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    38. Aria: Merke, mein Herze, bestandig nur dies (Bass)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Stephen Varcoe

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    39. Recitative: Mein Jesu lebt (Soprano)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: English Baroque Soloists

      Performer: Angharad Gruffydd Jones

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    40. ChoraleL Drum wir auch billig frohlich sein (Chorus)

      Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

      Ensemble: Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists

      Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner




BACH Cantatas: No. 4; 1,3,4,5 No. 31; 1,4,5 No. 66; 3,4,5 No. 6; 2,3,4,5 No. 134; 3,4 No. 145 2,4,5 • John Eliot Gardiner, cond; Gillian Keith (sop); 1 Angharad Gruffydd Jones (sop); 2 Daniel Taylor (ct); 3 James Gilchrist (ten); 4 Stephen Varcoe (bs); 5 Monteverdi Ch; English Baroque Soloists (period instruments) • SOLI DEO GLORIA 128 (2 CDs: 120:39 Text and Translation)


This new installment, Volume 22, from Gardiner’s Bach Cantata Pilgrimage is devoted to the music of Easter Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Only two cantatas (plus the Easter Oratorio ) for each of these important festivals are extant. Surprisingly, only one of these six cantatas (No. 6) was conceived and composed in Leipzig. Three (Nos. 66, 134, and 145) were derived from secular cantatas written in Cöthen. No. 31 was brought to Leipzig from Weimar, and No. 4 from Mühlhausen.


From the first, Cantata No. 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden , effectively a set of chorale variations on Luther’s hymn, has been considered a special work, and, truth to tell, it is, if not my absolute favorite among the cantatas, certainly one of my top handful. Apparently it has a similar hold on Gardiner, who reckons that over his career he has performed it more often than any of the other cantatas. Gardiner assigns all of the vocal parts to the chorus, common practice a generation (or so) ago, but contrary to the current understanding that at least the duets and arias (verses 2, 3, 5, and 6) were intended for soloists. LPs by Shaw (RCA) and Prohaska (Bach Guild) were recorded without soloists, as was Gardiner’s first recording of this cantata (for Erato), now 25 years old. Richter (Archiv) modified that pattern by having Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sing the bass aria. Chorus and soloists are combined in the integral sets by Harnoncourt, Rilling, Koopman, and Suzuki. One-to-a-part advocates Parrott (EMI) and the Purcell Quartet (Chandos) do away with the chorus altogether. Less controversially, Gardiner eschews the brass quartet that Bach added for the Leipzig revival of Christ lag. His highly charged performance is marked by extreme contrasts, both in tempos and in dynamics. Listeners accustomed to Apollonian restraint in this music may regard Gardiner’s dramatic interpretation as something approaching irrational exuberance. A measure of that enthusiasm is carried into Cantata 31, and the conductor’s characteristic energy, somewhat tempered, informs the balance of the program. Singers and players are, as we have come to expect, excellent.


Overall, the current offering is a worthy continuation of Gardiner’s project, but if Cantata No. 4 is your principal concern, I find either Suzuki or Koopman from their respective series more to my liking. (Incidentally, the Easter cantatas were recorded in St. George’s Church in Eisenach, where Bach was baptized.)


FANFARE: George Chien