Cantata BWV 132 - Discussions

Discussions in the Week of December 17, 2000

Aryeh Oron wrote (December 17, 2000):
Background

This is the week of cantata BWV 132 according to Ryan Michero's suggestion. All the quotations in this review are taken from Alec Robertson's book - 'The Church Cantatas of J.S. Bach'.

"This is Bach's only cantata for the Fourth Sunday in Advent. At Leipzig cantatas were sung only on the first Sunday, but in accordance with Luther's dislike of an invariable observance church authorities could, within reason, take their role line, and so this cantata had a place in the Weimar liturgy."

Personal Viewpoint - Place of a cantata on a CD

Guess what are the following numbers: 2 (1), 2 (7), 2 (7), 2 (6), 2 (8), 3 (14), 2 (10), & 2 (6)? I shall save your time. The first number notes the serial number of Cantata BWV 132 on each one of the LP's and CD's listed below, and the number in brackets specifies the track on that LP or CD in which this cantata begins. It means that in each one of the recordings, this cantata was not thought by the editor of the CD as its main cause of attraction. OK, they have their excuses - BWV numbering order (Teldec), order of composition (Koopman, Suzuki), etc. But I do not believe that it is a mere coincidence. Have all the editors ganged up together against BWV 132? Is this cantata inferior to its companions on each one of the CD's? IMHO, the answer is definitely - NO! The first cantatas on the same CD's are: BWV 61, BWV 61, BWV 62, BWV 172, BWV 131, BWV 63, BWV 97, & BWV 36. Cantata BWV 132 has nothing to be ashamed of when compared to the cantatas in this list. On the contrary!

I think that almost every cantata would have blessed to have one of the three marvellous arias included in BWV 132. Each one of the arias is dominated by the presence of a solo instrument, which plays the counterpart to the solo voice. In the first aria it is the oboe with the soprano, in the second - the cello with the bass, and in the third - the violin with the alto. A whole world of combinations, completions and contrasts is opened. Bach is making the outmost of these possibilities and still leaves us under the impression that he still has a lot up his sleeve. And this cantata has all three of them in the same package. On the other hand, at this stage of our long journey along what seems to be infinite world of Bach cantatas, I am already biased. It is difficult for me to think of any cantata as inferior. I know for sure that each cantata has its own internal treasures, waiting to be explored, by investigating, reading the text and about the cantata. And mainly by listening, over and over and over again, in as many recordings of it as I have the possibility of hearing. It is never tiresome, never boring, never loathed. Let us see how this cantata is performed by all the heavy-weight contenders, as well as by one of the new forces in the arena of Bach Cantatas performers.

List of Complete Recordings

AFAIK, BWV 132 has been recorded only in complete form. Although all the three arias of this cantata are splendid and have some unique characteristics, as shall be described below, I am not aware of any recordings of individual movements from it. See: Cantata BWV 132 – Recordings.

(1) Helmut Kahlhöfer (Mid 1960's ?)
I do not have this recording. I remember Kählhofer favourably from recordings of previous cantatas in our weekly discussions. I found a short review of this recording in the first 'Penguin Stereo Record Guide' (1975): "Both these cantatas (the other is BWV 61, which was discussed in our group two weeks ago) are worth acquiring and neither is otherwise available separately. True the performances are not especially distinguished, but both are eminently serviceable and the recording, though not outstanding, is fully acceptable and musically balanced."

(2) Karl Richter (1972)
(3) Helmuth Rilling (1976+1977)
(4) Gustav Leonhardt (1983)
(5) Ton Koopman (1995)
(6) Massaki Suzuki (1997)
(7) Pieter Jan Leusink (1999)
(8) Kevin Mallon & Aradia Ensemble (2000)

Review of the recordings of the three solo arias

Mvt. 1 Aria for Soprano
'Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn!' ('Prepare the way, prepare the course')
Accompaniment: Oboe, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Continuo
"In answer to the question put by the Jews 'Who art thou?' John the Baptist replied by quoting the prophet Isaiah (15: 3) - 'I am the voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord', and went on to prophesy the coming of the Messiah.

