Previous Messages

Jane Newble wrote (May 7, 2000):
Tonight was a historic event. Never before has Canterbury Cathedral seen Lutheran Vespers in it's more than 900 years' history. (This is what the Dean said in his welcome). This was to celebrate the life and work of Bach, and came at the end of a 'Bach Weekend'. The musicians were the Choir from St. Annes' Lutheran Church, London with the Lecosaldi Ensemble, and the Rev. Paul Schmiege (Pastor of St. Anne's) led the service. There were hymns, prayers, and a sermon in between the musical parts. Of course there were the chorale preludes on the organ before the hymns, and the appropriate Bible readings for today: Psalm 23, and 1 Peter 2:21-25.

The cantata (BWV 85) came just after the sermon, which dealt also with the theme of Christ giving his life for the sheep, and so being the good shepherd. Nearly at the end came the postlude, as a nostalgic looking back to last week: the Sinfonia from BWV 42, and I thought of what Roy Reed had said about the strings talking to the reeds. That was so clear, as it was not a recording, and you could hear everything. The cantata was wonderful. The singers had lovely 'baroque' voices, and the conductor took everything at a lively, cheerful speed. Sitting in that wonderful, enormous, old cathedral, I thought of Bach, and how bemused and pleased he would be. I also thought back in time... Fancy sitting in church at the time of Bach. He would be conducting the cantatas, but if there were a particularly heavenly aria or Sinfonia or recitative, you would have to wait for the possible repeat in about 5 years' time. No CD's to take home and listen to again, or compare with other performances. Just imagine. What sweet agony! And yet, it is so thrilling to even hear one cantata live, especially in the right setting of a church service. Some cantatas are totally gripping at first hearing, like last weeks BWV 42. What did those people think who heard it? Perhaps they thought that since Bach was with them, they would be able to hear it again sometime? Perhaps to them it was all much more normal? I have no idea, but I did think how rich we are, if we can hear them both recorded and live! Having heard this cantata live tonight, I am looking forward even more to Aryeh's and hopefully others' comments!

Discussions in the Week of May 7, 2000

Aryeh Oron wrote (May 7, 2000):
Background

This is the week of cantata BWV 85, according to Jane Newble's suggestion. We continue to explore the Leipzig period. This is one of the least known cantatas, almost neglected, and as I have said earlier in previous discussion, a moment of pleasure, an opportunity to dig into an unfamiliar ground. It is also an opportunity to listen to 2 special recordings. The first is one of the few available Fritz Werner's Bach cantatas and the second is included in the mini series (3-CD's) of Bach cantatas with violoncello piccolo, played and directed by Christophe Coin [6]. We can listen closely to these two special recordings and compare them to the more familiar performers from the complete cantatas cycles.

About BWV 85 W. Murray Young wrote (in his book - The Cantatas of J.S. Bach - An Analytical Guide):
"This is Bach's second composition on the theme of the Good Shepherd (The first was BWV 104). Musically it has everything the listener expects, and it is a masterpiece. The librettist was Mariane von Ziegler, who based her text on the Gospel for this Misericordias Domini Sunday, i.e., the second Sunday after Easter, John 10: 12-16, and also employed in it two different chorales, freely paraphrasing the rest of this Gospel for the other numbers. Bach's cantata resembles a miniature pastoral symphony in 5 movements - much shorter than Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, yet also entrancing.
As the chorales occur in the middle and at the end, rather than in the beginning and at the end as is usually the case with chorales in Bach's cantatas, this work is considered to be a solo cantata for SATB, with four-part chorus.
In the orchestral score, the instruments indicated are 2 oboes, a violoncello piccolo, 2 violins, a viola and Continuo."

Personal Viewpoint

BWV 85 belongs probably to the group of cantatas, whose libretti were written by Mariane von Ziegler. I was very curious to know more about her. After all, the women were not supposed to take active roles in the community life at that time. Even the Soprano and the Tenor parts were sung by the boys from the choir and not by female soloists. The most detailed source where I could find some background about Mariane was the book included in the Teldec set of Sacred Cantatas (Harnoncourt/Leonhardt). I found that Christiane Mariane von Ziegler was a poetess from Leipzig, who lived between 1695 and 1760. Hamel wrote about her cantata works: "They are marked not only by richness of thought, domination of language, genuineness of feeling and warmth of expression, but just as much by a religious sound of deepest simplicity." The texts for the cantatas BWV 103, BWV 108, BWV 87, BWV 128, BWV 183, BWV 74, BWV 68, BWV 175, and BWV 176, appeared in a book she published in 1728. Although BWV 85 does not appear in that book, the spirit of its text (and also that of BWV 43) testifies that it is inevitable that somebody else wrote it.

