Complete Cantatas Ton Koopman Vol. 10 The Leipzig church cantatas:
1st cycle (V: 1723-1724) and chorale cantatas of the 2nd cycle (I:1724-1725)
by Christoph Wolff
Introduction
The tenth volume of the complete recording of Bach's cantatas contains a final group of works (BWV 44,73,119 and 134) from the first cycle of 1723-1724. It continues with the first of a substantial series of chorale cantatas that give the second Leipzig cycle of 1724-1725 its particular character. This volume ends with the serenata BWV 134a, which completes the secular cantatas in Volumes 1 to 3; it provided the musical model for the Easter cantata BWV 134, which was composed in 1724.
Bach's commitment in composing this second cycle of cantatas went well beyond his undertaking in the previous year. Whereas in the first cycle, existing cantatas from the Weimar period could be found alongside new pieces, the second cycle contains a sequence of newly composed works that continued uninterrupted until the spring of 1725. Bach also had to increase his weekly output to take account of additional feast days, such as feasts of the Virgin and those falling in the period from Christmas Day to the first Sunday after Epiphany. The second cycle opens with Cantata BWV 20, the first of a long and remarkable series of chorale cantatas - works inspired both textually and musically by hymns - which give the cycle its unity The opening and closing movements of these chorale cantatas are generally based word for word on the first and last verse of the hymn and its melody while the remaining material is adapted for the inner movements in order to meet the metrical and formal demands of recitative and aria. Time and again, however, direct quotations from the text and melody are worked in. Most of the material was taken from the mainstream chorale repertoire, ranging from the chorales of Martin Luther and the Reformation period to the hymns of Paul Gerhardt and other poets writing in the first half of the seventeenth century the texts of the chorale cantatas are clearly from the pen of the same writer, though he is not named in the sources. There is persuasive evidence that the writer was Andreas Stubel, formerly joint Rector of the Thomasschule, who died on 31 January 1725, a date which fits with the break in the texts for the chorale cantatas. From Easter 1725, the cycle continued initially with cantatas in the more traditional style of the first cycle and then with nine cantatas to texts by the Leipzig poetess Mariane von Ziegler. Bach may not have been able to complete an entire cycle of chorale cantatas conceived as a unity, but in terms of the sheer quantity of newly composed material, 1724-1725 was Bach's most productive cantata year. Moreover, with the chorale cantata Bach made what was probably his most significant contribution to the cantata form. One of the most striking aspects of the works is his endeavour to compose the opening movements on a cantus firmus but in different styles. Symbolically enough, the first cantata in the cycle, BWV 20, begins with a chorale-based chorus in the style of a French overture, while the opening chorus of BWV 2 is a backward-looking chorale motet. From the outset, therefore, Bach establishes a broad stylistic and compositional framework for the conceptual ordering of the cycle. The link between movements within a single cantata is ensured at least textually by reference to the underlying hymn, which is given additional emphasis by a more or less close musical connection with the chorale melody. Thus, Bach achieves overall cyclical unity by linking the sequence of chorale cantatas with a common thread.
The cantatas of Volume 10
The cantata "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein" BWV 2 was written for the 2nd Sunday after Trinity on 18 June 1724. The text is based on Martin Luther's chorale of the same name (1524),the first and last verses of which are reproduced verbatim. Verses 2-5 are reworked and used in the second and third movements. There is no direct link with the gospel reading for the day Luke 14:16-24 (Parable of the great banquet).
The cantata is scored for four-part chorus, augmented by four trombones in the first 12 and last movements, two oboes, strings and continuo. The alto aria (third movement), in which the voice part quotes from the chorale melody, is written as a trio with solo violin. The bass aria is accompanied by oboes and strings. The archaic character of the classic Luther hymn, arranged in motet style in the opening chorus, is emphasised by the addition of trombones.
The cantata "0 Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort" BWV 20 was written for the first Sunday after Trinity on 11 June 1724. It is based on Johann Rist's chorale of the same name (1642), and divided into two parts. There is no direct link with the gospel reading. The first, middle and last verses of the chorale form movements 1, 7 and 11. Rist's hymn is paraphrased in movements 2-6 and 8-10, though movements 2,3, 4,5 and 9 also contain word for word quotations. It is the opening work in Bach's second cycle of church cantatas, most of which are chorale cantatas.