The instrumental introduction to the aria reflects, in its lovely dance-like melody and in its rising and falling scale passages, the joyful event that is to be. The soprano is given a long run on 'Bahn' (the course') of seven and a half bars. One of the most satisfying features of Bach's writing is a perfect balance between musical and spiritual logic and so at the repeat of the opening words the same vocal pattern returns, but this time with the florid passages taken up higher. After the ritornello - which repeats the instrumental introduction in full - the text of the middle section is 'Prepare the ways and make the paths in faith and love to the Highest quite smooth'. The outstanding feature of this section is the highlighting of the words 'Messiah approaches' which are sung three times, each time unaccompanied".

Edith Mathis (with Richter) (2) moves smoothly, elegantly and virtuously along the long and complicated lines. The accompaniment is serious and convincing but a little bit heavy and not lively and spirited enough. And although the playing of the oboist Manfred Clements is impressive, the perfect 'balance between musical and spiritual logic' described by Robertson is not achieved here. A rich and bubbling instrumental opening precedes the entry of Arleen Augér in Rilling's recording (3). Ingo Goritzki plays the oboe with overt enjoyment. Purists might say that his playing has too much vibrato, but he is co convincing that I have nothing but praises, because I prefer it overflowing rather than dry. Augér is better than Mathis in every parameter, but this is no news to those who are already familiar with her gorgeous singing. And, of course, Augér singing and Goritzki playing blend beautifully together. The boy soprano in Leonhardt's rendering (4) has a short breath and he is compelled to break the long lines. But what he is doing between those breaks is indeed exiting. Very rarely we hear a boy singing with such level of expression. It is so different from the female sopranos, yet it opens new horizons of possibilities and the whole aria is getting a new meaning. The playing of the oboe in this rendering is less prominent and more a part of the whole instrumental texture. The playing of the oboe player in Koopman's recording (5) immediately captivated me and then I realized that Marcel Ponseele plays it. I shall say no more, except to note that the singing of Barbara Schlick is not on the same level. This rendering is played relatively fast, but it still manage to bring out all the jollity and charm. I wish Koopman had a more expressive singer for this aria. The technique of Ingrid Schmithüsen (with Suzuki) (6) is impressive, however I do not like her timbre of voice in this aria, especially in comparison to some of the other soprano singers. The playing of the oboe is satisfactory, if not exceptional. Ruth Holton (with Leusink) (7) has the needtechnique, the expressive abilities and the understanding of the textual content to do the best in the aria for soprano. The accompaniment is full of charm and pleasant pungency. The playing of the instruments in Mallon's recording (8) is not on the same level as in Leusink's and Teri Dunn is definitely not (yet?) Holton.

Mvt. 2 Aria for Bass
'Wer bist du?' ('Who art thou?')
Accompaniment: Violoncello, Continuo
"In this aria the question 'Who art thou?' is not the one addressed to John the Baptist by the Jews, as before, but to the Christian conscience, and so was intended to come home to the listening congregation. The austere music has an obsessive motif on the cello which is rarely absent throughout. Self-judgement comes in the second half of the grim aria '(Thou art) a child in Satan's net, a false, hypocritical Christian!' The word ' hypocritical is set to the long and tortuous phrase and the soul struggling in Satan's net is graphically represented by downward leaps."