Mariane had miserable life. She married for the first time at the age of 16 and lost her husband a short while afterwards. Her second marriage was at the age of 20 and he died too. The same happened to her children from both marriages. Such phenomenon was common in those days, because we know that Bach himself suffered from the similar fate. However, from 1722 on, she devoted herself more intensely to the arts at her Leipzig parental home, playing the harpsichord, lute and traverse flute and writing poetry. Her literary inclinations increased when Gottsched was appointed to Leipzig in 1724. Her house became the meeting place for out-of-town and local artists. Gottsched, who counted her as one of his permanent circle, encouraged her to publish her works. The first volume, which contained 9 cantatas, was published in 1728. In the foreword to a second volume, which was published in 1729 and contained an entire cycle of cantatas for that year, she urged that her poetic writings be set to music. Bach indeed set all the 9 cantatas of the first volume to music (actually he did that long before they were printed), and we can only regret that he did not do the same with her second volume. At that time he wrote fewer cantatas, because he has already finished most of his duties to write complete 5 cycles. And when he wrote some, he already favoured other librettists, like Henrici.

I could not find a picture of von Ziegler, but it does not really matter. I am sure that she had a beautiful soul. She was still very young when she wrote the libretto to BWV 85, About 30 years old and 10 years younger than Bach. Bach himself was surely very much attached to her libretti, which are among the most poetic, which could be found among the whole Bach cantatas. The result of this libretto is one of the most intimate and tender of all the cantatas. I feel as it reveals the feminine side of Bach (or is it only my imagination?). It does not attract special attention to itself. In almost all the recordings of BWV 85 that I have, it is located somewhere in the middle or near the end of the CD, and almost never (except one case) at tbeginning of the CD. It is hidden there, shying away, as if it hints subtly to you, pay attention, I am here, waiting for you, come on, try me. And when you get to it, you find a small jewel, actually too small. This cantata is so short that once you are captivated by its charm, it is finished. It reminds me the famous statement said by the legendary multi-reed Jazz player Eric Dolphy couple of months before he died prematurely in 1964: "When you hear music, after it's over, it's gone in the air. You can never capture it again."

Review of the Recordings

[2] Fritz Werner (1959)
The only soloist I knew in this performance, before listening closely to it, was the Bass singer Stämpfli. From previous comparisons I knew that he could hold honourably in the company of the best of them. It is so good to meet him again in the opening Arioso. So expressive and pleasant voice is a joy to the ears. The female Alto Scherler was unfamiliar to me. Although she is from the old school of Bach singers, she is doing fine, with restrained singing that does not miss a maternal softness. The Soprano Graf sings the middle chorale. Her voice is not pleasant enough to my taste, it lacks the needed tenderness and she extravagates in her expressiveness. The Tenor Huber was also new to me. He arouses anticipation in his Recitative and fulfils every expectation in the following Aria. The accompaniment is very humble along the whole performance of this cantata. A good start for the comparison, on very high level from an unexpected source.

[4] Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1979)
Lyricism, warmth and fluency are not the usual qualities, which characterize Harnoncourt's cantatas recordings. But here he milked these qualities from his forces to the maximum in order to give this cantata the right treatment. I think it to be unfair that although a woman wrote the libretto of BWV 85, it had to be sung by all male soloists. But I am quite sure that Mariane was very much aware of the circumstances, and I am also quite sure that if she had heard what the boy Soprano Wiedel (in the middle Chorale) and the counter-tenor Esswood were doing with the material, she would have been pleased. Wiedel has warmth and stability in his voice, and richness of expression in his singing, which are uncommon with boy Sopranos. Equiluz and der Meer are reliable as ever. The playing of the old string instruments is not clean enough to my taste, but that is a very small fault in overall very satisfying performance.

[5] Helmuth Rilling (1980-1981)
After hearing Werner and Harnoncourt renderings, it sounds as if this performance is starting on the left leg. The accompaniment is too big and the singing of Heldwein is not flexible enough. Things become even worse when we hear Schreckenbach in the Aria for Alto. She is using too much vibrato and is overly expressive for this delicate music. As though she is insensitive to the meaning of the words and the nature of the music. But than enters the sublime Arleen Augér and uplifts this rendering to very high picks. Even the playing of the accompanying instruments in her Chorale becomes gentler. Kraus maintain the same high level in his Recitative and Aria. A possible explanation for some of the differences between the qualities of the performances of the various movements can be that Rilling recorded this cantata along 3 dates, about 4 months separating between them. I do not understand how they manage to do that, while I cannot stop listening to this Cantata in the middle.

[6] Christophe Coin (1994)
Looking at the roster of vocal soloists that Coin has to his disposal, one can only envy. The weakest of them is Schwartz. He sings with authority but with very little flexibility. We can only imagine what Mertens could have done with the same material. Scholl emphasis the sorrow of his Aria better than any of his rivals in the previous recordings. I have to admit that in the middle Chorale Schlick outdoes even Augér (with Rilling [5]). She is transmitting innocence and calmness, where Augér sounds more mature and dramatic, and I find the first approach more convincing here. Prégardien is very sensitive and gentle in his singing. He uses his dramatic abilities very sparsely. The playing of the instruments along all the movements is first rate.

