Cantata BWV 167
Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe
Discussions - Part 1
Discussions in the Week of June 16, 2002
Aryeh Oron wrote (June 16, 2002):
Introduction
The subject of this week’s discussion (June 16, 2002), according to Francis Browne’s suggested list, is the Solo Cantata BWV 167 ‘Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe’, for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. The librettist for this cantata is unknown. The Gospel, Luke 1: 57-80 - the circumcision of John and the prophecy of his father Zacharias - is reflected in this libretto.
The details of the recordings of this cantata can be found in the following page of the Bach Cantatas Website: Cantata BWV 167 - Recordings
Since this cantata was firstly performed in 1723, Bach’s first year in Leipzig, all its five complete recordings are coming from the 5 recorded cantata cycles (Rilling, Harnoncourt [2], Koopman, Suzuki, and Leusink [5]). The cantata includes two high points. The first is the duet for soprano and alto (Mvt. 3), with one of those arresting themes, which we can almost always find in most of Bach Cantatas. Sometimes the voices sing together; other times they echo one another in imitation. With the oboe da caccia the duet becomes actually a trio. The second memorable movement is the concluding chorale (Mvt. 5) with wonderful instrumentation, especially in the obbligato trumpet. Not surprising to find that there are also several recordings of this chorale, all of them adaptations for various combinations, none of them includes the choir!
I hope to see many of you participating in the discussion.
Marie Jensen wrote (June 17, 2002):
I have always loved cantata BWV 167 "Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe" for its wonderful final chorale, building a cathedral of praise and for its duet :
Gottes Wort, das trüget nicht,
Es geschieht, was er verspricht.
Last winter when we discussed cantata BWV 154, Thomas Braatz listed a number of cantatas without natural bass (BWV 154 mvt 4 / alto aria senza true b.c. 16-01-02) God / Jesus / the Word was missing - so life had no solid foundation, and music no basso continuo. Here is an example of the opposite. God’s Word does not deceive!
You can rely on it, sure as gravity! So the b.c. is hammered in, not heavily, but with musical nails, a firm rhytm to walk on, to unfold oboe ritornellos on, or singing duets!
Once I had Rilling’s version [1]. I still remember it, especially the final chorale expressing joy and dignity at the same time (He's a little slower than the rest) and of course the duet.
Now I have Leusink [5] and Koopman [3], and on some points Leusink is doing better. Koopman’s rather slow duet contradicts the wonderful message: "You can rely on God"; and in the b-piece is too fast for singers and listeners. The same can be said about the final choral.
On the other hand Koopman’s opening and recitativos are a little bit better. So no yelling at Schoch and Buwalda this time. (That is actually why I decided to write this week).
I have also listened to the BCJ [4] in the radio. If you can live with the accent in the recitativos, their version is good too. Especially the final choral with its crystal clear orchestral praise and disciplined choir.
Gottes Wort, das trüget nicht,
Es geschieht, was er verspricht.
(BWV 167)
Francis Browne wrote (June 22, 2002):
I have enjoyed listening to this week's cantata : the tenor aria, the duet and most of all the exhilirating final chorus were all worth discovering. But they leave me with a question. Why in this cantata did Bach depart from his normal practice of an opening, fugal chorus (for which the text seems suitable) and a simple closing chorale ? The obvious answer is that his choice was determined by the forces available and there was no law that said he had to follow a rigid unvarying pattern. Still, I am delighted and grateful that Bach chose to bestow this wonderful chorus on the good citizens of Leipzig and on us, but I do wish I knew what exactly led him to such generosity on this particular occasion.
[5] (I shall follow Marie's lead and not criticise Schoch this week or bemoan shortcomings in Leusink's recording, which I have enjoyed. When I first heard the tenor aria, I was most pleasantly surprised: the singing was far more expressive, less strained than usual - I thought Schoch had improved greatly. Unfortunately the singer is actually Nico van er Meel. Keep trying, Knut)
Thomas Shepherd wrote (June 22, 2002):
The Suzuki recording of BWV 167 [4] has been on in the car this week. As I act as unpaid taxi driver to three teenagers, they have to put up with my music in the car. So I was surprised to find elder daughter and son singing along to the final chorus. "Why do you like it?", I asked and got the reply from my daughter that the violin part was lovely and possible to sing as a melody. My son likes the running bass-line. He thinks Bach is clever not to emphasise the strong beats of the bar by missing them out in the bass line. They think its a short, pretty, simple and happy chorus. Their response partially explains what had been bothering me why are there so many recordings of this last movement, and for different combinations of instruments? It's like the concluding chorus to each part of BWV 147, Bach understates his technical prowess in favour of a simple and immediate piece.