Theo Adam's (with Richter) (2) voice has that serious quality, which makes you looking into yourself and answer him without any attempt to evade. The organ continuo is playing too loud and covers the cello. Consequently, the delicate balance between the singer and the cello is getting lost. Schöne's (with Rilling) (3) expressive range is narrower than that of Adam. The playing of the organ is humble so that he cello can be clearly heard. But it is not strong enough to be a counterpart to the bass singer. This rendering of the aria does not rise to the level suggested by the music. Max van Egmond (with Leonhardt) (4) is reliable as ever, but the main cause of attraction in the aria for bass in this rendering is the playing of the cello (by Anner Bylsma?) - full of tenderness, sensitivity and nobility. The organ continuo is light and gentle and leaves the podium open for the bass singer and the cello player to express themselves, as it should be. Koopman's approach (5) to the aria for bass is surprisingly similar to that of Leonhardt. However he has a better bass singer to his disposal (Mertens) and the cello player (Jaap ter Linden) is on the same par with Bylsma. Where Mertens is convincing you to open your heart, Kooy (with Suzuki) (6) is commanding you to do it. Both approaches are valid in this aria, but I prefer Mertens. What I wrote about the oboe player in the aria for soprano in Suzuki's recording, is applicable for the cello player in the aria for bass in this recording as well. Ramselaar (with Leusink) (7) approach to this aria is very similar to that of Suzuki. The cello player in this recording is doing also fine and his strong bow strokes are reflecting what Ramselaar is singing. Thomas Goerz (with Mallon) (8) is the weakest of the bass singers of this aria, especially regarding his expression.

Mvt. 3 Aria for Alto
'Christi Glieder, ach bedenket, was der Heiland euch geschenket durch der Taufe reines Bad' ('Members of Christ, ah, consider, what the Saviour gave you through baptism's pure bath')
Accompaniment: Violin solo, Continuo
"The wide ranging arabesques for the solo violin, rising up the scale and gradually and gently falling to a cadence before the voice comes in, represent, symbolically, the cleansing waters of baptism, the gift of 'the new robes of crimson and white silk'."

The playing of the solo violin (Otto Büchner), which opens this aria, is arresting in Richter's recording (2). However, Reynolds' singing is far from being satisfactory. Her voice has a kind of instability, which disturbs. Every time the violin returns, we are back on track, but then the alto singer returns and we get disappointed again. Helen Watts (with Rilling) (3) has a strong and expressive voice and slight vibrato and so is the violin, which is played here by Walter Forchert. The feeling is of two equal complementary forces that are making their outmost to make this aria moving. The technique of the violin player in Leonhardt's recording (4) (is it Marie Leonhardt or Lucy van Dael?) is not satisfactory and it annoys from listening to the compelling unique voice of René Jacobs. The delicate and tender voice of Wessel (with Koopman) (5) is blending splendidly with the addictive violin playing of Margaret Faultless. The performance of the aria for alto (Yoshikazu Mera) in Suzuki's recording (6) is not very distinguished in comparison to Koopman's. Hearing Buwalda (with Leusink) (7) after counter-tenor singers like Jacobs or Wessel, put him in very bad position. His capabilities, and especially his unstable voice, are simply not up to the task. The nice surprise is waiting for us almost at the end. Hearing the young and unfamiliar (to me) Matthew White (with Mallon) (8) is a pleasure - good and clean technique, attractive voice, and sensitive expression. In the preceding recitative he is so sensitive and touching, that he caused me to forget all the other singers of this recitative (both contraltos and contra-tenors). I hope to hear more from him in the future in the demanding field of Bach Cantatas. The violin player is also doing his best, but I was not impressed by him as I was by Matthew White. Welcome aboard!

Conclusion

I recommend everyone listening to this box of jewels cantata and judge for yourselves which is the recordings you like the most. Every recording has its pros and cons, and every one of them can be a source for pleasure (Yes, even Mallon (8)). But if I had to choose only one, it would be Koopman (5). And as always, I would like to hear other opinions, regarding the above mentioned performances, or other recordings.

Andrew Oliver wrote (December 22, 2000):
'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." ' So reads Matthew 3:3, quoting from Isaiah 40:3. Unsurprisingly, Bach sees this as a cause and reason for joy and rejoicing, hence the delightful skipping, lilting first aria. I have only Leonhardt's recording of this cantata (from Teldec) (4), and I agree completely with Aryeh's comments about the boy soprano, Sebastian Hennig. It is true that, as he runs out of breath in the long melismata, he tends to hurry before being forced to break the syllable, but his intonation and expression is nevertheless very good and shows a maturity of musical and dramatic understanding which is quite unusual. This recording was made in 1983. I wonder if he continued to sing after his voice broke. Another point about this aria which I like is the partnership between voice and oboe, neither overshadowing the other.