[7] Pieter Jan Leusink (1999)
One has to hear Ramselaar immediately after Schwartz, to realize what a good Bach singer the first one is. His voice has warmth, sensitivity and flexibility and his singing has all the compassion that Jesus must had, when he was saying 'Ich bin ein guter Hirt, ein guter Hirt läßt sein für die schafe'. I know that some of the members of this group dislike the voice of Buwalda. I do not understand why. Here he is doing the best in his role, quite different from Scholl, but also on a very high level. Everything I said about Schlick is even truer regarding Holton. The Tenor der Meel has smaller voice and less dramatic expression than Prégardien or Equiluz have, but he has kind of softness and modesty that suits his Recitative and Aria very much. The playing of the instruments is pleasant, clean, very well balanced, and with the right volume while they accompany the voices or playing a separate line against them. This is one of the best performances I have heard so far in the weekly cantatas comparisons from the Jan Leusink's team. Regarding their rendering here (and that of BWV 196), I come to (temporary) conclusion, that they are better in the simpler cantatas rather than in the more glorious ones.

Conclusion

Cantata BWV 85 does not contain memorable tunes, like some of its more famous sisters do. But it grows on you with every repeated hearing. It seems that all the performers of BWV 85 were captivated like me by its delicate charm. All of them treat it gently, like a valuable jewel. None of them compels a strong personal approach on this cantata. On the one hand, I am pleased that the result of this is similar interpretation from all the 5 groups of performers. On the other hand, I am a little bit disappointed, because I am always ready for original approach that will reveal unfamiliar aspects of the cantata under discussion. I recommend to everybody in the list listening carefully to BWV 85, with open ears and at least couple of times. Believe me, it will pay itself. Regarding the recommended recordings, my own preferences are hinted above. If you were not familiar with this cantata before reading this review, choose whatever recording you can put your hands on. None of them will disappoint you.

And as always, I would like to hear other opinions, regarding the above mentioned performances, or other recordings.

F. Oreja wrote (May 8, 2000):
With the cantatas BWV 6, BWV 42 and BWV 85 Bach breaks with the Choral cantatas in the Church year 1725, and return in the composition to a group of cantatas of the year 1724 (BWV 37, BWV 44, BWV 86 and BWV 166), whose form is always the same: Gospel word, aria, choral, recitative, aria, choral. The librettist of all those cantatas is unknown. Only after cantata BWV 44 Bach used the texts of Mariane von Ziegler, which he changed, corrected and shorted in many occasions. Ziegler composed only the text of 9 cantatas: BWV 74, BWV 68, BWV 87, BWV 103, BWV 108, BWV 128, BWV 183, BWV 175 and BWV 176. Exactly these cantata texts (and only these 9, as Aryeh points out) were published later in the first volume of her 'Versuch in Gebundener Schreib-Art' of 1728. 1729 appethe second volume of this work with cantata texts for a complete year. But Bach did put in music only the mentioned 9 cantatas. The text of BWV 85 cannot be found there. Scholars mostly suppose that the unknown librettist of BWV 85 is the same as the anonymous one of the cantatas BWV 37, BWV 44, BWV 86 and BWV 166 (probably the theolog Christian Weiss). I wonder about what W. Murray Young writes.

Marie Jensen wrote (May 8, 2000):
(To Aryeh Oron) I agree with you Aryeh. This cantata has a delicate charm, though it has no great memorable tunes. Thank you for telling about Mariane von Ziegler, though the source http://uofapsy.psych.ualberta.ca/bach.html tells me that the author is unknown.

Listening to the cantata I feel like resting in the green grass myself in the shadow of a tree near the brook (Bach). And this peaceful cantata uses the right pastoral means, the oboes, the Siciliana rhythm in the tenor aria. In the alto aria the accompaniment goes up and down in patterns, gentle like the shepherds stick pushing a little here and there to guide in the right direction, constantly taking care of everything.

[7] This is one of the better Leusink's. The lesser the big forces are involved, the bigger is the chance of success. Another thing: Buwalda is better here than in the cantatas discussed previously. Perhaps this movement is easier. He seems more relaxed. Since you ask Aryeh, why some of us do not like Buwalda's voice, well I can only speak for myself, and I have not heard all the Leusink's yet, but the "timbre" you talk about can easily be taken for insecurity and insufficiency. When I listen, I don't want to use my energy thinking, hey- was that pure and correct, did his voice have power enough to go up here, or was it the special timbre? I want to flow with the music not stopped by doubts. Buwalda is good enough in lower parts as BWV 182 recently discussed. However I find it difficult to express myself about this in English and find the right adjectives, so this is the closest I can get right now. But I'm sure it is also a matter of taste or perhaps something I shall get used to.