The third line of this extended doxology has an allusion to John the Baptist's own prophecy about himself; "'I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:27-30) Its a well known chorale and I wonder if, with the supporting lead from tromba, the good people of Leipzig present in church that day in 1723 sung the chorale by themselves or along with the choir?
Personally I like the long duet, Gottes Wort. A clear, simple and unambiguous statement that God's Word will never let us down in this world or the next.
Altogether the cantata is a wonderful mid-summer offering for the feast of John Baptist. It is light and airy. It stands at the time of the year for pastoral dances and hopes of fruitful harvests. To this is added the soul's genuine love and praise of the good creator of all gifts around and the hope of the promise to be fulfilled in life everlasting.
Jane Newble wrote (June 22, 2002):
Like Marie, I love this cantata, and the words and music reflect very much my experience during the past few months.
Apart from the fact that she is right about 'Gottes Wort, das trüget nicht', that we can put our complete trust in its truth, it is a wonderful duet, with superb instrumental parts.
Although I have come to love most of the Suzuki recordings [4], here I actually prefer Koopman [3], partly because of Klaus Mertens, but also because it 'feels' more solid, in line with the words.
And I always love Koopman's chorales.
Thomas Braatz wrote (June 22, 2002):
BWV 167 - Provenance:
See: Cantata BWV 167 - Provenance
Francis Browne inquired:
< Why in this cantata did Bach depart from his normal practice of an opening, fugal chorus (for which the text seems suitable) and a simple closing chorale? >
My guess would be that cantatas of this type would have been used in the second half of the service and that the 1st part very likely consisteof a cantata with an opening choral mvt. BWV 167 might then be used as the 2nd part following the sermon. This might explain the feeling that this cantata seems to begin more tentatively in medias res. The strong chorale with an additional orchestral accompaniment might have provided a suitable, solid conclusion for this special religious holiday (Festtag=Feast Day.) There are quite a number of Bach cantatas that are already split up into two separate parts. In this case, simply imagine that another cantata preceded this one in the slot designated as part 1 before the sermon.
Thomas Shepherd wonders:
< ts a well known chorale and I wonder if, with the supporting lead from tromba, the good people of Leipzig present in church that day in 1723 sung the chorale by themselves or along with the choir? >
All evidence that I have come across seems to point to the fact that this was not done. One reason that seems rather apparent is that Bach’s harmonizations of the final chorale are anything but simple. You might miss much of the compositional intricacies if you were to sing along in a full voice. Bach also wrote out special embellishments even for the soprano part. Sometimes he would lengthen or shorten notes so that the melody line would not agree perfectly with the simple chorale melody that the congregation could see in the hymnals. What personally intrigues me is that Bach, on occasion, would include a special motif in one of the other (non cantus firmus) parts that relates the chorale back to the material presented somewhere in the preceding mvts. All of this effort would be lost (it is frequently lost anyhow in some of the recorded chorale renditions where all the voice parts can not be clearly heard) on the members of the congregation who should be listening carefully to the musical artistry being presented for their benefit and to glorify God. This is definitely not a “Sing-a-long” situation.
Marie Jensen wrote (June 22, 2002):
< Francis Browne wrote: (snip)
( I shall follow Marie's lead and not criticise Schoch this week or bemoan shortcomings in Leusink's recording, which I have enjoyed. When I first heard the tenor aria, I was most pleasantly surprised : the singing was far more expressive, less strained than usual - I thought Schoch had improved greatly. Unfortunately the singer is actually Nico van er Meel. Keep trying, Knut) >
Thank you for correcting me . The tenor is Nico van der Meel.
Aryeh Oron wrote (June 22, 2002):
Like a major part of the human race I was extremely busy this week watching the games in the Mondial. Most of my free hours at home were dedicated to this time-consuming hobby. I had to listen to the five recordings of Cantata BWV 167 in my car. Fortunately, I have had many driving hours this week and it allowed me to feel the gap. I was also happy to see that at least five members of the BCML have sent their reviews of this cantata before I have finished mine. I have avoided reading them because I wanted my mind to stay free of prejudices. I intend to read them afterwards.
The Recordings
During last week I have been listening to the following complete recordings of this cantata.
[1] Rilling (1974)
[2] Harnoncourt (1987)
[3] Koopman (1998)
[4] Suzuki (1998)
[5] Leusink (1999)
Background
The background below is taken from the following sources:
Alec Robertson: ‘The Church Cantatas of J.S. Bach’ (1972)
W. Murray Young: ‘The Cantatas of J.S. Bach – An Analytical Guide’ (1989)
The English translations are by Francis Browne, a member of the BCML.
I chose to review the recordings of Mvts. 1, 3, & 5 only, and therefore I avoided quoting the relevant parts of the remaining two movements.