The interesting recitative which follows provides Bach with opportunities for word-painting. Note the words Höhen, Wälz and schweren.

The bass aria interests me mainly for the unusual obbligato cello part. I find the organ continuo appealing, all the more because it is gentle and unobtrusive.

The second recitative and the aria following are sung by the countertenor René Jacobs. Both numbers are performed with expressive declamation and interpretation, as would be expected from a singer of this calibre. In the aria, particularly, Jacobs reminds me of Alfred Deller, both in type of voice and in his use of phrasing and dynamics. Underlying all this there is, of course, a superbly composed musical score. Are we becoming so accustomed to Bach's genius that we take it for granted? As always, I find it is of much benefit to listen to the cantata several times if
possible, because only then do we begin to realize a little of what Bach has put into each composition. Eachhearing teaches us something new, if we are able to concentrate on it. Bach is never superficial.

An example of this is the closing chorale. The melody is simple, yet Bach takes as much care over its harmonization as he does with any other number is this cantata.

I did not know this cantata before this week. How many more gems are waiting to be discovered in Bach's store of treasures?

Aryeh Oron wrote (December 23, 2000):
This review of Cantata BWV 132 was sent twice to the 'old' Bach Cantatas Mailing List at the begining of last week. Due the problems in ListBot last week and the change of the Server, I believe that many of the members had not had the chance to see it. Now, when about half of the members (61 of 120+) have already re-joined the 'new' list, it is time to send the review to the 'new' list. I hope to see some feedback to this review and recommend everybody to listen to this cantata, because it contains many treasures, among which could be found three marvellous arias!

Jonan van Veen wrote (December 23, 2000):
(4) (Gustav Leonhardt) The instrumentalists are Lucy van Dael (violin in 5), Bruce Haynes (oboe), Wouter Möller (2, 3, 5, 6) and Rainer Zipperling (1, 4) (cello), Bob van Asperen (1, 4) and Gustav Leonhardt (2, 3, 5, 6) (organ).

Maybe it would be a good idea to compile a list of the players in these recordings. I have the details of a number of cantatas, others perhaps have the information regarding other cantatas. If we put them together, we could make a - hopefully complete - list, which would be useful for the discussion of the recordings.

Pieter Pannevis wrote (December 23, 2000):
How pleased I am with your "reviews". Can you tell me and the group why it is
that in my list also (BWV 147a) is also stated for the 4^th Sunday of Advent.

Aryeh Oron wrote (December 23, 2000):
(To Pieter Pannevis) Thanks for your kind words.

Cantata (BWV 147a) was indeed composed for the 4th Sunday in Advent. According to Grove, it was composed in 1716, but probably not performed in this version. Both the music and the text were lost. However, the music for the famous Cantata BWV 147 - "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben" was adapted from (BWV 147a).

Pieter Pannevis wrote (December 23, 2000):
(To Aryeh Oron) Once in a while I surf the net for Bach.!!
In my booklet from Bach sorted Thematically it states that besides BWV 132 it's also 147 a. which I find to my daily life a wonderful cantata.

May the blessing of the Lord in this wonderful season upon us all! Pax et Bonum!

PS I have the version- besides the Dutch enterprise of Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Concentus Musicus Wien.
PPS May this a good season for you all and those who in your heart! God bless!

Aryeh Oron wrote (December 23, 2000):
(To Pieter Pannevis) The cantata you enjoy listening to is most probably BWV 147 and not (BWV 147a). It is impossible to listen to BWV 147a, because its text and music have never been found (see my previous message). BWV 147 is indeed a wonderful cantata and one of the most famous. But there are many more cantatas to explore and enjoy from, most of them are not very well known. Among them is the cantata of this week - BWV 132.