Right now I ponder a lot. Shall I buy the next Leusink's at all, when my "music pusher" sends out his new catalogue in the end of May? In Denmark they are not as cheap as in Holland, USA... Of course still a lot cheaper than BCJ and Koopman... it is a little like buying North Korean champagne, cheap but…

My budget does not allow many disappointments. Leusink recordings are fresh like sketches. Too much rehearsing a la BJC might also be like a painting correct in every detail but with no spontaneity. Oh it is hard some times. If this is not wrong, that is! FINE! Greetings from a pastoral green and blooming Denmark.

Ryan Michero wrote (May 9, 2000):
I was introduced to this cantata through Christophe Coin's [6] wonderful recording. Coin's Bach cantata set is a great series of recordings based on a really novel concept--to record all of the cantatas with an aria featuring a rare obbligato instrument, the violoncello piccolo. The cantatas (10 of them) are organized on three discs in varied and fascinating programs. Coin's violoncello piccolo playing is some of the best Bach aria obbligato playing I've heard, and the solo singing, especially by Andreas Scholl and Christoph Prégardien, is wonderful as well. Another unique thing about this series is that all of the cantatas were recorded in a small church on the borders of Saxony and Thuringia where there is a well-preserved and beautiful Silbermann organ. The full organ is used as both obbligato and continuo instrument, and the sound is stunning. The church's acoustic is warm and realistic, effectively placing the listener in the pews of the old church. These are special recordings, and I hope everyone on the list has a chance to hear them.

Below are my comparisons:

[4] (Harnoncourt) This is a fine account overall. The orchestra in the opening Arioso sounds great, but the voice of Ruud van der Meer gets lost in the mix. Luckily the following aria goes better: Esswood and the violoncello piccolo player (Harnoncourt himself!) are a great team, making "Jesus ist ein guter Hirt" is a highlight. The boy soprano is acceptable in the trio-like chorale setting, but Harnoncourt's doesn't let the music flow as naturally as his competitors. Equiluz is expressive as always in his recitative and aria even if he sounds a bit strained (in fairness, all of his competitors do too), but Harnoncourt's Siciliano rhythm in the aria sounds just right.

[6] Coin's is easily my favorite version. Unlike Aryeh, I think Schwarz is very fine here, sounding a bit like Max van Egmond. But the alto aria is the real treasure here--about as perfect a performance of a Bach aria as I can imagine. Scholl's singing is impeccable--stylish, secure, expressive, and ravishingly beautiful. Coin's violoncello piccolo obbligato playing is just as impressive--masterfully phrased and shaded. (Coin's playing here makes me long for him to record the Bach cello suites!) After the beauty of this aria, the soprano chorale setting is a bit of a letdown, with Barbara Schlick singing expressively but with tonal insecurity. I didn't like Coin's leisurely tempo for this movement at first (he takes it at 6'17 compared to Harnoncourt's 4'53 and Leusink's 5'00 [7]), but on repeated listenings I began to think that the extra time allows us to better savour the skilful, trio-like imitation between the winds. The next movement comes as a shock, though, with Prégardien jumping in with a dramatic, Evangelist-style recitative. The tenor aria is wonderfully done, with Coin lilting the rhythms nicely--too bad Prégardien sounds a touch strained. The closing chorale is nice if a bit undisciplined. The pictures of the Concerto Vocale of Leipzig show women in the choir, but if they are they sure sound like boys here!

[7] (Leusink) Sorry, Aryeh, but Buwalda is hard for me to take here. I agree with what Marie said in her post. When Buwalda sings, I worry whether or not he's going to hit his notes well enough and that distracts me from the music. With every technical challenge comes a sharp or flat note or an awkward slide up to the correct pitch. Additionally, Frank Wakelkamp's violoncello piccolo playing in the aria is strangely phrased and over-emphatic. No comparison to Scholl/Coin [6]. On the other hand, Holton's singing in the chorale is outstanding, and Leusink's tempo and the playing of his wind group are great. Nico van der Meel--a singer I usually love--does his best with the recitative and aria, but the orchestra plays so quietly that small flaws in his intonation are cruelly exposed. He also seems to be holding back and stumbling a bit because his singing is so loud compared to the playing--strange.

I'll finish by encouraging everyone again to hear some of Coin's cantata recordings [6], especially the arias where he plays the piccolo cello.

Marie Jensen wrote (June 11, 2000):
(1) In one of the CD-shops I visit now and then, I found a double Werner by chance (BWV 119, BWV 140, BWV 90, BWV 147, BWV 85, BWV 28) Erato 3984-28166-2. As I didn't know the old Non-HIPer, I bought it, expecting that a new release of the old material (1963,1970) would be something special, perhaps a little like Richter.

But I was so disappointed when I listened to the great choruses: so slow, uninspired, like a Walkman playing on the last of its batteries. I heard BWV 140, BWV 119, and couldn't take anymore. Next day I heard BWV 147, oh help! Though some of the arias were sung well.

