Cantata BWV 95
Christus, der ist mein Leben
Discussions
Suzuki Volume 11
Ryan Michero wrote (December 17, 1999):
Here is my review for Vol.11 of Suzuki's complete cantata series, and it's a big one! Enjoy!
(7) Volume 11
Suzuki is still working his way through Bach's first cycle of Leipzig cantatas. Many of these pieces are not well-known and were written under extreme time constraints. Hence, Bach's inspiration is not uniformly high--it is merely astoundingly high! In spite of some awkwardness in these pieces here and there, Bach still managed to craft some fine, unified works with many exceptional movements. There are some great moments in the cantatas on Suzuki's Vol.11, and all four are lovely, fascinating works if not "favorites." Additionally, I think some cantata recording devotees will be surprised by some of Suzuki's revelations in this volume. It goes without saying that Suzuki's exceptionally high standards are maintained here, and for fans like me this volume is self-recommending. On to the individual cantatas:
[snip]
BWV 95 - "Christus der ist mein Leben"
This cantata is a complicated, conflicted piece dealing with the troubles of the world and longing for death. The writer of the liner notes seems to think it represents a questioning or criticism of Lutheran dogma by Bach. I'm not sure if I agree, but it does seem to me that Bach is playing up the contrast between the almost flippant Lutheran dogma of acceptance of death with the anguish of loss. Whether you agree with the writer's thesis or not, though, Suzuki takes the music at face value, emphasizing points of contrast without pedantic "point-making," allowing us to figure the work out for ourselves. The first movement of this piece incorporates two chorale settings with a recitative in between. Suzuki handles the whole movement well, opening with a nice, "galant" swing, gently building to a small climax on the dissonant setting of the word "Sterben", segueing into an ambivalent recitative, and closing with "stile antico" sobriety. Sakurada sings wonderfully, and Shimada's corno da tirarsi sounds great. After uncertain-feeling recitative, the solo soprano sings a chorale, deliciously accompanied by Ponseele's oboe d'amore. After a tenor recitative, there is a very unusual tenor aria. The strings play "pizzicato," imitating the funeral bells mentioned in the text, in music punctuated with uncertain silences. The atmosphere is strange, innocent and childlike yet also a bit macabre, with the tenor exclaiming his wish to feel death "in his limbs" ("in meinen Gliedern"). The aria is beguiling in the hands of the BCJ, making this strange vision of death quite seductive! Kooy follows with a fine recitative--listen to him nail that low note at the end! The final chorale brings another WOW! Moment, with a gorgeous violin line representing the resurrection soaring above the choir. And try to hold back your sobs at the chorale's final line, "For now I depart with joy" ("Drum fahr ich hin mit Freuden").
[snip]
Comparisons
[snip]
BWV 95--Harnoncourt, Koopman
(5) The recording by Harnoncourt, for me, epitomizes bad Harnoncourt: fast, inflexible tempi, over-stressed accents, and a seeming ignorance of the meaning of the text. I had high hopes for the "bell" aria with Kurt Equiluz, but any insight he brings is lost in the shuffle due to Harnoncourt's breathless tempo. I was very surprised and disappointed.
(6) Koopman's reading is very comparable to Suzuki's. Koopman handles the shifts in mood just right, and his choir and orchestra are wonderful. I also slightly prefer Gerd Türk to Makoto Sakurada in the haunting "bell" aria. Koopman doesn't use the corno da tirarsi specified in Bach's score, but who can complain when Bruce Dickey plays the part on cornett? I call a draw between Koopman and Suzuki here.
[snip]
Whew!
Discussions in the Week of September 30, 2001
Aryeh Oron wrote (October 2, 2001)
Introduction
The subject of this week's discussion (September 30, 2001) is Cantata BWV 95, according to Peter Bloemendaal's proposed list. In order to allow the members of the BCML preparing themselves for the discussion, I arranged a list of the recordings of this cantata. There are at least 8 of them. This interesting (based on 4 different chorales!) early cantata is included in the 5 complete cantata cycles - H&L, Rilling [4], Leusink [8], Koopman and Suzuki [7]. Besides there are three more recordings, all of them were recorded before the HIP-mania, two of them are interesting, and one is not. I hope to see many of you participating in the discussion.
Background
See: Cantata BWV 95 - Commentary
Note: In all the recordings below the first three numbers above (Chorus, Recitative for Tenor, & Chorale) are defined as Mvt. 1
Review of the Recordings
(1) Günther Ramin
Ramin starts with a large-scale orchestra, which plays with romantic approach, but the solemn mood is there. The singing of the choir is far from being polished, but they convey the sad atmosphere with sincerity. So is the tenor Lutze with beautiful and impressive voice, although is singing is very operatic and might sound strange to contemporary ears. The singing of the boy soprano (only one this time), who sings the recitative, is captivating with its simplicity (although his singing has some imperfections), and in the ensuing chorale he is joined by the full soprano section of the boys’ choir. The deep-voiced Hans Hauptmann is talking in his recitative for bass rather than singing, but his concluding short arioso is pure magic. He shows how much (feeling and emotions) can be conveyed in so short part.
[3] Kurt Bauer
Avoid this one.
[2] Heins Heintze
While I was doing the translation into Hebrew of the libretto of BWV 95, I thought to myself that the opening chorus should be done with tenderness, yet it has to convey the endless sorrow of a man who knows that his time to leave this world has come. Indeed he is saying that he is doing it gladly, but the music is telling us otherwise. This is exactly what we get with Heintze’s rendition. Such touching singing is rare even among modern choirs. After the first chorus (in this case, a term borrowed from Jazz) there is a short break, as though they cannot speak. After the second one the tenor Jelden enters and the same gloomy atmosphere is retained. Jelden has everything – beautiful voice, taste, sensitivity to the text and most important, the ability to convey deep human feelings in a natural and convincing way. Gundula Bernàt-Klein has delicate voice with slight vibrato and she sings both the recitative and the chorale for soprano beautifully. In the aria for tenor I hear not only the tolling bells but also the drums in the funeral march. Roland Kunz’s voice is lighter than his predecessor, but regarding expression they are on the same high-level par.
(4) Helmuth Rilling
In the tranquil playing of the oboes and the singing of the full-voiced choir I hear more desire to leave this world happily than the morbidity I heard in the previous approach. Both are acceptable, because they are doing it seriously and convincingly. When the issue is conveying deep and complex human emotions, and not pure virtuosity, Arleen Augér has few peers. She sings both the recitative and the chorale in such moving way, that no explanation is needed, what is the text about. Nevertheless, I have to admit that her clearly heard vibrato in the long notes might disturb some. Kraus is convincing in both his too recitatives and the aria for tenor. The timbre of his voice suits very well the demand of this cantata. His entry immediately after the opening chorus is piercing the heart. The warmth and the sensitivity of Heldwein in the recitative and arioso are arresting.