Kirk McElhearn wrote (December 25, 2000):
< Aryeh Oron wrote: Guess what are the following numbers: 2 (1), 2 (7), 2 (7), 2 (6), 2 (8), 3 (14), 2 (10), & 2 (6)? I shall save your time. The first number notes the serial number of Cantata BWV 132 on each one of the LP's and CD's listed below, and the number in brackets specifies the track on that LP or CD in which this cantata begins. It means that in each one of the recordings, this cantata was not thought by the editor of the CD as its main cause of attraction. OK, they have their excuses - BWV numbering order (Teldec), order of composition (Koopman, Suzuki), etc. But I do not believe that it is a mere coincidence. Have all the editors ganged up together against BWV 132? >
A couple of brief comments. At least listening to BWV 132 gave me a chance to listen again to the extraordinay BWV 131...

< The technique of the violin player in Leonhardt's recording (is it Marie Leonhardt or Lucy van Dael?) is not satisfactory and it annoys from listening to the compelling unique voice of René Jacobs. >
I have to disagree. This is the only version I own, and I feel that the violin playing here is excellent.

Discussions in the Week of May 22, 2005

Peter Bright wrote (May 22, 2005):
Introduction: BWV 132

The cantata for discussion this week (May 22-28) is:

Cantata BWV 132
Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn
(‘Prepare the way, prepare the course’)

Written for the fourth Sunday of Advent, first performed on 22 December 1715.
The text is from Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer by Salomo Franck (Weimar, 1715)

Link to texts, commentary, vocal score, music examples, and list of known recordings: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV132.htm

Link to previous discussions (including a very nice recordings review by Aryeh): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV132-D.htm

It is possible to hear two versions of the complete cantata on the internet (Leonhardt from 1983, and Leusink, from 1999 [7]). See: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Mus/BWV132-Mus.htm

This page also includes a link to the alto recitative (from volume 2 of the Koopman series, 1995 [5])

----------
I have provided notes from two sources (any typing errors are mine):

1) Humphreys, D.L. (1999). Bereiteit die Wege, bereitet die Bahn. In Boy, M. (Ed.) Oxford Composer Companions: J.S. Bach, pp.60-61. Oxford University Press: Oxford
2) Isoyama, T. (1998). CD notes: Bach Cantatas Volume 7, Suzuki/Bach Collegium Japan, BIS [6].

1) [BWV132] dwells on Advent themes, the opening aria being built round Isaiah 40: 3 ('The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God') and the central aria (movement 3) paraphrasing the words of the Jews to John the Baptist 'Who art thou?' (John 1: 19). Franck's text includes a final chorale strophe, 'Ertot uns durch dein Gute', from Elisabeth Kreuziger's hymn Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn (1524), but there is no setting of this in BWV 132, at least in the form in which it survives today. Alfred Dürr persuasively suggests that a chorale harmonization was entered on a loose sheet of paper after the third gathering (which was full) and has since dropped out of the score and been lost. There is a parallel with Cantata BWV 163 (Nur jedem das Seine), composed a few weeks earlier, in which a similar loss seems to have taken place. The only other cantata for the fourth Sunday of Advent to have survived is BWV 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben.

BWV 132 is scored for SATB, oboe, strings, and continue (including bassoon). In its present form it consists of three arias flanking two simple recitatives, with all four voices assuming a solo role.

The opening da capo aria is in a lilting 6/8 metre with a rhythm suggesting the influence of the loure [a French court dance]. Most of the material is based on the opening figure, which lends itself easily to dialoguing and overlapping effects. The prominent solo oboe (the compass of the part shows that an oboe d'amore is required) is heard in dialogue with the soprano voice, exchanging figures based on the melismatic word-painting for 'Bahn', which wanders about its winding way in semiquavers. The words 'Messias kommt an!' ('the Messiah is coming!') are proclaimed unaccompanied, throwing them into rand forming a climax to the aria's middle section.