Mvt. 1 Aria for Tenor
Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe
(You people, sing the praises of God's love)
Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo
Robertson: The main melody of the aria is in one of Bach’s flowing 12/8 measures but it does not seem to me that he had the Jordan in mind [as in Cantata BWV 7 for the same event, A.O.], as he has been suggested, in choosing this rhythm, but rather wanted to express heartfelt gratitude for God’s love – as the text goes on to say – that Zacharias’ prophecy was to be fulfilled.
Young: The undulating siciliano rhythm of the strings seems to suggest the tenor’s joy in knowing that Christ would soon be born. It is easy to imagine the tenor in the role of John, speaking to the people to announce the coming of the Lord and encouraging them to praise God for that. The joy-motif appears throughout the aria and its dancing, pastoral tone may have some connection with the music surroundings where John worked for the Lord. Note the artistic effect of his runs on ‘preiset’ (extol).
[1] Rilling starts the instrumental ritornello with full force and Adalbert Kraus enters with lot of expression and enthusiasm, as if saying, ‘I am glad that I am here, and I want everybody to know it’.
[2] The fragmentary accompaniment he is getting from Harnoncourt does not prevent Equiluz from giving an exemplary rendition of the aria for tenor. Had he got a more flowing and cheerful accompaniment, this would be a hard to match rendition.
[3] Koopman’s supplies Jörg Dürmüller with sensitive and tender accompaniment and the singer sings with delicate expression, full of nuances.
[4] The tempo Suzuki is setting in the opening ritornello sounds right and Türk sing with ‘heartfelt gratitude for God’s love’. The softness of his singing combines both sensitivity and joy.
[5] The accompaniment is better than the singing in the Leusink’s rendition of the aria for tenor. Nico van der Meel sings everything right, but his singing lacks interest and no real joy is reflected from it.
Personal preferences: Kraus/Rilling = Dürmüller/Koopman = Türk/Suzuki, Equiluz/Harnoncourt, Meel/Leusink
Mvt. 2 Recitative for Alto
Gelobet sei der Herr Gott Israel,
(Praised be the Lord God of Israel)
Continuo
Mvt. 3 Aria (Duet) for Soprano and Alto
Gottes Wort, das trüget nicht
(God's word does not deceive)
Oboe da caccia, Continuo
Robertson: At the start and the five repetitions of ‘Gottes Wort’ (God’s word), the voices are always together and elsewhere echo one another in imitational phrases. The tempo changes from 3 / 4 to 4/4 at the middle section. The ‘viel hundert Jahren’ (many hundreds of years) are illustrated in six-bar florid vocal phrases and in the middle section, the fulfilment of the promise in similar style.
Young: Supported by oboe da caccia and continuo, they affirm that God always keeps His promises. They sing the first line simultaneously, then in canon for the rest. The joy-motif is apparent everywhere in this duet.
[1] The soprano Kathrin Graf and the alto Helrun Gardow are satisfactory in their singing of the duet, but I have to admit that I have heard better couples in Rilling cycle of the Bach Cantatas. The match between the voices is not the best, and the vibrato is clearly heard and causes the singing in both the unison and the canon parts to sound unclean. The joy is there, especially in the accompaniments, but after hearing other renditions, this is not the one to which I want to return.
[2] Harnoncourt’s idea of using two boys – soprano and alto – for the duet is an interesting one. But the results are not so satisfactory. Both have problems to stay in tune, to sing together and to follow one another. You feel as if the are walking on a thin ice, which might be broken under their legs every second. Forget about expressing joy and ‘florid vocal phrases’. None of the participants is able to convey them here.
[3] The voices of the soprano Dorothea Röschmann and the alto Bogna Bartosz match nicely and the whole rendition under Koopman’s capable hands is full of charm. The second part (the canon) is better than the first, with more spontaneity from the singers. However, some energy and more overt joy are somehow missing.
[4] The combination of the voices of Suzuki and Blaze is simply irresistible. Their voices blend wonderfully together initially and then they are chasing one another as two voices of the same persona. The oboe da caccia player meshes perfectly and indeed sounds as a third voice in a trio.
[5] The balance between Holton and Buwalda is not so good in Leusink’s rendition. They sound like strangers who have incidentally met. She is pushing ahead; he is lagging behind. I hear no sheer joy in this rendition; only the efforts of a group of performers trying unsuccessfully to do something together.
Personal preferences: Suzuki & Blaze/Suzuki, Röschmann & Bartosz/Koopman, Graf & Gardow/Rilling, Boy soprano & alto / Harnoncourt = Holton & Buwalda/Leusink
Mvt. 4 Recitative for Bass
Des Weibes Samen kam
(The woman's seed came)
Continuo
Mvt. 5 Chorale
Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren
(Praise and glory with honour be)
Clarino, Oboe, Violino I/II, Viola, Continuo
Verse V of Johann Graumann’s hymn ‘Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren’ ((Now praise, My Soul, the Lord) (1540).