(5) Nikolaus Harnoncourt
I have nothing against Harnoncourt, but I do not think that either he or his fans will like to hear my opinion regarding his rendition of this cantata. IMO, he misses it altogether. Firstly, the cantata is played too fast. Nobody can convey such complex human emotions, as the text and the music of this cantata suggest, under such swiftness. And the poor soloists are not given enough room for meaningful expression. Secondly, there are severe balancing between the choir and the orchestra and between the vocal soloists and the accompaniment along the whole cantata. Thirdly, regarding the message of the cantata, there is more one way to interpret it, as we have learnt from other renditions. On the one hand, it can be seen as pessimistic by anticipating death, with nor REAL hope. On the other hand the interpreter can focus on the happiness of finding the salvation from this world’s miseries. Both approaches can also be combined. But Harnoncourt does not take any reasonable approach, and it is very difficult to realise what did he indeed mean to convey.
(6) Ton Koopman
Koopman performs this cantata relatively fast, even though not as fast as Harnoncourt. In the singing of the choir and the playing of the orchestra I found similar tenderness to that of Heintze, although it is not as touching. Türk sings his parts lightly with no special sense of involvement. The pleasant and the charming voice of Lisa Larsson does not compensate for some superficiality of expression in the recitative and chorale for soprano. Mertens is Mertens, which means that he has the taste and the sensitivity to do the best out of his small part.
(7) Masaaki Suzuki
Suzuki performs the cantata a little bit faster than Koopman, but his approach is different. Instead of tenderness we hear vigour and determination. As though the man wants to say, I decided what I want to do, and nothing will stand in my way. This approach is reflected actually along the whole cantata, and not only in the opening movement. Both Midori and Sakurada go deeper into the heart of the matter than Koopman’s soloists do. Kooy lacks the warmth that Mertens has. This is a well-balanced performance, unified in its message, and everything is done right. But Suzuki has shown us in other cantatas (BWV 12, for example) that he can grab the listener by his throat, something that I do not feel he succeeds in doing here.
(8) Pieter Jan Leusink
Harnoncourt showed us how damaging a too fast performance of this cantata can be. It seems to be that Leusink has not learnt the lesson. He had better examples to listen to than Harnoncourt’s recording. In the opening movement he follows Harnoncourt’s route. In contrary to Suzuki, this is an unbalanced rendition. The singing of the choir in the choral movements is unclean. Schoch is doing strange and seemingly irrelevant things in his parts, and he fails to attract attention to his singing. The boyish and innocent voice of Holton is a cause for enjoyment, although there are deeper emotions that are not revealed by her interpretation.
Conclusion
My picks:
Choir (& Orchestra) - Cathedral Choir & Bach Orchestra of Bremen (Heintze) [2]
Tenor - Georg Jelden (Heintze) [2]
Soprano – Arleen Augér (Rilling) (4)
Bass – Klaus Mertens (Koopman) (6)
Overall rendition – Heintze [2]
And as always, I would like to hear other opinions, regarding the above mentioned performances, or other recordings.
Thomas Braatz wrote (October 3, 2001):
BWV 95 - Commentary [Eric Chafe in his "Tonal Allegory in J.S.Bach" / Suzuki on the subject of trumpets and horns / Some comments from some of the earlier Bach scholars (Spitta, Schweitzer, Voigt, Dürr) / Commentary on each mvt. drawn mainly from Schweitzer and Dürr with a few observations of my own]
See: Cantata BWV 95 - Commentary
The Recordings:
I listened to the following: Ramin (1952) (1); Rilling (1977-78) (4); Harnoncourt (1979) (5); Koopman (1997) (6); Suzuki (1998) (7); Leusink (2000) (8).
The timings reveal the following:
|
Conductor |
TT |
Mvt. 1 |
Mvt. 5 |
Mvt. 7 |
|
Ramin |
23:14 |
6:38 |
9:06 |
1:43 |
|
Rilling |
21:48 |
7:02 |
7:48 |
1:06 |
|
Harnoncourt |
14:36 |
3:42 |
5:59 |
0:58 |
|
Koopman |
18:50 |
4:59 |
7:54 |
1:11 |
|
Suzuki |
17:57 |
4:48 |
7:27 |
0:57 |
|
Leusink |
17:27 |
4:24 |
7:16 |
1:06 |
(1) Ramin:
I have only heard a few recordings in this set. This is the first one that did not have something truly significant that would impress me. On the contrary, I was bothered not only by the usual poor standard of orchestral playing (remember that the instrumentalists were essentially playing this the first time together with the chorus - a fact that I can overlook, if other factors in the interpretation are overpowering. This was not the case this time. In addition to hearing the violins not play in unison properly, there were also tape (or was it wire) glitches in the recording. The general impression of the playing and singing in the 1st mvt. was that of fighting to overcome a heavy weight or burden, partially caused by the very slow tempo. There is some sloppy choral work as well - sliding into notes rather than attacking them properly. Throughout the bass voice is very weak and difficult to hear. (Again, remember the limited frequency range available in a recording such as this.) The tenor Lutze has difficulty with the high range where his voice sounds strained. Of course, as an operatic singer he has too much vibrato. He sings with a dialect incorrectly pronouncing 'singen' as one would in English. The cornett's intonation is off. The solo soprano sounds like a very young boy soprano, clear without vibrato and expressionless. When the chorale (mvt. 3) begins, Ramin uses all the sopranos. ALL of them! Unfortunately many of them had too much vibrato and spoiled the effect. In another cantata discussed recently, Ramin used only two boys in a similar situation. You could hardly tell that there were two of them. That's the way it should be. In mvts. 4 & 5 Lutze often glides or swoops to the high note that he is attacking. The evidence of straining is so obvious that is sounds as if he is being choked to death. This version of the this beautiful aria does not do anything for me, as much as I love this aria. I would not willingly return to this recording for this aria. The bass, Hauptmann sound rather like Theo Adam might have sounded in his younger days. The performance of the final chorale literally dies under its own weight. There is also a sliding, glissando-like movement from note to note at times.
(4) Rilling:
Rilling has established a suitable, convincing tempo that allows everything to be heard clearly. The special effects that Bach created on "Sterben" and "sanft und stille" are very moving in this rendition. The horn adds just the proper funereal quality that this mvt. needs. The tenor, Kraus, has some wonderful coloraturas (note how deliberate and clear these are compared to all the faster versions listed below) and even his recitatives are quite acceptable (normally I can not stand Kraus singing any recitative). Augér wants to add expression to her part, but she does, she begins forcing her voice too much and then it begins to sound ugly, or at least as if this were some kind of opera. In the chorale she has too much vibrato as she sings against a single oboe d'amore (Bach indicated 2 oboes here). At the end of the chorale her voice becomes weaker and weaker in the low range. This is not one of her best efforts. In the tenor recitative Kraus reverts to his true color in singing recitatives: he attacks a high "Ach" with a vengeance and uses lots of vibra. Rilling has just the right tempo for the tenor aria and Kraus succeeds in not overdoing the expression. This is followed by Heldwein's wonderful rendition of a very short recitative. This is a full voice of the operatic type, but the end result is very pleasing nonetheless. An excellent version of the final chorale follows.