The following tenor recitative, 'Willst du dich Gottes Kind und Christi Bruder nennen', is interspersed with arioso sections, with vividly descriptive word-painting to reflect the phrase 'Walz' ab die schweren Sundensteine' ('Roll away the heavy stones of sin'). There follows a bass aria, 'Wer bist du?', the text of which takes as its point of departure the questions addressed by the Jews to John the Baptist (John 1: 19 ff.). The pervasive bass figure in the accompaniment (for continue only) is related to the main motif of the voice part. Its Buxtehudian character gives the whole movement an old-fashioned air, the cello working out the figure constantly against the background of simplified writing for the other continue instruments.

Also noteworthy are the spectacular chromatic melismata for 'ein falscher heuchlerischer Christ' ('a false, hypocritical Christian'). The following accompanied recitative leads to a third aria, 'Christ; Glieder, ach, bedenket', for alto. Exhorting the Christian to meditate on the baptism of Christ, it is in ritornello form with an elaborate violin obbligato. As mentioned above, the final chorale is apparently lacking.

2) […] It was the custom at this time in Weimar to perform a cantata during the liturgy on Advent 4, although not in Leipzig. Accordingly, it is believed that BWV 132 was only performed once during Bach's lifetime. For the same Sunday of the following year, the first version of BWV 147 was written, but this piece was reworked later in Leipzig and has survived as a Marian cantata (for the Feast of the Visitation).

The Gospel reading for Advent 4 tells the story of John the Baptist (John 1: 19-28). The Jews, hearing John's powerful preaching in the wilderness, wonder if John himself is the Messiah, and they ask him this question. John replies that he is not the Messiah, but a voice in the wilderness which cries 'make straight the way of the Lord'. They ask him why he baptizes if this is so. He answers, thus foretelling the advent
of the true Messiah:

'I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose'.

It is clear that the libretto by Salomo Franck is closely based on this Gospel text. In his interpretation, he calls for Christians to 'prepare the way' of their inner selves, and to confirm their faith through confession. Bach's chamber-music-like arrangement for oboe, strings and continue gives a youthful and intimate imression. The music for the final chorale is missing from the autograph, but it has become standard practice to use the chorale from BWV 164, which has the same text.

The command to 'prepare the way' first appears at the beginning of the initial soprano aria with oboe accompaniment (A major, 6/8 time). The pastoral rhythm flows along in dance-like steps, and the long runs on the word Bahn {road) create an effect of delightful motion.

In order to prepare the way, Christians must proclaim their faith openly and make their lives a confession of their faith. This is the message of the tenor recitative (No. 2), which incorporates two A major arioso passages. The tenor tells how we must clear the way for the Saviour to become one with us through faith.

The bass aria (E major, 4/4 time) which follows, as if it were a rite of passage itself, looks deeper into the Christian's sin. Over the fine figures the cello and continue repeatedly expose, the bass asks the severe question 'Who art thou?'.

The alto takes up the narrative with a recitative (No. 4) with string accompaniment, in which he confesses his dishonesty and begs for God's forgiveness. He then continues with a B minor 4/4 aria (No. 5) meditating upon the baptism of the Saviour. Virtuoso arabesques in a solo violin part might be thought to represent the 'fountain of blood and water' in the text. The final chorale is a prayer for God's goodness and mercy; as mentioned above, the harmonization written for BWV 164 is normally used to conclude this cantata.

----------

For me, the jewels of this cantata are the beautiful, lilting soprano aria (mv. 1) and the alto aria (mv. 4). But the entire cantata impresses Unfortunately, the music for the final chorus is missing, and (as stated in the above notes), the chorale from BWV 164 is commonly employed in its place.

I hope to see many of you joining in the discussion of this wonderful music.

Peter Smaill wrote (May 22, 2005):
The appearance of this cantata, BWV 132, "Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die bahn!" sent me scurrying back to the Richter vinyl recording [2] which I last listened to in the 1980's. And what a stream of recollection follows ! The haunting triple rythm of the opening aria comes back to the mind; the device of almost continuos triple time in the bass set against the dotted figure of the upper parts and the melismatic oboe create an unforgettable stream of music. The effect is of continuous movement, brilliantly appropriate to the words.