Robertson: A joyous setting of verse V of Johann Graumann’s hymn – a version of Psalm CIII – to its associated melody.
Young: This is the high point and also the best movement in this cantata. Bach treats this extended chorale with wonderful instrumentation, especially in the obbligato trumpet. This is a magnificent hymn of joyous thanksgiving and trust in God. The orchestral ostinato dance-like theme at the beginning and after each pair of lines must signify for Bach a perfect picture of heavenly bliss.
[1] Rilling approaches the concluding chorale with full force and overt joy. It indeed sounds magnificent and full of gratitude. But I believe that it would have been improved with more tenderness and delicacy.
[2] The choir is satisfactory in Harnoncourt’s concluding chorale and the needed energy is also there. But the atmosphere sounds forced, as if nobody really feels cheerful.
[3] The delicacy and tenderness, which I have missed in Rilling’s rendition, are fully evident in Koopman’s. On the other hand he does not let the joy to appear intensified.
[4] With Suzuki everything falls into its place in the concluding chorale. The balance between the voices and the instruments is perfect, the trumpet playing is superb, and most important – the atmosphere is full of glory and joy.
[5] The concluding chorale is the best part of Leusink’s recording. The choir sings with enthusiasm, the instruments keeps the joyous atmosphere and the trumpet glows. Although this rendition is far from being polished, there is still a lot to enjoy from.
Personal preference: Suzuki, Koopman, Rilling = Leusink, Harnoncourt
Conclusion
Personal preference of the overall performance: Suzuki [4], Koopman [3], Rilling [1], Leusink [5], Harnoncourt [2]
As always, I would like to hear other opinions, regarding the above mentioned performances, or other recordings.
Thomas Braatz wrote (June 23, 2002):
Thinking about Thos. Shepherd’s comments on the final chorus of BWV 167 which point out its similarity to the final chorale in BWV 147 (“Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben”) where he stated: “It's like the concluding chorus to each part of BWV 147, Bach understates his technical prowess in favour of a simple and immediate piece,” helped me to make a connection I had never considered before: Bach’s composition and performance of both pieces took place within approximately one week’s time: June 23 and July 2 of the same year, 1723 in Leipzig! This is truly remarkable.
Regarding Francis Browne’s inquiry about the rather unusual form of BWV 167 as it lacks a solid introductory choral mvt., a number of commentators have ascribed this ‘deficiency’ to Bach’s lack of time in preparing sufficient new musical material for his new position in Leipzig. Whereas this observation could possibly offer an explanation for this lack or diversion from Bach’s usual overall cantata form, it could also be feasible to consider that the Leipzig churches demanded a different arrangement of cantatas (before and after the sermon), an arrangement not required by the courtly church in Weimar. For this Bach may have quickly supplied already existing music (score and parts) which he had brought along with him from Weimar. Some of these cantatas could have been of the “in ogni tempi” type applicable generally to any Sunday or special church holiday, or even a cantata by another composer which the church library possessed.
Eric Chafe, famous for his ‘katabasis – anabasis’ [these fancy Greek terms simply mean a going-downward or upward] theory which assigns meaning to Bach’s sequence of keys (key signatures) as he moves from mvt. to mvt. in a given cantata, has an interesting account for BWV 167 in his expensive book, “Tonal Allegory in the Vocal Music of J. S. Bach.” Here is the pertinent paragraph:
“The pattern of descent/ascent need not emphasize only the negative side of the world. Cantata 167, “Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe,” for the feast of John the Baptist (1723), follows a downward curve from G major (opening aria) through E minor (rec. and arioso) to A minor, then back up to G major (rec. and chorale) to represent the coming of Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promise, the way having been prepared by John the Baptist, the last of the prophets. Even the first recitative presents this idea with a descent from E minor through A minor (“der sich in Gnaden zu uns wendet”) to D minor (“und seinen Sohn vom hohen Himmelsthron zum Welterlöser sendet”). The return to E minor mirrors the recounting of Jesus’ act of redemption: “hierauf kam Jesus selber an, die armen Menschenkinder und die verlor’nen Sünder [rec.] mit Gnad’ und Liebe zu erfreu’n und sie zum Himmelreich in wahrer Buss’ zu leiten [arioso].” The central A minor duet expresses simply the fulfillment of God’s promise on earth (“Was er in dem Paradies und vor so viel hundert Jahren denen Vätern schon verhiess, haben wir Gottlob! erfahren”), and the return ascent in the following recitative leads to a hymn of praise and thanks to God.”