A large-scale composition, it is scored for four-part chorus, trumpet, three oboes, strings and continuo. In a symbolic gesture, the opening movement is in the form of an overture, signalling the beginning of a new cantata cycle in the clearest way possible while at the same time giving particular prominence to the chorale melody as a cantus firmus. The accompaniment of the various arias makes full use of the instrumental forces available: the third movement (tenor aria) with strings, the fifth movement (bass aria) with three oboes, the eighth movement (bass aria) with solo trumpet and the tenth movement (alto and tenor duet) with continuo.
The cantata "Sie werden euch in den Bann tun" BWV 44 was written for the Sunday after Ascension and first performed on 21 May 1724. The author of the text is unknown; the first and second movements are based on part of the gospel reading (John 15:26-16:4- Jesus takes leave of his disciples). The fourth movement is the chorale "Ach Cott, wie manches Herzeleid" by Martin Moller (1587), and the seventh movement is the fifteenth verse of the chorale "In ailen meinen Taten" by Paul Fleming (1642).The work is scored for four-part choir, two oboes, strings and continuo. The first two movements go together to make up a single unit, both textually and musically. The first half of the bible verse, scored as a duet for tenor and bass, is set to a polyphonic, imitative orchestral accompaniment; it is followed by dramatic choral interjections, setting the second half of the bible verse in block chords with graduated dynamics. The alto aria (third movement) is accompanied by solo oboe, the soprano aria (sixth movement) by strings.
The cantata "Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir" BWV 73 was written for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany on 23 January 1724. For the first movement, the unknown librettist took the hymn of the same name by Kaspar Bienemann (1582), interpolating some free- composed sections. The last movement is a verse from Ludwig Heimbold's hymn "Von Gott will ich nicht lassen" (1563). All the sections of the cantata text have a link with the gospel reading (Matthew 8:1-13 - Healing of a leper).
Again, the large-scale opening movement reflects the specific character of the chorale cantata cycle. It also demonstrates Bach's quest for an original approach to large-scale choral settings of chorale-based material. The Reformation chorale melody "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält" appears in four sections, interrupted by relatively lengthy recitatives sung successively by tenor, bass and soprano. The central solo movements are given to tenor and bass. The first aria is for tenor with oboe obbligato; the following bass recitative and aria are given a broad and particularly expressive accompaniment by the full complement of strings.
The cantata "Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott" BWV 101 was written for the 10th Sunday after Trinity and first performed On 13 August 1724. The text is based on the hymn of the same name by Martin Moller (1584), which in Leipzig was one of the main hymns for that particular Sunday. Complete verses of the hymn are set in movements 1 and 7, while individual lines or even whole verses are interpolated into the text of movements 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The cantata is richly scored for four-part chorus (augmented by three trombones in the outer movements), soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, transverse flutes, three oboes, strings and continuo. The three oboes are used as soloists in the bass chorale setting (fourth movement); the sixth movement is a tightly scored quintet of flute and oboe da caccia, soprano, alto and continuo.
The cantata "Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn" BWV 119 is the first work Bach composed for the church service to celebrate the annual Leipzig city council elections on the Monday after St. Bartholomew's Day (24 August). First performed on 30 August 1723, this cantata was mentioned in contemporary newspaperreports as "excellent music for the council election". The unknown author takes Psalm 65:2 as the text for the first movement and part of Martin Luther's German Te Deum (1529) for the ninth movement.
The work is richly scored to suit the occasion, with four-part chorus, soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, four trumpets, two recorders, three oboes (including two oboes da caccia), strings and continuo. The musical forces were the biggest Bach had assembled in Leipzig to date. In addition, the mention of "Violoncelli, Bassoni e Violoni" indicates a particularly well-furnished continuo group. In a style to match the ceremonial nature of the event, Bach sets the opening chorus as a French overture, possibly recycling an existing, self-contained orchestral movement.
The cantata "Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir" BWV 130 was composed for Michaelmas 1724 and first performed on 29 September of that year. The text is based on the chorale of the same name by Paul Eber (1561), with verses 1, 11 and 12 being used unchanged for the opening chorus and closing chorale. The other verses are reworked and used in movements 2 to 5. Any links with the readings for the day, especially the epistle (Revelation 12:7-12 - Archangel Michael fights the dragon), are of only a general nature.