But then surprise, surprise! BWV 85. I agree with Aryeh, when he writes: "The accompaniment is very humble along the whole performance of this cantata. A good start for the comparison, on very high level from an unexpected source." Yes indeed. When Werner leaves big orchestra and choir settings and goes into the more intimate chamber music, he does very well. Especially the tenor aria with Huber is so expressive and beautiful, though some of the rallentandos and pianos are not in the score, I'm sure.

It is indeed a shame, that the quality of the CD's is so variating. His BWV 90 is not so bad either.

Only the BWV numbers are mentioned on the cover. You have to read the small letters in the booklet to find the cantata titles, and the information printed on one of the CD's is wrong.

An aria from cantata 85

Santu de Silva wrote (April 7, 2003):
An aria I am very fond of is the tenor one from BWV 85: "Sehet, was die Liebe tut!"

I've often written about the ballet suite by William Walton, based on Bach's music: The Wise Virgins. This aria is the basis of movement 4, almost without modification. The orchestration (in the Walton) is simple:

The opening ritornello (A) (in 9/8 time) is on violas and cellos, just two parts, with just a hint of pizzicato bass. Then the flute joins in with the solo melody, a total of three voices. It is a miracle of elegance and simplicity, and the mood is pure joy and serenity.

The middle (B) section, more passionate and assertive, has the same string accompaniment, perhaps with violins instead of violas--they seem a little more insistent, which is of a piece with the original Bach orchestration of unison violins and violas-- with the more edgy (modern) oboe replacing the flute. It modulates into g minor (the mediant minor, nailed with a C# just before the end of the section).

The last part is an abbreviated version of the A section, again with the flute, but the treatment is more effective than if it had been lengthened! (It's exactly the same as the Bach original, note for note.)

I should use some other word instead of ritornello; the tune is woven into the texture of the aria more like a theme or a motif than simply a returning tune fragment. The final effect is a wonderful, feel-good piece that seems to end far too soon.

Seht was die Liebe tut

Susannah Fie wrote (March 10, 2004):
Could anyone please help identify an arrangement for two pianos of a Bach Chorale, "Sieht was die Liebe tut" (See what His love can do)?

Thank you,

Bradley Lehman wrote (March 10, 2004):
[To Susannah Fie] Are you asking where a particular 2-piano arrangement came from, or what the original Bach piece was (Cantata BWV 85, 5^th movement, tenor aria)?

Susannah Fie wrote (March 10, 2004):
[To Bradley Lehman] Thank you, Brad, I think you have answered my question with Cantata BWV 85.

David Glenn Lebut Jr. wrote (March 11, 2004):
[To Susannah Fie] Are you sure of the spelling? If that was the title, it would probably have been "Seht was die Liebe tut", which would translate to "See (or Behold) what (the) love does" or "See (or Behold) what the Beloved doth (does)"

Discussions in the Week of April 15, 2007

Julian Mincham wrote (April 14, 2007):
Introduction BWV 85

CONTEXT

This is the first of only three cantatas of this cycle which begin with an aria. Cantatas BWV 85, BWV 108 and BWV 87 were composed in April and June of 1725 and have characteristics in common, specifically the fact that all are based upon, and begin with, the words of Christ.

There are a number of ways in which these three great works differ, not only from each other but also from the bulk of the second cycle cantatas. In some ways they seem to return to the less constricted and more free-ranging
structures of the first cycle. They do, however, retain a balanced mix of arias and recitatives in addition to the (almost) inevitable closing chorales. It has often been suggested that the omission of the opening choruses may have been in order to give the singers a well deserved rest after the performances of Cantatas BWV 4 and BWV 6, the Saint John Passion (BWV 245) and Easter Oratorio (BWV 249), all presented in under than a week. But if this were the case, why saddle them with the large choruses in Cantatas BWV 103 and BWV 108? And in the latter work, why position the chorus in the middle of the cantata rather than at the beginning? Of these three particular cantatas commencing with a bass aria, only one (BWV 108) contains an extended chorus.

Returning to Wolff's theory that Bach's librettist for the first forty works of the cycle, Andreas Stubel, had died in January 1725, he would have been seeking a new collaborator. It is known that he found one in Mariane von Ziegler who created texts for the final nine; Cantatas BWV 103, BWV 108, BWV 87, BWV 128, BWV 183, BWV 74, BWV 68, BWV 175 and BWV 176 although clearly Bach was not always satisfied with her efforts as he made a number of textural alterations (Wolff p 279). It is quite possible that von Ziegler also provided the libretto for Cantata BWV 85 in which case all three cantatas beginning with an aria would be attributable to her. Schweitzer (vol 2 p 331) certainly considered this likely.