(5) Harnoncourt:
It continues to amaze me that Harnoncourt could continue making one cantata after another, each one sounding much like this one with all the worst attributes that one can imagine hearing in a Bach cantata. That is why I consider a performance such as this one a caricature. This is unfortunate because it probably means that poor Harnoncourt was not aware of the ugly, amateurish-sounding results that he was creating. I try hard to imagine myself as Harnoncourt in a recording studio listening to a cantata that he had just recorded and wonder what was going through his mind at the time. Normally (but we know that Harnoncourt is a musical genius, so for that reason he should not be considered among the average, normal listener) we would think that a conductor would say to himself, "Ah! Here is something that I can improve on in the next cantata recording, so that it will not sound this way next time." But since we can not fathom the mind of a genius, we can only rely on our own good judgment, commonsense and musical ears to come to terms with the type of monstrosity that Harnoncourt has created. In a way, I feel sorry for him because nothing could replace his inability to understand the musical aspects of singing. Lacking this knowledge and experience, he is unable to create aesthetically pleasing sounds. His motto seems to be distortion at all costs. All the typical features of the Harnoncourt Doctrine are represented here in gross exaggeration: Strong accents with the unaccented syllables de-emphasized to the point of non-existence. At times the boys are screaming or shouting, but not really singing the correct notes at the proper pitch. The most egregious example occurs in ms. 26 at the end of the word "Sterben." I defy anyone to tell me that they can actually hear the final syllable of the word, and yet Bach marked this with a fermata! Even Equiluz can not avoid failure with extremely fast tempo that Harnoncourt decrees. When Equiluz is asked to exert his voice too much, you will notice a very fast vibrato even in the coloraturas (Schwarzkopf does the same thing.) If Equiluz had been allowed some input regarding the tempo (a slower tempo would have been preferable), I am certain that the result would have been better that what is heard here. Perhaps the oboes should also have been consulted because, in the second chorale - ms. 107-108, they sound like members of a beginner's orchestra. Very amateurish and not worthy to be included in a collection of Bach cantata recordings. Wiedel, the boy soprano, creates ugly sounds with his voice because he is asked to over-emphasize certain notes. His insecure vibrato and intonation in the chorale are amplified by the shaky oboe d'amore used in the chorale. Harnoncourt uses only one oboe, but Bach had indicated both oboes. The short recitative (mvt. 5) is the high point of this cantata. Here Equiluz could choose his own tempo, and then everything, including his wonderful ability to add expression to the words, works in his favor. The aria, unfortunately, is too fast, which again means that Equiluz has to force his voice. Equiluz does not sing well any agitated arias. If the tempo had been slower, he would not have to be quite so agitated. There are times that his voice drops off in the lower range. In ms. 85 and 98 it becomes evident that there are too many notes to sing in too short a space of time. Mvt. 6 Huttenlocher - I do not like the way this singer allows me to feel that he is putting on an act. Although there must be expression, I do not want it to be overdone, which I perceive here. The final chorale has the usual problems: heavy emphasis on each quarter note and singing certain words ("treiben") as if they were taunts thrown out by school children standing on a corner. The noble violin descant sounds feeble with intonation problems that detract from the meaning that this line should have.
(6) Koopman:
This is a 'lite' treatment of a very serious subject. The fast tempo leads easily into sotto voce singing style that lacks depth and conviction. Particularly evident is the weakness (lack of volume) in the lower voices. The special effects, however, on "Sterben" and "sanft und stille" are among the best that I have heard. Türk sounds rather rushed in his coloraturas. This voice is rather operatic with the expected vibrato, except in the lower range where he has little volume to offer. Larsson in mvts 2 & 3 has an uncertain shaky vibrato, which means that her intonation is insecure at times. Her pronunciation of German leaves something to be desired. Listen to how she sings, "die arme falsche Welt." In the chorale she sometimes howls on high notes and is deficient in the low range at the end of the chorale. Türk deserves a special medal for being the only tenor in this recordings to sing the high note in ms. 26 of the aria. This pertains to the later conductors including Suzuki and Leusink, who did not bother to consult the NBA and preferred to use an older edition which must indicate a lower note. The oboi d'amore sound great in this recording, particularly after having just heard the Harnoncourt shaky oboes. Mertens gives another one of his excellent interpretations in the recitative. The final chorale is given a soft and sweet interpretation, but lack conviction and significance.
(7) Suzuki:
The opening chorale and the interrupting recitative are taken too fast, but Suzuki manages to find just the right tempo for the second chorale which is one of the best versions that I have heard. There is clarity in all the musical lines and Bach's intentions are otherwise carefully followed. The coloraturas in the middle section (recitative) are too fast for Sakurada, who has a penchant for swallowing the ending syllables (does this originate in the Japanese language or die he simply listen to too many Harnoncourt Bach cantata recordings?) The choral sound is very good, but I notice that the sopranos have a forced, hard quality in their voices. The soprano, Suzuki, has a somewhat insecure, shaky, at times too slow vibrato. There is a sharp, penetrating quality to this voice in the high range, where on certain notes it sounds like she is howling. At the end of the chorale she almost does not make it through the last phrase in her low range because her voice simply lacks volume there. The conductor uses both oboi d'amore in the chorale, where most others disregard Bach's intentions. In his aria Sakurada has difficulty with the 'doch' in the phrase "Schlage doch." There are times, not always, when the doch almost disappears completely. The sound of the oboi d'amore is very fine indeed. Kooy does an admirable job, although
not quite as good as Mertens in this recitative. The final chorale is a fitting conclusion to this rather good cantata recording.
