Telemann: Passion Cantatas / Mertens, Ad-el, Accademia Daniel
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- CPO
- March 31, 2009
TELEMANN Passion Cantatas • Klaus Mertens (bbar); Shalev Ad-El, cond; Accademia Daniel (period instruments) • cpo 777 299 (69:53 Text and Translation)
Ach Herr! Lehr uns Bedenken wohl. Der am Ölberg zagende Jesus. Ich will den Kreuzweg gerne gehen. Jesus liegt in letzten Zügen. Was gibst du denn, o meine Seele
The five cantatas presented on this disc share several elements. They are all for solo bass and orchestra, and they all deal in some way with the events of Christ’s passion, either directly or as a reflection on it. Erdmann Neumeister, who composed over 400 cantata texts for Telemann and other composers, wrote that a cantata “looks like nothing so much as a piece out of an opera,” and this element may have been what attracted Telemann to the form. More than 1,400 of Telemann’s cantatas survive.
Der am Ölberg zagende Jesus deals with Christ’s agonies in the garden of Gethsemane, with three recitatives setting the scene surrounding two arias for Jesus, ending with an aria by the narrator inviting all to contemplate Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus liegt in letzten Zügen is a meditation on the moment of Christ’s death. Ich will den Kreuzweg gerne gehen expresses the narrator’s desire to follow the way of the cross in Christ’s footsteps. The other two cantatas are more tangentially connected to the events of the passion, although they mention the passion as motivation for the sinner to prepare for eventual union with his Savior. All of these works demonstrate Telemann’s inventiveness and unfailing gift of melody. Where appropriate, Telemann adds illustrative touches such as at the text “when a harsh wind blows” (tr. 25). The orchestration is basically strings and oboes, with bassoon and keyboard added to the basso continuo , and occasional coloring from flute or recorder. All appear to be recording premieres.
The performances are very good. Klaus Mertens is well known in the early-music field and has contributed to many recordings of Baroque music. His work here is up to his own high standards. I was not previously acquainted with the work of Israeli conductor and keyboardist Shalev Ad-El. His work here is good; the performances are reasonably paced, and everything flows smoothly. The conductor is the music director of the Israeli period-instrument group Accademia Daniel, which plays these works one player to a part.
These artists have combined twice before on programs of Telemann cantatas, one for Hessian Radio and one for cpo. J. F. Weber praised the latter recording (31:5), concluding his review, “Add this disc to your collection, and watch for more.” I agree wholeheartedly.
FANFARE: Ron Salemi
Product Description:
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Release Date: March 31, 2009
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UPC: 761203729920
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Catalog Number: 777299-2
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Label: CPO
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Number of Discs: 1
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Composer: TELEMANN, G.P.
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Performer: Mertens, Ad-El, Accademia Daniel