However it is also possible that Bach planned well in advance and, aware that these three cantatas would have texts opening with the words of Christ, may have decided some time before to drop the chorale fantasias in favour of the more appropriate bass arias.

All three opening arias are expressed in the first person: ----I am a true shepherd-----You have not asked me----Now I depart----. Having Christ state his own words clearly and directly right at the beginning is logical as well as artistically and liturgically satisfying. It just doesn't fit neatly into the previously established musical pattern of the first part of this cycle. However it is worth mentioning in passing that all three arias commence with a weighty and serious instrumental quasi-ritornello: appropriate for the words of the Saviour certainly, but in each case these musical statements convey a gravitas which reminds us of the beginnings of many of the chorale fantasias from earlier in the cycle. Perhaps the sounding of the first few bars might even have led the Leipzig congregations to have expected yet another chorus. Could this possibly have been a subtle and slightly Teutonic joke on the Cantor's part?

Whatever Bach's circumstances or attitudes towards them, these three cantatas do not appear to be works thrown off in haste. They are carefully crafted pieces indicating Bach's punctilious observation of text, meaning and imagery. Each has its own character, the first (BWV 85) being the most pastorale and the last (BWV 87) the most poignant and serious. Cantata BWV 108 lies somewhere in between. THE CANTATA OF THE WEEK BWV 85 Ich bin ein gutter Hirt I am a true shepherd.

Aria (bass)--aria (alto)--chorale (sop)--recit (tenor)--aria (tenor)--chorale.

The forty-fourth cantata of the cycle written for Misericordias Domini Librettist unknown

This is the most lyrical of the three 'aria' works. The tone is pastoral throughout although it is interesting to note that of the six movements, three (first, second and the concluding chorale) are set in minor keys. It may be, of course, that because the dominant chorale is in C minor, Bafelt it appropriate to extend the "minor feel" throughout other parts of the work; the opening bass aria (Mvt. 1) is also in that key This aria is underpinned by a feeling of gravitas from the first bar. Christ's assertion is that he is a true shepherd------- and a shepherd would sacrifice himself for his sheep. This becomes a central theme of the cantata. The point is driven home by Bach's setting of the opening words 'I am a shepherd true'. This is declaimed simply and clearly on the bass's entry with a minimum of competition from the ensemble (in this case a conventional string orchestra, continuo and single oboe; a second oboe will be introduced in the third movement). It is immediately asserted again. But, a few bars later when it is declaimed for the third time, everything stops, just for a moment, on the word: "Hirt"--True. This is unusual in that Bach seldom comes to a complete halt at an intermediate cadence:- unless it is to make a specific textual point of this kind.

The feeling of gravitas is somewhat mitigated by the flowing semiquavers of the upper strings and oboe. This imitative counterpoint employs a series of descending scalic passages and possibly depicts the aimless wandering of grazing sheep.

The second movement (Mvt. 2) does no more than affirm and reflect upon the message of the first but through the eyes of an observer rather those of Christ himself. Again Bach uses minor keys from beginning to end suggesting a seriousness which the joyous flowing semi-quavers of the violincello piccolo could otherwise dispel. One might have considered the violin as the more appropriate instrument to declaim this virtually continous line. But the darker cello sound is in keeping with Bach's mood of seriousness in what might otherwise have been a much lighter, more pastoral concoction.

The third movement (Mvt. 3) is unusual, but not unique in that it introduces a second chorale; we found this also in C 6 performed a fortnight earlier. It is not here presented as a straightforward four part harmonisation or as a choral development of the basic melody but as a form of chorale prelude, the soprano embellishing the chorale phrases amidst a complex, and, at times, almost dense texture of two oboes and continuo.

(The chorale, originally set by Cornelius Becker (Boyd p226) must have been a favourite of Bach's. He used it to close Cantata BWV 104 from the first cycle and Cantata BWV 112 from the 1730s set of chorale fantasia cantatas).

The next movement (Mvt. 4) is the one recitative in this cantata and it begins in a basking of rich major harmonies. This short musical statement illustrates the great subtleties of Bach's representation of textural images. It begins with a reassurance that the one faithful shepherd, Jesus, will always be there to watch over us and ensure that we continue to enjoy the natural peace and articulated previously. The last lines give an example; if the wolf comes to devour us, the good shepherd will restrain him.

The tenor aria (Mvt. 5) is a pure pastorale with evenly flowing string quavers in 9/8 time and a wash of Eb major harmonies. It is a direct affirmation of the Saviour's love for us---'see what Christ's love has brought about!' But without entirely losing sight of this feeling of endearment and goodwill, there is a temporary return to the minor key in order to underpin the serious notion that all this was at the expense of Christ's blood on the cross. The insistent repeated notes on the words 'Und hat am Kreuzesstamm vergossen' ----- and on the trunk of the cross has poured----(precious blood) bring a moment of chill to the general mood of pastoral peace.