(8) Leusink:
The dance-like character of this 1st mvt. is simply not appropriate for this text. At this fast tempo everything seems to suffer: the special effects on "Sterben" and "sanft und stille" are not very special. The inner voices are weak and, unfortunately, the yodelers make another appearance in ms. 26, distracting the listener from serious contemplation, if that is possible at this fast tempo. Schoch, the tenor, strains a bit in the upper register. The coloraturas are almost too fast for him to handle properly. In the low register his voice is weak. The replacement for the horn in the second chorale is an organ stop that sounds as if it were created on an electronic organ. This second chorale section is much too fast - listen to the bc. It is completely crazy, as it does not know how to find Christ because it is scurrying in every which way. There is not much expressioin Holton's voice in the recitative, but she sounds just right for the chorale except for her weakness in the low range at the end of the chorale. In the recitative Schoch attacks the high notes with a dead quality in his voice. In the aria the 2nd oboe d'amore has intonation problems. Schoch's voice tends to be covered by the orchestra when the voice is in the low range. He sometimes has trouble with his high notes. Leusink did not consult the NBA, as a result Schoch sings a note lower than the high 'd' that is indicated. Ramselaar gives us a half-whispering rendition of the recitative. Most likely he is unable to produce a full-voiced sound. The final chorale uses the wrong words in one spot - the text should have been checked out beforehand. As usual, certain voices stick out at times when they should not.
Summary
Ratings of certain mvts.
Mvt. 1
Rilling
Koopman
Suzuki
Ramin
Leusink
Harnoncourt (rock bottom)
Mvts. 2 & 3
Nothing at the very top
Augér
Suzuki
Larsson
Holton
Wiedl
Mvt. 5
Kraus
Türk
Equiluz
Sakurada
Schoch
Lutze
Mvt. 6
Heldwein
Mertens
Kooy
Hauptmann
Huttenlocher
Ramselaar
Marie Jensen wrote (October 6, 2001):
Cantata BWV 138 "Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz" reviewed a year ago and cantata BWV 95 "Christus der ist mein Leben" had their first performances two following Sundays in September 1723. And in their form they are both very experimental, one aria only and lots of recitativos, chorusses and chorales mixed in various ways as logic consequences of the texts.
A cantata formed this way will never become one of the greatest hits, but I have three different versions: Koopman (6), Suzuki (7) and Leusink (8).
From the very beginning the cantata has a confident and happy mood. I imagine Bach himself crossing Thomaskirchhof with energetic steps looking forward to praise God in music. (especially in the Suzuki version)
Then for a second the meter in "ChriSTUS der ist mein Leben" irritates me, but it is not Bachs fault but the anonymous hymn writers.
Koopman’s and Suzuki’s choirs are both very disciplined and expressive in the openings changing tempi and moods. (Leben - Sterben)
I like the "surprise instrumentation" when "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" breaks through the opening movement. Leusink uses an organ-the others different wind instruments. It is a very good idea because when death comes, something new begins. The instruments form a vehicle travelling to another world.
I also enjoyed very much Holtons voice in recitativo 2 and chorale 3. She does not get much instrumental support. Her voice is bright and warm at the same time and my number one of the three. (Lisa Larsson, Koopman) and (Midori Suzuki, Suzuki)
The tenor aria is a typical death aria, with its clocks/ cradle/ bells. When I listen to this one, I cannot help thinking of Vivaldi : "The Winter, second movement" with its cosy indoor life near the fireside. I imagine a nice baroque interiour even with a rocking chair. Death would not even come on my mind if the tenor did not sing about it.
Here I prefer Suzuki/ Sakurada because I like the sound of the orchestra and also because Suzuki really makes "Die allerletzten Glockenschlag" with a very distinct short note at last. (Don't know if it is in the score, but it is very effectful.)
There are no big differences between the three versions I know. So who do I prefer? There is no clear number one.Suzuki perhaps
Thomas Braatz wrote (October 7, 2001):
< To Marie who stated: The tenor aria is a typical death aria, with its clocks/ cradle/ bells. When I listen to this one, I cannot help thinking of Vivaldi : "The Winter, second movement" with its cozy indoor life near the fireside. I imagine a nice baroque interior even with a rocking chair. Death would not even come on my mind if the tenor did not sing about it. Here I prefer Suzuki/ Sakurada [7] because I like the sound of the orchestra and also because Suzuki really makes "Den allerletzten Glockenschlag" with a very distinct short note at last. (Don't know if it is in the score, but it is very effective.) >
Regarding your last comment first: You are absolutely correct in hearing this abrupt final note ("the very last bell/death knell") which is not indicated in the score. Call it a matter of interpretation, but following Bach's intentions/markings in the score this is not. Suzuki [7] plays the final quarter note with a fermata over it, as if it were a staccato quarter note with a wedge over it. If you listen to Sakurada where he has a final quarter note at the end of a phrase, it is definitely longer and has the full length of the quarter note. What really bothers me, however, about this rendition of the aria (I might have rated it higher if it were not for this obvious flaw that should not have slipped through) is that Sakurada makes the word "doch" and the note under it become almost nonexistent whenever "doch" is not immediately followed by "bald." I have no idea why no one caught this obvious mistake, since this is not a matter of interpretation, but rather incorrect reading of the text and the sound of the note under this text. In any case, a fermata at the end of a movement means that the note is sounded a little longer than its stated value.
If it were not for the text in this aria, I would concur with you that the instrumental accompaniment sounds more like a symphony of clocks than bells. And, who knows, perhaps the bells that are ringing, are all clock bells, ringing at regular intervals, beginning with the bc representing the grandfather clock rather than church or funeral bells. I too was reminded of the same movement in Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons." I even had in mind a picture of Bach enjoying one of his rare moments of leisure with a glass of wine (we know he enjoyed wine and coffee) in front of a fireplace with some
clocks ticking in the background. If Bach had smoked a pipe, I would also think immediately of Wilhelm Busch's "Max und Moritz" in which Busch depicts another organist/teacher, Herr Lämpel, who also appears playing the organ in one picture, but the picture that I am thinking of has him sitting in his easy chair smoking a long meerschaum pipe after a hard week of teaching/playing the organ and exclaiming, "Ach, die Zufriedenheit!" (Ah, blissful contentment.) Little did he know how soon 'his hour would be striking.'
Another possibility is that Bach's insights might have reflected his study of Antiquity or were truly ahead of his time: The contentment that we hear in the aria (if we disregard the agitated, leaping intervals of the voice part) is a precursor of death. Lullaby (the oboe d'amore parts sound like a lullaby) = Sleep = Death (Sleep is the little brother of Death.) This idea of equating contentment with death is expressed in dramatic form by Goethe when he has Faust offer Mephistopheles a wager: "Werd' ich beruhigt je mich auf ein Faulbett legen,/so sei es gleich um mich getan!/Kannst du mich schmeichelnd je belügen,/Daß ich mir selbst gefallen mag,/Kannst du mich mit Genuß betrügen -/Das sei für mich der letzte Tag!/ Die Wette biet' ich!" In essence: 'If I should ever relax, allow myself to be flattered, and fall in love with the pursuit of pleasure, let me rather die than live - this is my wager!' The point is that when these things happen, you are already spiritually dead, so your physical death is then imminent. Somehow it is very difficult for me visualize Bach simply becoming a self-satisfied 'couch potato' with the almost overwhelming family and professional requirements that were demanded of him.