Schweitzer detects in BWV 167 the felicity motive which “is prompted by the idea of quiet, gently-flowing waves.” In the final arioso section of the 1st alto recitative, this appears as an accompaniment in the bc to the words, “Mit Gnad’ und Liebe zu erfreuen.”
The mainly string accompaniment figure to the final chorale Schweitzer designates as a joy motif.
In the aria-duet (mvt. 3), the words being sung are expressed in the bc “by a “step” motif that symbolizes the steadfastness of God’s pledge, and by a “joy” motif [the middle section in ¾ time] that answers to the “God be praised” for the fulfilling of the promise.”
Philippe Bareille wrote (June 23, 2002):
Like Bach cantatas football can become addictive !
I have 2 versions of this marvellous cantata: Suzuki [4] and Harnoncourt [2]. I believe the latter has the edge thanks to Panito Iconomou who is [to my ears] an outstanding alto. He is technically flawless and offers notably an endearing account of the recitative "Gelobet sei der Herr Gott Israel" . He has an innate sense of the melodic frame and nuance of this demanding music. The "ideal" alto voice suited to Bach music is probably the voice of children even if many may demur; it is certainly what the cantor had in mind when he chis cantatas. But it is obviously a rare gift as there are very few good boy alto. Iconomou is one of those. As far as I am concerned, counter-tenors were not used by Bach. Robin Blaze in Suzuki's recording sounds flat compared to Iconomou. He cannot realise the full expressive potential of the music. Equiluz is excellent as usual but I agree that Suzuki intrumental playing sounds more playful more lively and less abrupt.
NB: Having said that, I shall confess that for me a great woman alto is the most satisfying choice but good women alto are also exceptional in this repertoire. My favourite is the incomparable Aafje Heynis. I remember listening to a distinctive recording of the BWV 169/BWV 170. Has it been re-issued on CD?
Jane Newble wrote (June 24, 2002):
< Philippe Bareille wrote: NB: Having said that, I shall confess that for me a great woman alto is the most satisfying choice but good women alto are also exceptional in this repertoire. My favourite is the incomparable Aafje Heynis. I remember listening to a distinctive recording of the BWV 169/BWV 170. Has it been re-issued on CD? >
My favourite is also Aafje Heynis, and I have got her CD with BWV 169/BWV 170. It also has "Schlafe, mein Liebster' from BWV 248, and 'Agnus Dei' from BWV 232 on it.
It is Philips 438 772-2.
I love listening to it.
Michael Grover wrote (June 24, 2002):
[4] < Thomas Shepherd wrote: The Suzuki recording of BWV167 has been on in the car this week. As I act as unpaid taxi driver to three teenagers, they have to put up with my music in the car. So I was surprised to find elder daughter and son singing along to the final chorus. "Why do you like it?", I asked and got the reply from my daughter that the violin part was lovely and possible to sing as a melody. My son likes the running bass-line. He thinks Bach is clever not to emphasise the strong beats of the bar by missing them out in the bass line. They think its a short, pretty, simple and happy chorus. >
You have teenagers that not only LIKE Bach, but they SING ALONG IN THE CAR??????? In GERMAN???????
There may be hope for the human race yet.
Thomas Braatz wrote (June 24, 2002):
BWV 167 - The Recordings:
During last week I have been listening to the following complete recordings of this cantata.