Within the text there is one interesting image, which links Old and new testaments, and is at the heart of the penitential aspect of the Advent season. It is the image of "Sundensteine", sin-stones being rolled away, an ingenious linkage of the stones of Christ's tomb after Calvary (Mark), with the OT concept of being "laden with iniquity" (Isaiah); the "lifting of the burden of our sins" (Esdras, Apocrypha). as an allegory of the effect of the Passion and Resurrection it is a brilliant conflation of ideas and images. But is it original to Salomo Franck?

Again we have Franck's focus on the spiritual washing qualities of Baptism and the favourite colours red, purple and white which make their third appearance.

Demanding modest forces and at a time of year when Christmas beckons, why is BWV 132 so rarely performed? One observation is that the oboe disappears after the first aria, and a perfunctory chorale closes the work without the joyous anticipation of the Saviour that would draw modern worshippers, albeit it fulfils the test 'in simplice stylo". The possible solution to this, although the purists might scoff, is to import not the plain setting of "Ertodt uns Durch deine Gute" from BWV 164, but the beautiful extended setting of the same words in the final chorale of BWV 22, allowing orchestral colour and the reappearance of the walking movement so brilliantly acheived in the opening aria.

Thomas Shepherd wrote (May 22, 2005):
Thanks to Peter Bright for taking over the task of introducing the cantatas!

The entire cantata performed by Helmut Kahlhöfer of 1966 on the Cantate / Oryx label [1] is available for a few weeks over the internet at: http://www.zen20101.zen.co.uk/Stuff/BWV132-Kahlh%259afer/

I've always enjoyed this recording - its a very careful and honest rendition by all the performers. The flowing long runs that the soprano has in the dance-like first movement are endearingly performed by Ingeborg Reichelt. She is forced to breath mid-phrase in some of the runs, but no matter. Kahlhöfer takes a much more sedate pace than, say, Suzuki [6] and allows space for the music to speak of the approaching Messiah without rushing!

Doug Cowling wrote (May 22, 2005):
BWV 132 - Bass

Peter Bright wrote:
< Cantata BWV 132
Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn
(OPrepare the way, prepare the course¹)
Written for the fourth Sunday of Advent, first performed on 22 December 1715. >
I was struck by the virtuoso bass aria with its wide tessitura and dramatic downward leaps. Reminded me of the bass aria in "Christ Lag in Todesba" (BWV 4)

Thomas Braatz wrote (May 22, 2005):
Peter Smaill wrote: >>within the text there is one interesting image, which links Old and new testaments, and is at the heart of the penitential aspect of the Advent season. It is the image of "Sundensteine", sin-stones being rolled away, an ingenious linkage of the stones of Christ's tomb after Calvary (Mark), with the OT concept of being "laden with iniquity" (Isaiah); the "lifting of the burden of our sins" (Esdras, Apocrypha). as an allegory of the effect of the Passion and Resurrection it is a brilliant conflation of ideas and images. But is it original to Salomo Franck?<<
A search of the DWB (the equivalent to the complete version of the OED) turns up the compound "Sündenstein" without, however giving the context -- so there is no way, unless one has access to some rather obscure and probably very rare books, to assess whether exactly the same connection is made. Just possibly, however, Salomo Franck, might have read this book before he used the image himself:

"Sündenstein" ['sin-stone'] was first used in German by Gottfried Wagner (1652-1725, born and died in Leipzig) in his "Ter Tria oder die Lehre von denen Dreyhochheiligen Personen der Gottheit" [a book about the Holy Trinity] published in Leipzig in 1698. This book is a translation of a book that appeared that same year in English: "Faithfull Teate." [This is all that given about this English book in the DWB.]