Discussions in the Week of October 16, 2005
Thomas Braatz wrote (October 16, 2005)
BWV 95 - Intro to Weekly Discussion
Identification:
The cantata which has been selected, based upon the chronological sequence of Bach's performances, for this week's discussion is BWV 95 "Christus, der ist mein Leben" which had its first performance in Leipzig on September 12, 1723.
Provenance:
Only a set of almost all of the original parts has survived. These were mainly copied by Johann Andreas Kuhnau (1703-sometime after 1745) from the autograph score which disappeared during C. P. E. Bach's lifetime during which he probably presented it as a gift or sold it off. Kuhnau had also prepared the initial untransposed continuo part (now lost.) Other copyists involved in creating the parts were Christian Gottlob Meißner (1707-1760) who used Kuhnau's continuo part to create another continuo part and the transposed, partly figured organ continuo part. Also two other unidentified individuals prepared the violin doublets. All parts were carefully revised and corrected by Bach who supplied numerous dynamic markings, directions such as 'Aria senza l'organo' ('the aria to be performed without organ' - the NBA editors are not 100% certain that this notation was Bach's) after Meißner had included this mvt. in his transposed continuo part, and Bach added missing fermatas in mvt. 7 and also took measures to ensure that the parts playable on an ordinary oboe would indeed be playable by the "Hautbois d'Amour."
Dating the Composition and Performances
Alfred Dürr based the date of the 1st performance on September 12, 1723 upon the following observations regarding the original set of parts: 1) the watermark (MA in its smaller form); 2) the analysis of the handwriting of both Kuhnau and Meißner; and 3) the notation of the oboe d'amore in a French violin clef.
It can no doubt be assumed that there were additional performances of this cantata under Bach's direction during his lifetime, but no evidence for this has yet been found.
Original Title and Designation
In lieu of the missing autograph score, the title and designation of this cantata in Kuhnau's handwriting on the cover page for the original parts provide perhaps a close resemblance to the original:
Domin: 16 post Trinit: | Christus der ist mein Leben,
sterben ist etc. | a | 4 Voci | Corno |
2 Hautbois d'Amour | 2 Violini | Viola | con |
Continuo | di Sign: | JSBach
Text:
The librettist for the texts not deriving from chorales is unknown.
This cantata is rather unique among Bach's cantatas in that it makes use of 4 different chorale texts:
1) "Christus, der ist mein Leben" (mvt. 1 uses verse 1 of this chorale)
2) "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" (mvt. 1 uses verse 1 of this chorale)
3) "Valet will ich dir geben" (mvt. 3 uses verse 1 of this chorale)
4) "Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist" (mvt. 7 uses verse 4 of this chorale)
For more information on the origin of these chorale texts and their melodies, follow the links given below. Find out more about the chorale texts (an English translation is given) as well as all the other instances where Bach employs this chorale text or refers to it. Also find out more about the authors of the chorale texts):
Christus, der ist mein Leben: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale038-Eng3.htm
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale011-Eng3.htm
Valet will ich dir geben: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale039-Eng3.htm
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/Chorale040-Eng3.htm
For chorale melodies:
For more information on the origin of the chorale melodies used in this cantata, follow the links. Not only will you be able to read about the composer of the melody (if there is one that can be identified,) but you will also see where Bach also employed this melody in his compositions. There are viewable musical samples to see just how Bach uses the melody as well as a list of other composers who also based their compositions on this melody.
Christus, der ist mein Leben: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Christus-der-ist-mein-Leben.htm
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Mit-Fried-und-Freud.htm
Valet will ich dir geben: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Valet-will-ich-dir-geben.htm
Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Wenn-mein-Stundlein.htm
For the original German text of the entire cantata (if you do not have it at your disposal) go to: http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~wfb/cantatas/95.html
For translations of the cantata text into English, French, Hebrew, Indonesian or Spanish go to:
In English:
by Ambrose: http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/faculty/bach/BWV95.html
by Dellal (Emmanuel Music) side-by-side: http://www.emmanuelmusic.org/notes_trans/transl_cantata/bwv095.htm
In French (Bischof): http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~wfb/fcantatas/95.html
In French (by Grivois, note-to-note): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV95-Fre4.htm
In Hebrew (by Oron): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV95-Heb1.htm
In Indonesian (Pardede, word-for-word): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Texts/BWV95-Ind.htm
In Spanish (by Casabona): http://www.cantatasdebach.com/95.html
Liturgical Connection:
The associated readings for this chorale cantata for 16th Sunday after Trinity are: Epistle: Ephesians 3: 13-21; Gospel: Luke 7: 11-17
Alfred Dürr sees the best connection established between the libretto and the readings as found in the Gospel reading. With this text in mind, the librettist can express his contempt for the world as well as his longing for death. Although there is no explicit connection made between the Gospel episode ("Jesus restores to life a widow's son") and the cantata text, the final recitative (mvt. 6) does hint rather strongly that such a connection was intended: it gives the reason for wishing to die: "For I know and believe firmly that I will have secure access to the Father from my grave..and will be able to base my resurrection cheerfully on my Savior." The librettist tries to say that "just as the widow's son was reawakened to life by Jesus, so, likewise, will He also reawaken me."
Musical Scores:
For those who wish to follow a vocal & piano score, this is available at: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Scores/BWV095-V&P.pdf
For musical samples from the recordings: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Mus/BWV95-Mus.htm
Short Introductory Commentaries
For those who wish a short commentary which presents only certain highlights, see
Crouch: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/bachjs/cantatas/095.html
Eriksson (AMG): http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=42:4302~T1
Smith (Emmanuel): http://www.emmanuelmusic.org/notes_trans/notes_cantata/bwv095.htm
Reyes (in Spanish): http://www.cantatasdebach.com/95.html
From Former Discussions: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Guide/BWV95-Guide.htm
Commentary included is derived from W. Murray Young, Chafe, Finscher (Program Notes), Suzuki (Program Notes), Spitta, Voigt, Schweitzer, and Dürr
A Commentary by Nicholas Anderson from "Oxford Composer Companions: J. S. Bach" ed. Boyd [Oxford University Press, 1999]:
>>"Christus, der ist mein Leben" ("Christ, who is my life"). Cantata for the 16th Sunday after Trinity, BWV 95. The appointed Gospel reading relates St Luke's account of the raising from the dead of the young son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7: 11-17). It is clear, in view of both the present work and Bach's three other extant cantatas for this Sunday (nos. 161, 8, and 27), that the story was understood symbolically to represent man's resurrection to eternal life. Bach first performed the piece at Leipzig on 12 September 1723.
