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Bach: Trauer Music - Music To Mourn Prince Leopold / Parrott, Taverner Consort

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Details

Composer
BACH, J.S.
Artist
Van Evera, Wilkinson, Daniels, Meglioranza, Parrott, Taverner Consort & Players
Format
CD
Label
Avie Records
Released
Sep 01, 2011
Catalog #
AV2241
UPC
822252224122

About



BACH Trauer-Music, BWV 244a • Andrew Parrott, cond; Emily van Evera (sop); Clare Wilkinson (ms); Charles Daniels (ten); Tom Meglioranza (bar); Taverner Consort & Players • AVIE AV2241 (78:40 Text and Translation)


Anyone wishing to perform the funeral music for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen, Bach’s onetime boss, comes up against a serious technical problem:There is no music for it, though the text survives. Doing something about such situations is the very stuff of much modern musicology. Consider the new movements for the music of Mahler, Elgar, Britten, even whole new music (in the style of or, perhaps, not: Manfred Tojahn’s for La clemenza di Tito or Luciano Berio’s for Turandot ). The arguments for this sort of thing are well worn but are still making the rounds: The composer did this sort of thing himself, the composer would have wanted this piece finished, it gives us a new view of this or that period, approach, style of the composer, and so on without any end in sight. Bach is an especial victim of this sort of carpentry, and BWV 244a is a tempting target, along with the St. Mark and St. Luke Passions.


When he compiled the Bach Werke-Verzeichnis in 1950, Wolfgang Schmieder noted that a good deal of Picander’s 1728 text fit certain numbers of the 1725 St. Matthew Passion (which is why it shares the same BWV number) and the 1727 Trauer-Ode (BWV 198). In what I assume will be the notes for this recording, Andrew Parrott makes clear what fits where, leaving only the problem of the recitatives, which he composed himself and about which he himself says “caveat emptor,” and the final organization of the whole, which he posits took place in four sections instead of what seems to be only two or three, and began the night before with the funeral itself, followed the next day with the memorial service. This necessitates a rearrangement of the libretto as printed, which he argues may not have represented exactly what happened.


To the question of why we need this reconstruction Parrott gives no direct answer, but, as the longest of the known remaining texts for which there is no music, it clearly constitutes a challenge. He also thinks it refreshing to encounter some of this music in a different context. It must be said, then, that Parrott meets this challenge with his customary energy and expertise.


This performance is made with the kind of disposition Parrott has used for decades, and argued forcefully for in The Essential Bach Choir (2001), mostly one-to-a-part, with the choruses doubled here. While this approach seems reasonable for the church cantatas, I think it entirely unlikely for the passions, the Trauer-Ode , and this piece, music that required the greatest possible effect, not least in the choruses. Interestingly, as with the Trauer-Ode and the secular cantatas, but not with the Passions, there are no chorales.


Let it be noted, then, that, within his musicological choices, Parrott has made a convincing job of this piece. The Taverner Consort plays with long-won expertise, and the soloists are uniformly good. The eight-member chorus just does not have enough gravity, and the sopranos tend to be a bit shrill in places. When it joins the tenor in two numbers, they are recorded distantly, though on their own quite close up, as is most of the recording. As near as I can tell, there is no other recording of an attempted reconstruction of this music. No matter; if one is needed, this one will do nicely.