The musical forces, including four-part chorus, three trumpets, timpani, transverse flute, three oboes, strings and continuo, match the festive character of the cantata. As usual, the outer movements are scored for the full ensemble, while the instrumentation is reduced in the central ones. The second movement is a secco recitative for alto, the third movement a bass aria with trumpets and timpani, the fourth movement a soprano and tenor recitative with strings, and the fifth movement a tenor aria with flute.
The cantata "Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß" BWV 134 for the third day of Easter (Easter Tuesday) was first performed on 11 April 1724. The text, by an unknown author, is a relatively superficial reworking of the text of the secular cantata "Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht" BWV 134a, which was composed for New Year's Day 1719 (see below), when Bach was in Cöthen. It takes no account of the gospel reading for the day and also does away with the dialogue structure of the original serenata, with its allegorical protagonists Divine Providence and Time. The printed text from 1724 has survived, as has that of the repeat performance in 1731.
As well as four-part chorus, the cantata is scored for two oboes, strings and continuo. The full ensemble is used for the first time in the second movement, a tenor aria. The alto and tenor duet in the fourth movement is accompanied by strings alone. The final chorus contains extended duet passages, which plainly recall the original conception of the secular model.
The serenata "Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht" BWV 134a, to a text by Christian Friedrich Hunold, was first performed on 1 January 1719 as a tribute to the princely house of Anhalt-Cöthen. As is typical of Bach's Cöthen cantatas, the two solo voices represent a dialogue between allegorical figures, Divine Providence (alto) and Time (tenor). Bach used movements 1-4 and 7-8 of the serenata in the cantata "Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß" BWV l34 for the third day of Faster 1724. The text of the church cantata follows its secular model closely, both formally and in expressive terms, with the result that few substantive musical changes were required to produce the six-movement Leipzig Easter cantata from the Cöthen serenata.
The cantata "Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele" BWV 180 for the 20th Sunday after Trinity was first performed on 22 October 1724. The unknown author based the text on the communion chorale of the same name by Johann Franck (1653), using verses 1,4 and 7 unchanged and paraphrasing the others. The link with the gospel reading (Matthew 22:1-14 -Parable of the wedding feast) is emphasised primarily by the traditional function of the chorale as a communion hymn.
Together with the usual four-part chorus, the cantata is colourfully scored for an instrumental ensemble of two recorders, transverse flute, oboe, oboe da caccia, strings (including violoncello piccolo) and continuo. The full ensemble is used in the outer movements and the fifth, a soprano aria. The transverse flute is used in the second movement (tenor aria), the violoncello piccolo in the third (soprano recitative and chorale) and the recorders in the fourth (alto recitative).
The Soloists
Caroline Stam is one of the most talented young sopranos working in the 'authentic' field today. She is at the forefront of an exciting new generation of singers that looks set to maintain this tradition as we enter the new millennium. Born and educated in the Netherlands, Caroline Stam studied at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory of Music with both Erna Spoorenberg and Margreet Honig. Following her successful graduation - and masterclasses with Bernard Kruysen, Elly Ameling and Sarah Walker -, she won both First Prize and the French Song Prize at the 1995 Grimsby International Singing Competition.
Meanwhile she had been appointed a founder member of the Amsterdam Baroque Choir in 1992. It wasn't long before she found herself promoted to the position of soloist and has since gone on to make acclaimed recordings of Purcell's the Fairy Queen in addition to several Bach cantatas for Erato, all conducted by Ton Koopman with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. She is now heavily in demand throughout Europe, her busy schedule including major concerts in Holland, France, Germany and the UK with such luminaries as Robert King, Ivan Fischer, Sir David Willcocks, Charles de Wolff and Ton Koopman.
Michael Chance has established a worldwide reputation as one of the foremost exponents of the male alto voice in all areas of the classical repertoire, and is in equal demand as an opera, concert and recording artist.