The unidentified author of the text incorporates into his scheme single verses from four different hymns, each with its associated melody. Two of these are contained in the opening chorus, an ingenious, experimental, and highly original composition whose complexity of design holds surprises for the unsuspecting ear. It is made up of three component parts forming a pattern of chorus-recitative-chorus. An instrumental opening, in which a syncopated figure in the divided oboe d'amore parts is answered by the upper strings, leads to the first hymn, "Christus, der ist mein Leben" (c. 1609), whose melody, by Melchior Vulpius, is sustained in the soprano line. The four lines of the strophe are presented in four distinct choral sections whose chordal declamation is broken only once, at the words "Sterben ist mein Gewinn" ("To die is my reward"). Here, with a sudden change from (implied) 'forte' to 'piano,' Bach brings in the voices one by one on successive dissonances, arriving at a diminished 7th chord followed by a pause. A bridge is formed between this hymn and the next by an extended declamatory passage for solo tenor made up of arioso and simple recitative, punctuated by instrumental references to the syncopated figure from the previous section. A sequence of key changes (beginning in G major and ending on the dominant of G minor) leads to the second hymn melody, sung to the first strophe of Luther's "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin" (1524; a paraphrase of the "Nunc dimittis"). The lines of the chorale are separated this time not by independent motivic material, but by "Vorimitation" of the melody on horn and oboes (replacing the oboes d'amore heard previously) over a running quaver bass. The sturdy character of Luther's hymn, and the thematic homogeneity achieved by the presence of its melody in both the vocal and the instrumental strands, give strength and uniformity to this section of the movement.
Following this superbly constructed chorus is a simple recitative for soprano whose text bids farewell to life's transient pleasures. It leads into the third chorale of the cantata, the first strophe of Valerius Herberger's "Valet will ich dir geben" (1613), set to its melody by Melchior Teschner. Bach cast the movement as a trio in which the soprano sustains the cantus firmus, accompanied by two unison oboes d'amore and an ostinato continuo bass. Both the playful character of the oboe d'amore writing and the lively gestures of the continuo give this captivating chorale setting a lyrical, even dance-like quality.
The next two numbers are for tenor, their texts intensifying man's longing for death on earth and eternal life with Christ. After a simple recitative, Bach introduces an aria of outstanding beauty in which the pictorial imagery of tolling bells at the last hour plays a prominent role. While divided oboes d'amore evoke an appropriately swinging rhythm for the bells, the bells themselves are heard, large and small so to speak, in the pizzicato playing of the strings. The urgent, declamatory tenor line, addressed largely to the ultimate tolling of the death knell, remains in a conspicuously high vocal register almost throughout this extended da capo aria in D major.
A bass recitative, merging into arioso, underlines the believer's faith in everlasting life. The cantata ends with the fourth chorale quoted in the piece, the fourth strophe of the hymn "Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist," with text (1560) and melody (1569) by Nikolaus Herman. Bach's setting includes an independent violin line, providing a fifth voice, soaring above the vocal strands to symbolize the risen Christ. NA<<
{NA Nicholas Anderson studied at New College, Oxford, and Durham University. For 20 years he worked for the BBC as a music producer, specializing in the Baroque repertory. Since 1991 he has acted as a consultant for the Erato and Teldec record companies, and has continued broadcasting, teaching, and writing. He is the author of "Baroque Music from Monteverdi to Handel" (1994) and has contributed to "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians" as well as to various symposiums and journals.}
Recordings:
For a list of all known recordings of this cantata, see: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV95.htm
The list includes, in chronological order: Ramin [1], Heintze [2], Bauer [3], Rilling [4], Harnoncourt [5], Koopman [6], Suzuki [7], Leusink [8], and Gardiner [9].
This is an outstanding cantata. If this is your first Bach cantata, you will be in for a special treat. Here's wishing all of you all a wonderful listening experience no matter which recording you may be listening to.
BTW, does anyone have any ideas what the wonderful echo-effect played by the 2nd oboe d'amore at various points in the tenor aria (mvt. 5) might signify? Is there any connection here with the text? Is this a musical device, a "Schlußdevise" now found in an instrumental part where it does not belong?
Alain Bruguieres wrote (October 16, 2005)
[To Thomas Braatz] Thank you very much, Thomas, for this remarkable introduction. By the way, this cantata - and its introduction, illustrates very well how precious the new chorale pages are! Indeed this cantata is a real treat.
Thomas' question about the echo effect in the tenor aria is very interesting. This cantata has a very heavy theological purpose, and therefore I'm not inclined to interpret it as a purely musical effect - however nice it may sound! I would hazard an unwarranted and amateurish explanation: this aria is a longing supplication, a craving for liberation through death. To me this echo suggests a repeated plea, and perhaps even the hand gesture associated with it (two oboes = two hands?). Many phrases end in an ascending, questioning intonation and the echo conveys a sense of insistence, urgency. Does anybody else feel it that way?
Having (probably incorrectly, and not to his satisfaction) solved Thomas's echo problem, I feel free to confess that this cantata is a serious problem for me, to, on a different ground. The problem is, I love it. Let me explain. In his works and especially in his cantatas, Bach illustrates a number of concepts to which I can adhere more or less easily. Although I don't consider myself a believer, I can easily believe that love is supreme force in this world and all others when I listen to cantata BWV 77, say. The 'Bach' concept I find hardest to accept is the longing for death which is very explicitly and convincingly expressed in many cantatas. This I find hard - not to say imp- to reconcile with my personal philosophy. And on the other hand, the cantatas which illustrate this longing are precisely the ones I find most moving and I which I keep listening to... Such is especially the case with 'Christus, der ist mein Leben...' The opening chorus is very strange; of course formally it is quite atypical. But there's more to it. I believe it's the contrast between the two chorals, as if the 1st one were sung in our world, and the 2nd were reaching us from the other shore... Well, I don't expect anybody (not with a lower-case 'a' at any rate!) to solve this problem for me, but it's good to voice it...
Peter Smaill wrote (October 17, 2005)
Since this moving and powerful Cantata was last reviewed in 2001 we have had the issue of John Eliot Gardiner's vigorous-rythmed and at times numinous interpretation [9] (Padmore in 95/5, "Schlage doch", is outstanding ("astonishing pathos" is Gardiner's description, and he is reputedly hard to please!)). Suzuki [7] is attractive too but the contrast with Harnoncourt's rough handling [5] shows the more modern performances are allowing this great work to emerge from the shadows. Indeed, Gardiner himself speaks of his special pleasure in performing BWV 95 (in Santiago da Compostela) having heard it many years prior to the Pilgrimage and never in between. Several postings seem to agree-it is a Cantata that few were familiar with and yet it is both instantly accessible (lots of chorales) and profoundly moving.