Lucia Haselböck, in her book, "Bach: Textlexikon" [Bärenreiter, 2004], states (I am summarizing from her text only the beginning of her long article on 'Sin.') that the Baroque tends to personify more strongly/vividly virtues, vices, heavenly vs. demonic qualities/aspects. Sins appear in various recognizable guises/forms ["Gestalten."] They are as numerous 'as the grains of sand' near an ocean. They are hindrances that stand in the way on our path to God, because they are heavy burdens "auf der Glaubensbahn" ["on the path of faith" -- BWV 152 "Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn" also Salomo Franck]; they create the "Hügel und Höhen, die ihm entgegen stehen" ["the hills and heights which stand in his way."] BWV 159/1: "O harter Gang! hinauf? O ungeheurer Berg, den meine Sünden zeigen! Wie sauer wirst du müssen steigen!" [O, what a difficult path! Am I supposed to go all the way up there? O monstrous mountain which reveals {all} my sins! With what great difficulty will I have to climb {up there!} Haselböck interprets: they {the mountain of sins} are the 'mountain' of Golgatha which Jesus must overcome/conquer and the heart of the sinner is challenged to "Wälz ab die schweren Sündensteine" ["roll aside the heavy 'sin-stones!'[BWV 132/2]

Neil Halliday wrote (May 24, 2005):
Thomas Shepherd wrote: <"Kahlhöfer [1] (in the soprano aria) takes a much more sedate pace than, say, Suzuki [6] and allows space for the music to speak of the approaching Messiah without rushing!">
Agreed. Leusink's version [7] also struck me as taking the baroque 'dance' idea to extremes, with his fast tempo and small forces resulting in a rushed, light performance.

It's a pity Reichelt (with Kalhöfer [1]) employs a continuous fast vibrato, otherwise she might have given the nicest performance of them all: Augér with Rilling [3] once again shows her tendency to a harsh stridency in places (eg, on high notes; but her avoidance of vibrato on the melismata on "bereitet" is attractive); Mathis with Richter [2] lacks the sweetness this aria requires; Holton's voice with Leusink really does seem to lack projection in this aria. That leaves the boy Hennig with Leonhardt [4] with perhaps the most appealing singing; but I prefer the instrumental sound of the larger non-HIP orchestras mentioned above.

Do I detect some out of tune playing in the continuo at the start of Karlhöfer's bass aria? The singer, Wollitz, has the ability to more accurately project the pitch of the notes he is singing, compared with the other basses, so that the downward leaps of a seventh (on "Satan's nets") are easily heard. But Karlhöfer's portable organ part sounds lame to me; Richter in effect makes his fully realised organ part (on a large instrument) the obligato part, relegating the cello part to the continuo, with distinctive, effective and pleasing results (admittedly probably not what Bach had in mind). I find that the sempre staccato approach to the cello part, in Leusink and Leonhardt, results in an inappropriate light 'chamber music' sound in this aria. OTOH, Leonhardt and Leusink give quite pleasing performances of the lovely alto aria; notice the flowing, legato-sounding continuo in Leonhardt's version; Karlhofer's continuo, with its vibrato, perhaps (it depends on my mood) sounds too 'dense' in this aria. Rilling's recording is well engineered, with a spacious acoustic resulting in a life-like sound.

John Pike wrote (May 25, 2005):
BWV 132, "Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn"

Cantata for the 4^th Sunday of Advent, Weimar 1715. The music for the final chorus is missing although Salomo Franck's entire libretto remains. It is therefore possible to substitute the music from the choral at the end of BWV 164, which is also a setting to the same words "Ertoet uns durch dein Guete".

I found this a most charming cantata. I particularly enjoyed the opening soprano aria and the alto aria no.5.

I have listened to Leusink [7], Rilling [3] and Leonhardt [4] (the latter with Herreweghe as chorus master of Collegium Vocale Gent). I greatly enjoyed all three. I particularly enjoyed Ruth Holton's singing, as ever, in the Leusink, and her light approach. The soloists in Rilling's recording are all fine and there was not as much obtrusive vibrato as in some other recordings. The violin obbligato in no. 5 is very beautifully played in Rilling's account. I agree with others who have commented on the fine singing of Sebastian Hennig, the soprano soloist of Knabenchor Hannover in Leonhardt's recording.

Cantata BWV 132: Complete Recordings | Recordings of Individual Movements | Discussions

Back to the Top

Last update: ýMay 30, 2005 ý13:32:28