[1] Rilling (1974)
[2] Harnoncourt (1987)
[3] Koopman (1998)
[4] Suzuki (1998)
[5] Leusink (1999)
Realizing that many list members who read the remarks of others who contribute their opinions on the designated weekly cantata have varying degrees of experience in listening to and assessing the quality of performance, I find it very difficult to adjust my focus properly so that my criticisms will not overwhelm a listener who is just making a first acquaintance with these marvelous compositions. As much as I try to recall my first listening experiences in this regard, experiences in which, in retrospect, the impression of the music itself was more important than the actual quality of performance, I now find myself amazed at my lack of critical evaluation of the performance when I first encountered this music. Is it a blissful lack of criticism that allows for an immensely enjoyable direct experience of the music devoid of any prejudgment that arises from a comparison of different renditions of the same work? Were the musicians that I heard back then simply better than anything that I can hear today? Were they perhaps better because they did not feel obligated to perform and record all sacred cantatas in one or two years? Is there any way to compare a lifetime of Bach cantata listening before the general availability of recordings, a lifetime that would allow an individual to perhaps hear no more than one or two dozen cantatas in live performances? How does such an experience compare with that of a present-day listener who could fairly easily hear four or five different recordings of the same cantata side by side? Or listen to them as background music for some other activity in which the listener is engaged? Does the apparent wealth of recorded cantatas make it easier for us to distinguish true quality, or do we eventually become so excessively critical desiring ever greater perfection that none of the available recordings can satisfy us? A German proverb comes to mind: “Wer die Wahl hat, hat die Qual.” [„Whoever is faced with making a choice between many options, is also faced with the agony of making a proper choice.“]
Putting all these musings aside, I will nevertheless attempt to document my impressions and criticisms of this cantata. One factor that has become very important in my listening experience is the degree to which the conductor, singers, and instrumentalists are faithful to Bach’s music. This “Werktreue” [faithfulness to the composer’s work itself] has been a bone of contention which determines how you will hear Bach’s music performed today. This word means different things to different people. Harnoncourt has personally defined this not to mean “Buchstabentreue” [faithfulness to the printed musical notation] except when it suits him to follow Bach’s indications. In essence Harnoncourt is saying, “Remaining faithful to the spelling of words is not as important as creatively, expressively ‘playing around with’ and changing the spellings of words that Bach correctly spelled out for his musicians.” For Harnoncourt it does not matter whether Bach’s word, “collar” is spelled as “dollar” by Harnoncourt because it does rhyme and does sound similar. The fact, however, is that these words have different meanings. Harnoncourt’s answer to this is that, as a ‘true’ artist, he has a direct pipeline to Bach’s genius and that Bach would spell the word differently today, if he were here with us. Harnoncourt’s pretense to be interested in the actual ‘spelling’ of Bach’s words is severely tempered by the artistic license that Harnoncourt claims for himself as a living advocate of Bach’s music. Actually Harnoncourt claims that there is no such thing as an authentic performance of Bach’s music, and that the only thing that can be considered ‘authentic’ is the performer’s own interpretation of such a work.
Is there validity to the argument that simply playing slavishly every jot or tittle will automatically [‘Buchstabentreue’ taken to its extreme] produce a good performance of a work? No! But somewhere between these two extremes (Harnoncourt’s interpretation of ‘Werktreue” and deadly “Buchstabentreue” which does nothing but mechanically and correctly reproduce everything that Bach had notated) there exists a happy medium that should serve us well in hearing what Bach had intended for us to hear.
Now back to Mvt. 1 of BWV 167:
[2] Harnoncourt’s recording illustrates my point. If you listen carefully and have before you the NBA printed version of this cantata based on the most recent research and careful inspection of all available sources along with intelligent comparison with other cantatas where Bach has similar passages, you will discover that Harnoncourt departs from Bach’s articulation marks (Harnoncourt had at least 5 years to consult the NBA version – his recording was made in 1987 and the NBA was published in 1982.) In those measures (9-10; 22-23; 37-38; 43-44; 57-58; 69-70) where the 1st violin has legato phrase markings over the triplet groupings of eighth notes, Harnoncourt insists on changing them to a staccato treatment. In Harnoncourt’s defense, he at least follows the dynamic markings carefully in this mvt. and he manages to control the string orchestra sufficiently from overwhelming Equiluz’ voice. Whether the delicate treatment, as listenable as it may be here, by both artists is appropriate here is truly open to question in this instance. Intimate, delicate, very subdued pwith Equiluz singing? How does this fit the text? I find Harnoncourt’s tempo to be suitable even though it is at the extreme end of a range of tempi:
Mvt. 1:
[3] Koopman 4:16
[1] Rilling 4:29
[4] Suzuki 4:41
[5] Leusink 4:49
[2] Harnoncourt 5:44
[2] Only a great artist such as Equiluz would be able to fill out this expansive mvt. with such emotional yearning for praise which is utterly restrained and unable to fulfill its own longing for fullness. While Harnoncourt’s tempo allows for a gentle, comforting sweetness to be expressed, Equiluz almost does a vocal disappearing act as he sings some passages sotto voce. This may be fine for a recording, but would not project Bach’s message (which message here?) to a large congregation very well. This is an intimate chamber music performance. Sometimes, on an irregular basis, Harnoncourt has the strings play the triplet eighth-note figures not as indicated (each triplet group with a legato phrase mark extending over each group of three), but rather as a stronger accent on the first note which is tied to the second after which a slight separation or pause occurs before the third note is played as a light staccato, unaccented. This DUH-ah-dot pattern is inconsistently applied as he sometimes prefers the legato treatment (as indicated in the score) over this pattern.