Last week I hazarded a view that the musical similarities (chorale intensity) and image relationships (longing for, and assurance in, death) indicate a bond between BWV 95 and BWV 138. Marie Jensen, in the 2001 discussions also picked up on the relationship between the two, and certainly the succeeding cantata BWV 148 "Bringet den Herrn Ehre...), the first use of Picander, is not all similar. Some especial experimentation in the superimposition of the solo voice/arioso on chorales was going on in BWV 95 and BWV 138; and while there are many conventional chorale cantatas to come in the series, the two appear as a special twin. Both similarities, and paradociacally, differences tend to unite them.
There are other textual reasons for this coupling. Fortuitously Suzuki [7] plays them in succession, so the libretti can be easily read in sequence.
BWV 138 is one of the few non-Council cantatas in which (as mentioned by me before) there is no mention of Jesus; all the biblical textual sources are therefore OT. Christians receive salvation through a God who will not forsake them ("Dein Kind wirst du verlassen nicht"). No mention of the Son! Theologically this is significant, for of course there is a stark contrast with Jesus words on the Cross, as set in the SMP (BWV 244): "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" ("My God, my God, why hast though forsaken me?")
Theologically BWV 138 is incomplete without BWV 95, because it is only per the resurrection that the Christian is assured that he will not be forsaken - becoming a partaker in Christ's death and also His resurrection. Otherwise the Leipzigers would have had the same objection to BWV 138 as applied to the Brahms Requiem - no mention of Jesus in the context of contemplating death.
The detailed text similarities are in the repeated use of emphases and time-words to convey immediacy.
Hence BWV138 /1- "Ach; von Abend bis zum Morgen; ach;
/2 tage;
/3 Ach ; morgen;Tage
/4 Ach; Wenn; heute; Nun
/5 Ei; Nun
And in BWV 95/1: Heute; schon; heute (the wondrous transition from compound time to simple time by Bach in the chorales emphasise further the insistency of the message)
/2 Nun; Nun; schon (mein haus ist schon bestelle - cf BWV 106 where the same image occurs) ; wenn
/3 ewig
/4 bald, Ende; alle stunden
/5 bald; stunde; sterbenstag; allerletzen
/6 nun
/7 letzes
The effect of this succession of Ah! Today! Ah when! Now! Morning and night! Soon, shortly, now, eternally, deathday, always, ever, last - these emphases push the believer forward from the transient to the eternal across the two Cantatas.
Bach's response to Time gives some of the greatest creations: BWV 106, "Gottes Zeit is der allerbeste Zeit; BWV 20 "O Ewigkeit du Donnerwort," and BWV 8 "Liebster gott,wann werd ich sterben?" to which can be added the Cantatas analysed by Eric Chafe in his essay "Anfang und Ende" (A and O"), namely BWV 1, BWV 31, BWV 41, BWV 75, BWV 76. The depiction of Time via the ticking clocks of BWV 95/5 (and the tolling bells of BWV 8, also for Trinity 16) is thus perhaps part of a wider fascination in the baroque for imagery linked to time.
Some further reflections ; the "Sodom's apple" image (BWV 95/2) is a rare extract from Josephus, not the Bible; as has been noted on this topic, the Lutheran Church also read out Josephus' account of the destruction of Jerusalem in Holy Week. The lullaby/sterbenlied "Schlage doch" is certainly not a unique conflation of the rhythms of the new-born with the sentiments of the dying; there are the oboe lullaby motifs in SMP's final alto aria "Sehet, Jesu hat die hand"; and the final piece in many arrangements of the Orgelbüchlien, "Alle Menschen müssen sterben." Certainly lots of consecutive thirds in the last piece, as is commonly the case in lullabies.
I wonder how the Leipzig congregation must have reacted to the syncopated dance rythmns, operatic soloist interventions and pizzicato display interspersed with their most solemn chorales! As Robertson says, " there is no hint of morbidity in this cantata...the voices at "dying is my gain" build a chord downwards on successive sustained notes ending on a discord...this is one of the most wonderful and visionary passages in the cantatas ".
Beil Halliday wrote (October 17, 2005)
1st movement.
Oboes and strings answer one another by means of inverting a shared, syncopated motive; then the strings launch into an ecstatic phrase (Emmanuel Smith commentary) representing the release of resurrection. I thought this to be a gently consoling phrase (listening to Rilling [4]), but I like Smith's idea.
The chorale melody, beautifully harmonised, is interrupted by the astounding downward chord on `sterben' [here Rilling's lower voices [4] are nearly inaudible; JEG's choir [9] most successfully captures the notes of this chord, in the samples I have heard].
The ensuing recitative sung by the tenor turns out not to be secco, but accompanied, with one line of text followed by a phrase on oboes, and the next line of text by the violins (these phases were heard in the opening ritornello), and so on, until the oboes and strings combine.
In the 3rd section, the horn in the opening ritornello initially announces the 1st line of the chorale tune in diminution (ie, the tune is in 1/4 notes, cf. the 1/2 length notes sung by the choir) and this method persists line by line in the subsequent intervening
ritornellos; however, the situation is complicated by the existence of other notes in the horn part which follow the actual chorale quote, so you have to be alert to hear when the horn ceases playing the chorale tune and starts with (unrelated?) free-form material. Canons between the horn and other instruments also occur in this structurally complex section.
The soprano `aria' is a lovely trio between voice, oboes and continuo.
Thinking about the tenor aria, I tried to imagine what it would soulike if a small chime actually sounded at the beginning, and after each oboe echo. The upper strings can only be imitating a clock mechanism, and the slower, deeper pizzicato of the continuo only obliquely suggests tolling bells. (BTW, a wonderful example of an actual tolling bell is heard in Arvo Part's `Cantus in Remembrance of Benjamin Britten').
Any way, this aria is the personification of charm and delight, whatever the text, and whatever tone painting Bach intended. Does the repeated oboe echo represent the slow ebbing away of a dying person's life? If only the experience of dying was as pleasant as this music!
Re the recordings, Rilling's final chorale [4] has organ mechanism noise at the beginning of each line; otherwise this is a fine performance, with a flowing violin line, and prominent horn part. The brittle, `mannered' violin line in some HIP examples lacks meaningful impact (IMO).
The tempos of the various recordings are shown in a table supplied by Thomas Braatz in the previous BCW discussions. Take your pick (I found JEG [9], mentioned above, to be rushed in the opening movement). Overall, Rilling [4] gets my vote.
John Pike wrote (October 17, 2005)
[To Alain Bruguieres] I agree. These are some of the very finest cantatas. Some months ago we discussed BWV 161 "Komm, du süße Todesstunde". Before our discussions I hardly knew this work but it is now one of my very favourites. We took the Suzuki recording of it on holiday with us and I heard it many times over those 2 weeks... very beautiful indeed.