The closing chorale (Mvt. 6) has generated some of the ideas for earlier movements, most notably the three-note motive C-B-C which forms the declamatory basis for Christ's opening assertions. More importantly it returns to the minor mode of the bass and alto arias.

We are left with an affirmation of the seriousness of the message despite its pastorale connotations.

Link to the cantata page: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV85.htm

(For the next few weeks I shall be away from home and Aryeh has kindly agreed to send out the weekly introductions on my behalf. I am unlikely to be contributing to the discussions).

Douglas Cowling wrote (April 15, 2007):
Julian Mincham wrote:
< However it is also possible that Bach planned well in advance and, aware that these three cantatas would have texts opening with the words of Christ, may have decided some time before to drop the chorale fantasias in favour of the more appropriate bass arias.
All three opening arias are expressed in the first person: ----I am a true shepherd-----You have not asked me----Now I depart----. Having Christ state his own words clearly and directly right at the beginning is logical as well as artistically and liturgically satisfying. It just doesn't fit neatly into the previously established musical pattern of the first part of this cycle. However it is worth mentioning in passing that all three arias commence with a weighty and serious instrumental quasi-ritornello: appropriate for the words of the Saviour certainly, but in each case these musical statements convey a gravitas which reminds us of the beginnings of many of the chorale fantasias from earlier in the cycle. >
This pattern has real possibility as a creative decision by Bach, especially if he wanted to underline the Easter season's shift to pericopes from the Gospel of John with its frequent "I am" speeches by Christ.

Chris Kern wrote (April 16, 2007):
According to Whittaker, around one-third of the cantatas fall into a category he calls "Solo Cantata" (which means that they have no choral movement, not counting concluding 4-part chorales). This is one of those solo cantatas.

The centerpiece here is the attractive soprano chorale movement for duet oboe obbligato. It has an unusual length for a chorale movement of this time but I don't begrudge a minute of it.

[5] Rilling
This cantata is mostly strong, but I find Auger's soprano chorale unusually unsatisfying. She uses too much vibrato (so much so that I didn't think this was Auger until I looked it up on the BCW site).

[4] Harnoncourt
The boy soprano in the chorale movement is quite good, but the other movements aren't as good as the other versions.

[7] Leusink
Leusink's weak point is the chorales, so it's no surprise that a cantata almost entirely for solo voices will be good. All of the soloists are excellent, making this my favorite recording of the cantata.

Ed Myskowski wrote (April 16, 2007):
Julian Mincham wrote:
< CONTEXT
[...]
Returning to Wolff's theory that Bach's librettist for the first forty works > of the cycle, Andreas Stubel, had died in January 1725, he would have been seeking a new collaborator. It is known that he found one in Mariane von Ziegler who created texts for the final nine; Cantatas BWV 103, BWV 108, BWV 87, BWV 128, BWV 183, BWV 74, BWV 68, BWV 175 and BWV 176 although clearly Bach was not always satisfied with her efforts as he made a number of textural alterations (Wolff p 279). It is quite possible that von Ziegler also provided the libretto for Cantata BWV 85 in which case all three cantatas beginning with an aria would be attributable to her. Schweitzer (vol 2 p 331) certainly considered this likely. However it is also possible that Bach planned well in advance and, aware that these three cantatas would have texopening with the words of Christ, may have decided some time before to drop the chorale fantasias in favour of the more appropriate bass arias. >
The stylistic arguments in favor of von Ziegler are compelling, but this still does not explain the structural anomalies of the intervening BWV 6 and BWV 42. Bach's planning is always possible, but I do not see how this is any more (or less) plausible than Wolff's presentation of the Stübel hypothesis.

A sidelight on the quality of the poetry, also currently under discussion, from the BCW archives on von Ziegler:

<In his [Bach's] desire to tighten the content he often destroyed the rhyme and revealed "a marked tendency towards an unconnected sequence of several words" (Dürr). For instance, "Teufel, Tod" (devil, death) instead of "Sünd und Tod" (sin and death). <end quote>

I find Bach's version far more poetic. Dynamic, tight, not to mention the impact of 'devil, death'. Perhaps not quite as pretty (as if sin, devil, and death should be). To each his own. I did not attempt to recover the source of this example, it is not BWV 85.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to listen to the recordings by Werner [2], Leusink [7], and Koopman [9]. As usual, I find comparisons emphasize the tremendous value of the Leusink set, part of the Brilliant Classics Bach Edition. Overall, this would be my first choice. However, I find it even more pleasant to enjoy the variety of alternative performances. In the key alto aria, Mvt. 2, Hertha Töpper with Werner is unsurpassed, it is always a pleasant surprise how well these supposedly dated performances hold up, even (or especially?) on LP. Koopman is worthwhile, if only for the rare opportunity for comparison of a modern female alto (Bogna Bartosz), as first suggested by Eric Bergerund . Buwalda (with Leusink) acquits himself especially well, this point also emphasized by Aryeh in the first round.