[3] To see how a very fast version holds up, let’s examine Koopman’s version of mvt. 1 which is a minute and a half faster than Harnoncourt’s. Koopman generally follows Harnoncourt’s example, changing the same legato triplet eighth-note patterns to staccato, although here at this fast tempo, the staccato effect is less pronounced and begins to sound more like a portato (the separation between notes is apparent, but not as noticeable as a true staccato would be.) In contrast to Harnoncourt, Koopman already begins using the staccato treatment as early as ms. 3 and 4. This generally leads me to perceive Koopman’s versions as being lite-entertainment rather than serious-listening type music. Dürmüller does sound rushed at times and does not provide much in the way of expression when he tries to fit in all of the words (this always gives me the impression that Koopman is not really seriously interested in the words, but rather prefers to create a version for easy-listening, or as background music.) Koopman makes very little distinction between the ‘p’ and ‘f’ dynamic markings.
[4] Suzuki’s version is only a full minute faster than Harnoncourt’s. Now let’s see what he does with Türk as soloist. Suzuki is not a simply copy of Harnoncourt or Koopman. In the passages noted above, Suzuki correctly phrases them according to the NBA score, but in a few other places he indulges in deviating from the pattern: the Duh-ah-dot pattern emerges for just a few moments and rears its ugly head. At times the bc becomes only slightly obtrusive with an occasional ‘chug-chug-chug’ sound for the triplet figures. The dynamics are meticulously observed. The soloist, Türk, has much better expression than Dürmüller and the voice is reasonably strong (stronger than Equiluz who was almost reticent in comparison) and convincing. Here a message, rather than simply the notes, is being conveyed.
[5] Leusink’s tempo is about the same as Suzuki’s, but here the comparison ends. Leusink adopts as a mechanized rule, the figure used only occasionally by all the preceding HIP artists, a phrasing not indicated in Bach’s score. The monster that had only reared its head on occasion in the previous recordings has taken over completely emphasizing and accenting very strongly the initial note in each triplet figure and then allowing the subsequent two eighth notes almost to disappear in an exaggerated fast waltz rhythm: “WHOMP-dit-dit” This soon begins to sound rather silly and has no place in a Bach cantata. The effort exerted in providing these strong accents makes this version sound rather punchy. Leusink has taken the idea of a dance to an extreme here. Actually, this is the way I would have expected Harnoncourt’s version to sound, but Harnoncourt surprised me this time (if anything, ‘genius’ of Harnoncourt’s type is “unberechenbar” [unreliable-you never know what to expect]) It seems that Leusink filled in the missing gap so that we might all know what Harnoncourt would usually sound like.
[1] With Rilling you can clearly hear the major watershed between non-HIP and HIP performances. What is so different here? For one thing, the orchestral forces are not pared down to a single instrument for each part. This extended orchestral apparatus (what we would normally call a string orchestra) enhances the ability to create a lush, shimmering violin sound that we are used to hearing from major symphony orchestras. These non-period instruments are louder and tuned a half-step higher than those in HIP orchestras. This makes for a brighter sound, and it is easier to create the very sound that Harnoncourt and his followers abhor because it reminds them too much of the late romantic orchestral performance traditions. You can almost hear Harnoncourt and others saying, “Echhh! Much too much legato!” I personally find Rilling’s treatment very satisfying, much better that all the light ‘pussy-footing’ of some of the HIP performances that lack true substance. With greater string resources at his disposal (imagine also a string bass or two in the bc), Rilling tends to allow the bc to become to loud, but not here in this mvt. He observes the dynamics and the articulation marks, which help to give the sustained support needed for this message of promise. Kraus, the tenor soloist, is, however, on the verge of overdoing his part by forcing his voice and using too much vibrato, but his delivery of the text is joyful, forceful, and convincing as well it should be if you judge this mvt. by the text that he is singing. Had Schreier sung this aria with Rilling, we would have had a version that would leave all the others behind in the dust.
Leusink gives us the worst of the HIP performances, even outdoing Harnoncourt, where the latter still manages to restrain his instrumental forces from going overboard. Add to this the uninspired singing of van der Meel with his tendency to sing with a nasal quality and you have a performance at the bottom of the list. Between Türk (Suzuki) and Dürmüller (Koopman), Türk wins out without question. Despite his inability to follow Bach’s explicit instructions, Harnoncourt still provides a very sensitive accompaniment to Equiluz’ almost too sensitive and reticent rendition of the text. There is, however, in Equiluz’ voice and expression a quality that transcends the others as long as he does not have to force his voice. Kraus (Rilling) is overpowering and seems almost to lose control of his voice. When Kraus begins sing in his “recitative voice” as he sometimes does in this aria, it is time to turn down the volume and head for another room.
If I find time, I want to say a few things about “das Horn des Heils” [“the horn of salvation/deliverance”] which to my dismay (and Bach would probably deplore the loss of this word as well) has been removed from the modern Bible versions, including the updated Luther translation. Would you believe: “die Macht des Heils, der starke Retter, saving power, mighty savior?“ Did you know that the word „Horn“ occurs only once in all of Bach’s cantata texts? Do you think that Bach would allow such an opportunity as this (to relate this word to a musical instrument) slip by unnoticed?