FANFARE: Alan Swanson

Tracklist 24 tracks

  1. 1 Part III: Aria: Lass, Leopold, Dich nicht begraben (Bass) 06:03
    Track
    1
    Title
    Part III: Aria: Lass, Leopold, Dich nicht begraben (Bass)
    Duration
    06:03
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  2. 2 Part III: Recitativo: Wie kont es moglich seyn (Alto) 01:02
    Track
    2
    Title
    Part III: Recitativo: Wie kont es moglich seyn (Alto)
    Duration
    01:02
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Clare Wilkinson
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  3. 3 Part III: Aria: Wird auch gleich nach tausend Zahren (Bass) 04:06
    Track
    3
    Title
    Part III: Aria: Wird auch gleich nach tausend Zahren (Bass)
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  4. 4 Part III: Recitativo: Und, Herr, das ist die Specerey (Tenor) 00:44
    Track
    4
    Title
    Part III: Recitativo: Und, Herr, das ist die Specerey (Tenor)
    Duration
    00:44
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Charles Daniels
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  5. 5 Part III: Aria a 2 Choren: Geh, Leopold, zu Deiner Ruh (Tenor, Chorus) 05:43
    Track
    5
    Title
    Part III: Aria a 2 Choren: Geh, Leopold, zu Deiner Ruh (Tenor, Chorus)
    Duration
    05:43
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera, Clare Wilkinson, Charles Daniels, Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Consort, Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  6. 6 Part I: Coro: Klagt, Kinder (Chorus) 06:28
    Track
    6
    Title
    Part I: Coro: Klagt, Kinder (Chorus)
    Duration
    06:28
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera, Clare Wilkinson, Charles Daniels, Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Consort, Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  7. 7 Part I: Recitativo: O Land! Besturtztes Land! (Tenor) 01:19
    Track
    7
    Title
    Part I: Recitativo: O Land! Besturtztes Land! (Tenor)
    Duration
    01:19
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Charles Daniels
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  8. 8 Part I: Aria: Weh und Ach (Alto) 04:25
    Track
    8
    Title
    Part I: Aria: Weh und Ach (Alto)
    Duration
    04:25
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Clare Wilkinson
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  9. 9 Part I: Recitativo: Wie, wenn der Blitze Grausamkeit (Soprano) 01:05
    Track
    9
    Title
    Part I: Recitativo: Wie, wenn der Blitze Grausamkeit (Soprano)
    Duration
    01:05
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  10. 10 Part I: Aria: Zage nur, du treues Land (Soprano) 05:02
    Track
    10
    Title
    Part I: Aria: Zage nur, du treues Land (Soprano)
    Duration
    05:02
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  11. 11 Part I: Recitativo: Ach ja! Dein Scheiden geht uns nah (Tenor) 01:20
    Track
    11
    Title
    Part I: Recitativo: Ach ja! Dein Scheiden geht uns nah (Tenor)
    Duration
    01:20
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Charles Daniels
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  12. 12 Part I: Coro: Komm wieder, theurer Fursten-Geist (Chorus) 05:14
    Track
    12
    Title
    Part I: Coro: Komm wieder, theurer Fursten-Geist (Chorus)
    Duration
    05:14
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera, Clare Wilkinson, Charles Daniels, Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Consort, Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  13. 13 Part II: Coro: Wir haben einen Gott, der da hilfft (Chorus) 01:52
    Track
    13
    Title
    Part II: Coro: Wir haben einen Gott, der da hilfft (Chorus)
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera, Clare Wilkinson, Charles Daniels, Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Consort, Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  14. 14 Part II: Recitativo: Betrubter Anblick, voll Erschrecken (Alto) 00:44
    Track
    14
    Title
    Part II: Recitativo: Betrubter Anblick, voll Erschrecken (Alto)
    Duration
    00:44
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Clare Wilkinson
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  15. 15 Part II: Aria: Erhalte mich Gott (Alto) 06:16
    Track
    15
    Title
    Part II: Aria: Erhalte mich Gott (Alto)
    Duration
    06:16
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Clare Wilkinson
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  16. 16 Part II: Recitativo: Jedoch der schwache Mensche zittert nur (Soprano) 01:03
    Track
    16
    Title
    Part II: Recitativo: Jedoch der schwache Mensche zittert nur (Soprano)
    Duration
    01:03
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  17. 17 Part II: Aria: Mit Freuden sey die Welt verlassen (Soprano) 05:07
    Track
    17
    Title
    Part II: Aria: Mit Freuden sey die Welt verlassen (Soprano)
    Duration
    05:07
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  18. 18 Part II: Recitativo: Wohl also Dir, Du aller Fursten Zier (Tenor) 00:20
    Track
    18
    Title
    Part II: Recitativo: Wohl also Dir, Du aller Fursten Zier (Tenor)
    Duration
    00:20
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Charles Daniels
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  19. 19 Part II: Coro: Wir haben einen Gott, der da hilfft (Chorus) 01:59
    Track
    19
    Title
    Part II: Coro: Wir haben einen Gott, der da hilfft (Chorus)
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera, Clare Wilkinson, Charles Daniels, Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Consort, Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  20. 20 Part IV: Aria: Bleibet nun in eurer Ruh (Bass) 06:33
    Track
    20
    Title
    Part IV: Aria: Bleibet nun in eurer Ruh (Bass)
    Duration
    06:33
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  21. 21 Part IV: Recitativo: Und Du betrubtes Fursten-Hauss (Tenor) 01:08
    Track
    21
    Title
    Part IV: Recitativo: Und Du betrubtes Fursten-Hauss (Tenor)
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Charles Daniels
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  22. 22 Part IV: Aria: Hemme Dein gequaltes Krancken (Soprano) 03:30
    Track
    22
    Title
    Part IV: Aria: Hemme Dein gequaltes Krancken (Soprano)
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  23. 23 Part IV: Recitativo: Nun scheiden wir, Hochseelger Leopold, von Dir (Tenor) 01:11
    Track
    23
    Title
    Part IV: Recitativo: Nun scheiden wir, Hochseelger Leopold, von Dir (Tenor)
    Duration
    01:11
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Charles Daniels
    Ensemble
    Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott
  24. 24 Part IV: Coro: Die Augen sehn nach Deiner Leiche (Chorus) 06:26
    Track
    24
    Title
    Part IV: Coro: Die Augen sehn nach Deiner Leiche (Chorus)
    Duration
    06:26
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    Emily Van Evera, Clare Wilkinson, Charles Daniels, Thomas Meglioranza
    Ensemble
    Taverner Consort, Taverner Players
    Conductor
    Andrew Parrott