Note that there are two versions of BWV 85 by Werner [2], I believe Aryeh's previous comments apply to the second, 1970 version. I have been neglectful in not posting a few comments for the past few weeks with respect to recordings of BWV 1, BWV 6, and BWV 42. I found the comments from the first round especially good for all of these, and had little new to add. I do hope to compare the two Gardiner versions of BWV 6.

Neil Halliday wrote (April 17, 2007):
BWV 85

The opening bass `aria' has two motifs occurring in the first bar, which generate most of the material for the rest of the movement: the continuo motif and the oboe motif. The first half of the continuo motif consists of what might described as a slow inverted mordent, and the 2^nd half ends with a trill; in fact the frequent occurrence of similar trills is a pleasing feature of the movement (well-recorded in Werner, 1970 [3]). The motif on the oboe ends with a descending scale, and this descending scalar element is heard more or less continuously in the various instrumental, and vocal, lines throughout the movement. The C minor mood is autumnal, peaceful, and tinged with sadness.

The alto aria features the more or less continuous `cello piccolo (obbligato) line.

The soprano chorale's chief motif, heard on the 1^st oboe and immediately followed on the 2nd oboe, (and then continuo, etc) turns out to be the ornamented incipit of the chorale tune that is taken up by the soprano.

Notice the brief sounding of alarm at "if Hell's wolf seeks to enter", via the rising broken chord triplets on the strings, in the tenor recitative.

The tenor aria has a lovely flowing `melody' on the unison upper strings; occasionally the tenor part moves in parallel thirds or sixths with this part. Walton used this movement in his "Wise Virgins" Suite (click on item 8; it's probably the most successful of all the arrangements in Walton's score): Amazon.com

Leusink's phrasing [7] seems rigid, with always strongly articulated groups of three. Compare Koopman [9] and Coin [6].

In the final choral, the last line of text is repeated, with the sopranos reaching high to "Gott" in the lovely harmony of the closing phrase.

Both Werner's recordings [2] [3] make pleasant listening. The tenor aria is a bit slow, especially in 1959. Preferring the 2^nd group of singers, I mostly listen to the 1970 recording. Ed mentioned Töpper (1959) - I was pleasantly surprised to hear minimal vibrato on the long melismas on "rauben". I find Rilling's bass aria and tenor recitative [5] to be satisfying. Harnoncourt's alto aria [4] also caught my attention. I find Koopman [9] and Coin [6] to be too fast in the tenor aria, but well performed. Surprisingly, Coin is slower than Werner in the soprano chorale (aria).

Neil Halliday wrote (April 20, 2007):
BWV 85: tenor aria

The unison string `melody' of the tenor aria (an aria which Robertson considers to be one of Bach's most beautiful) does have some interesting characteristics.

Let's consider that the complete exposition of the melody is 8 bars long (as seen in the opening and closing ritornellos). This melody begins and ends on the mediant (G, in Eb major) - unusual in itself?

For the first two bars, the melody in bar one is repeated in bar two; in the succeeding three pairs of bars (making eight bars altogether), the shape of the melody in the first of the two bars is always repeated in the second bar (of each pair), though at a different pitch. Knowing this makes it easy to remember the eight bars of the melody.

The whole aria is indeed a lovely expression of the idea that there is no greater love than the sacrificial love that is the subject of the aria.

Neil Halliday wrote (April 21, 2007):
BWV 85: assembly of movements

My preferred 'assembly' of the available recordings of BWV 85:

Bass aria: Werner (1970) [3]
Alto aria: Coin [6], or Harnoncourt. [4]
Soprano Aria: Gardiner [8].
Accompanied recitative: Rilling [5]
Tenor aria: Werner (1970) [3]
Chorale: Werner (1970) [3]

I wonder if anyone can claim preference for one recording in all movements.

Chris Kern wrote (April 21, 2007):
[To Neil Halliday] Close -- for me, Leusink [7] is my preference in all the movements except for possibly the closing chorale, but the closing chorale is good enough that I would still name this as my preferred recording. However, I have only heard Rilling [5], Harnoncourt [4], and Leusink [7].

Ed Myskowski wrote (April 22, 2007):
[To Chris Kern] I have just heard the Coin [6] for the first time, in a radio broadcast on WGBH (presented by host and BCML member, Brian McCreath). I would have to agree with the comments from the first round: a superior performance in every way, although the Leusink [7] holds up very well in comparison. I hope to hear the Gardiner [8] soon.

I have not heard all the options, so I cannot exactly state a preference in all the movement. I do think that either the Coin [6] or Leusink [7] are performances that any Bach enthusiast can enjoy. I already mentioned Hertha Töpper in the A aria, Mvt. 2, Werner (1959) [2]. I cannot exactly call it a preference over the more recent versions, but I am certainly grateful for the opportunity to hear it.

Thanks to Neil for the stimulating post.

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