His vocal training with Rupert Bruce Lockhart followed an English degree at King's College, Cambridge, where he was also a choral scholar. His first operatic appearance was in the Buxton Festival in Ronald Eyre's staging of Cavalli's Giasone, which was followed by performances in Lyon, Cologne and several seasons with Kent Opera. He has since performed in major opera houses around the world in roles ranging from Orfeo (Gluck), Oberon and Giasone to Apollo in Britten's Death in Venice he has had roles written for him by Sir Harrison Birtwistle (The Second Mrs Kong) and Judith Weir (A Night at the Chinese Opera). His festival appearances include Edinburgh, Aix-en-Provence and Salzburg. He has given recitals and performed as a soloist in oratorio in leading concert halls all over the world. His recital programmes range from Elizabethan lute songs to new works commissioned for him.
Michael Chance's list of recordings is numerous and widespread, earning him many prestigious awards. He has recorded frequently with John Eliot Gardiner, as well as Trevor Pinnock, Franz Brüggen, Ton Koopman and Nicholas McGegan. Michael Chance is a visiting Professor at the Royal College of Music.
Paul Agnew was born in Glasgow and a former Choral Scholar at Magdelen College, Oxford, and is now one of the most versatile tenors of his generation. A long-time member of Anthony Rooley's Consort of Musicke, since turning soloist he has been in great demand with some of the most distinguished period instrument ensembles in the world. He made his debut at the Palais Garnier, Paris, performing the title role in a highly successful production of Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie with William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, which subsequently travelled to Nice, Caen, Montpellier and New York. Another major role with William Christie was Jason in Charpentier's Médéé, which toured France, Portugal and the United States.
Other orchestras Paul Agnew has worked with include the English Baroque Soloists (Purcell's King Arthur with John Eliot Gardiner), the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (Bach cantatas) and most particularly the English Concert with whom he has performed The Fairy Queen, Dioclesian, Timon of Athens and King Arthur. More recently he has worked with La Chapelle Royale and Philippe Herreweghe (Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ), the Academy of Ancient Music (Handel's Joshua), Tafelmusik (Purcell's Dioclesian), the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (Bach's B minor Mass), the Hanover Band (Schubert's Lazurus) and Les Arts Florissants in Monteverdi's Vespers, which he also recorded for Erato.
Paul Agnew's other recordings for Erato include Mozart's 'Coronation' Mass, several volumes in the complete Bach cantata series, Charpentier's Les Plaisirs de Versailles and an album of Mondonville motets.
Klaus Mertens, the German bass-baritone, has been following studies with Else Bischof-Bornes, Jakob Stämpfli and Peter Massmann and has established an enviable reputation within a remarkably short space of time, and is now very much in demand. His concert career to date has focussed largely upon the Baroque era, working alongside such renowned specialists in the period-instrument field as Ton Koopman, Frans Bruggen, Nicholas McGegan, Rene Jacobs, Philippe Herreweghe and Sigiswald Kuijken. He has already recorded many of the central works of the period, including Monteverdi's Vespers, Bach's B minor Mass and a disc of Charpentier motets for Erato. In addition, he has played a central role in the same company's complete Bach cantata edition under the direction of Ton Koopman.
Mertens has been equally successful in later repertoire. His concert appearances in such stylistically disparate works as Hindemith's Requiem, Mendelssohn's Elijah and Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex have been universally praised, as have his many Lieder recitals. He has appeared at many of the world's most important music festivals, including the Prague Spring, Salzburg, Lucerne and London 'Proms', and has made numerous guest appearances with such internationally acclaimed orchestras as the Chicago Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus and Dresden Philharmonic. His TV appearances include the St John Passion with the Royal Concertgebouw, and a recital of Schubert songs orchestrated by Reger for NDR Hanover.
terug
Caroline Stam is one of the most talented young sopranos working in the 'authentic' field today. She is at the forefront of an exciting new generation of singers that looks set to maintain this tradition as we enter the new millennium. Born and educated in the Netherlands, Caroline Stam studied at the Amsterdam Sweelinck Conservatory of Music with both Erna Spoorenberg and Margreet Honig. Following her successful graduation - and masterclasses with Bernard Kruysen, Elly Ameling and Sarah Walker -, she won both First Prize and the French Song Prize at the 1995 Grimsby International Singing Competition.
He has already recorded many of the central works of the period, including Monteverdi's Vespers, Bach's B minor Mass and a disc of Charpentier motets for Erato. In addition, he has played a central role in the same company's complete Bach cantata edition under the direction of Ton Koopman.