Thomas Shepherd wrote (June 24, 2002):
BWV 167 - In-Car Bach
[To Michael Grover] You replied to an earlier message
< You have teenagers that not only LIKE Bach, but they SING ALONG IN THE CAR??????? In GERMAN??????? There may be hope for the human race yet. >
Thank you for the enjoyable enquiry!
There is nothing quitlike the opportunity to talk about one's children!
So here is something about their encounter with Bach.
Elder Daughter: Sung, Passiontide 2001, with [England] Manchester Cathedral Cantata Choir/ Northern Chamber Orchestra/Christopher Stokes – Matthew Passion in English, and Passiontide 2002 - John Passion in German. Thought the experience of both was fantastic, although she said much the same when she sung in Monteverdi's Vespers!. As part of "A" level music (U.K. pre-University entry exams) did as an individual project a comparison between Bruckner's Magnificat and Bach's BWV 243.
Son: Sung with Manchester Cathedral Statutory Choir Passiontide 2000 and 2001in the ripieno section of mvt.1 and chorales of Matthew Passion with Cantata Choir/ Northern Chamber Orchestra/Christopher Stokes. As a chorister sung other bits and pieces of Bach. Now as a tenor in Cheethams School of Music Chamber Choir he has sung BWV 229, Komm, Jesu Komm, and BWV 227 Jesu, mein Freude
Younger Daughter: has sung THAT chorale from BWV 147 at several weddings as a
member of the church choir, and plays simple Bach on the violin.
They are all very lucky to have had this sort of rich experience at such a young age but before you think that Bach is their only passion (Oh fond wish!) they all like other 'classical' music, ancient and modern and we have to put up with all sorts of teen stuff from both sides of the Atlantic. They think it's cool, I think its crass. A generation thing perhaps??!!
They never got to singing in German for BWV 167 it was more do-be-do-be-do to the violin part of the final chorus and pum-pum-pum to the continuo!
As for hope for the human race, Deo volente.
Regards (as a proud father!)
Dick Wursten wrote (June 25, 2002):
Too late, but still a few remarks regarding Francis Browne’s question about the rather unusual form of BWV 167. Thomas Braatz offered two possible answers:
"a number of commentators have ascribed this ‘deficiency’ to Bach’s lack of time in preparing sufficient new musical material for his new position in Leipzig."
His own guess is "that cantatas of this type would have been used in the second half of the service and that the 1st part very likely consisted of a cantata with an opening choral mvt. BWV 167 might then be used as the 2nd part following the sermon. This might explain the feeling that this cantata seems to begin more tentatively in medias res"
At 1st sight both arguments sound plausible, but are they as plausible at 2nd sight?: Judge for yourselves:
1723: Bach starts his cantata-activity with a series of 2-part-cantatas (principle explained by Thomas Braatz). Very ambitious.
30/5: BWV 75 2-part (die Elenden sollen essen): NEW
06/6: BWV 76 2-part (Die Himmel erzahlenl): NEW
13/6: BWV 21 2-part (Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis): already made
- speculative interjection: Bach already felt it was not going to work, he slowed down his project and after one re-creation of older work he tries it with two different cantates: composing one new, re-creating an other:
20/6 BWV 24 (Ungefarbt Gemute) NEW & BWV 185 (Barmherziges Herze) ready made
02/7 BWV 147 (Herz und Mund...) 2 part; ready made but changed
09/7 BWV 186 (Argre dich nicht) 2 part; ready made
The next question is crucial: Did Bach give up using 2-part-cantatas or two cantatas ? BECAUSE the rest of 1723 only once the 2-cantata-principle reappears (again one new, one already made) and once a 2-part-cantate: at the end of the church-year (special occasion: BWV 70 (being also already made but re-arranged).
OR is an immense part of Bach’s second cantatas lost. IMHO Bach slowed down his project, only incidentally using the two-part or two cantates principle.
The idea that the cantata BWV 167 is perhaps used as a 2nd cantata is possible (I find this the best guess about the rahter unusual form). esp. because at that time (24/6) Bach is stil sticking to the 2-part or 2-cantata principle.
The argument "lack of time" seems very plausible, because St John’s feast (if this cantata IS for this feast, as Dürr supposes) was an extra-holy day, so no holiday for Bach (in between two norma sundayservices). But the argument becomes less convincing when you look at the sunday before and after: Both sundays Bach use a lot of old material. (See above)
By the way 1: the scheme is derived from Chr. Wolffs biography of Bach.
By the way 2: wonderful cantata, indeed.
Continue on Part 2
Cantata BWV 167
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Last update: ýJuly 25, 2005 ý13:44:42