Neil Halliday wrote (October 19, 2005):
'lighter strings' in BWV 95; and pizzicato
It's interesting to compare the strings in Suzuki [7] and Gardiner [9], in the opening movement of BWV 95.
Once again, JEG seems to prefer the lighter strings, as was the case in the opening ritornello of BWV 138.
Listening to Gardiner [9], I'm amazed by the marked decrescendo he brings to the passage leading up to "Sterben"; I did praise JEG for making the bass notes of the choir audible at this point, but one has to listen very carefully to hear them at this low volume.
Concerning the imagery of pizzicato strings, I notice that in BWV 8/2 and BWV 161/4, the reference is to "Stundeschlag"; only 95/5 actually refers to "Glockenschlag" (which is why I wondered what a chime would sound like at the start of 95/5 - not that the music needs it, because Bach's score is charming enough).
John Pike wrote (October 19, 2005):
Thomas Braatz wrote:
< This is an outstanding cantata. If this is your first Bach cantata, you will be in for a special treat. Here's wishing all of you all a wonderful listening experience no matter which recording you may be listening to.
It leads into the third chorale of the cantata, the first strophe of Valerius Herberger's "Valet will ich dir geben" ( 1613), set to its melody by Melchior Teschner. Bach cast the movement as a trio in which the soprano sustains the cantus firmus, accompanied by two unison oboes d'amore and an ostinato continuo bass. Both the playful character of the oboe d'amore writing and the lively gestures of the continuo give this captivating chorale setting a lyrical, even dance-like quality.
The next two numbers are for tenor, their texts intensifying man's longing for death on earth and eternal life with Christ. After a simple recitative, Bach introduces an aria of outstanding beauty in which the pictorial imagery of tolling bells at the last hour plays a prominent role. While divided oboes d'amore evoke an appropriately swinging rhythm for the bells, the bells themselves are heard, large and small so to speak, in the pizzicato playing of the strings. The urgent, declamatory tenor line, addressed largely
to the ultimate tolling of the death knell, remains in a conspicuously high vocal register almost throughout this extended da capo aria in D major. >
I agree with this. I came across it first a few years ago when we played a few ovments from it at church. It was not my first cantata by a long way but it was the cantata that persuaded me to get recordings of them all, and not just the very well known ones. The tenor aria is an absolute gem and so, I feel, is the 3rd chorale, in which the accompaniment especially is absolutely divine.
I will write again after I have listened to a few more recordings.
John Pike wrote (October 21, 2005):
BWV 95
I wrote yesterday to say what a wonderful cantata this is. I have now listened to Suzuki [7], Gardiner [9], Leusink [8], Rilling [4] and Harnoncourt [5]. I enjoyed them all apart from the soprano soloist in Harnoncourt's recording, who I found quite harsh and with problems in intonation. Otherwise, Harnoncourt's recording is very good, especially the tenor aria. Indeed, all of these recordings include fine accounts of this masterpiece aria, but it is Mark Padmore for Gardiner who really shines in this aria...very deeply moving and heartfelt. For my taste I would say he is in a different league from the other fine soloists in this aria.
Stephen Benson wrote (October 21, 2005):
John Pike wrote:
< it is Mark Padmore for Gardiner [9] who really shines in this aria...very deeply moving and heartfelt. For my taste I would say he is in a different league from the other fine soloists in this aria. >
I would totally agree. The more I listen to this cantata, the more I keep coming back to the Gardiner [9], and a large part of the reason for that is Padmore.
Roar Myrheim wrote (October 22, 2005):
I listened to all the four cantatas written for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity, i.e. BWV 161, BWV 27, BWV 8 and BWV 95, in Gardiner's recording [9]. What beautiful music! And what a great recording!
I discovered a little detail: In cantata BWV 161, in the Alto Recitativo, Bach introduces the theme "schlage doch", that he uses in the later cantata BWV 95, in the beautiful tenor aria. Melodic, it is different, but he uses the same rhythmic pattern. In the accompaniment he uses a repetition of semiquavers on the same note, similar to the figure in the first movement of cantata BWV 8. The text in BWV 161 is: "So schlage doch, du letzter Stundenschlag!" In BWV 95 it is: "Ach, schlage doch bald, sel'ge Stunde, den allerletzten Glockenschlag!"
Not a very important thing, maybe, but it shows how Bach reuses thematic and melodic material.
Roar Myrheim wrote (October 22, 2005):
For those of you that play the organ - here is an (rather free) organtranscription of the third movement of cantata 95, "Valet will ich dir geben": http://home20.inet.tele.dk/pbaekgaard/valet.pdf
There are also lots of transcriptions of other cantata-movements here, too.
Roar Myrheim wrote (October 24, 2005):
Listening to Cantata 95, it's quite amazing to hear Bach's use of dissonances in the first movement, measures 21 - 26. This must have sounded quite spicy in Bach's days - in fact it does even today. The sopranos start with a high e. The altos go down a major seventh, to a natural f. When the tenors come in, we get a d-minor sixth' chord with flattened fifth. Then the basses come in with the minor seventh of this last chord in the bottom. Then, via an a-minor chord, at last we end up with a d-sharp diminished seventh chord. Since this makes a very effective colouring of the "Sterben", I tried to listen to how the choirs managed to get these measures clear and audible.
I could only listen to Leusink [8] and Gardiner [9] in CD-quality. Harnoncourt [5], Koopman [6] and Suzuki [7] I had to listen to in reduced quality on the Internet. I also tried to listen to Ramin and Rilling, but they both played so slow, that the one minute soundclip ended before the actual point. So here is my opinion:
Leusink [8]: The sopranos came with an uncertain intonation. I wasn't able to hear the altos. Tenors came in OK, but the basses sounded very uncertain, so there wasn't much of the effect left. (As usual with Leusink, I like the orchestra).
Harnoncourt [5]: Here the sopranos and altos came in OK, then the whole thing became very obscure. (The instrumental introduction was to me very unmusical and superficial. The violins play the semiquavers very disorderly).
Koopman [6]: Also here I had difficulties with hearing the different voices clearly.
So the only two recordings I have listened to, that managed to express these measures clearly, were Gardiner and Suzuki, and especially Gardiner.
Paul T. McCain wrote (October 24, 2005):
I really love the beautiful Luther hymn used in this cantata, Luther's "In Peace and Joy I Now Depart." What a joyful and confident confession of hope and trust in Christ Jesus, not the Bass Recit, the sixth part, "For I know this, and believe it most certainly, that I from my grave, have an altogether certain admission to the Father. My death is but a sleep, through which my body, which here by sorrows was diminished, comesto res. A shepherd seeks His lost sheep, how should Jesus not find me again, since He is my head and I am His member. Therefore, I can now ground my blessed resurrection on my Savior, with a joyful disposition."
John Pike wrote (October 24, 2005):
[To Roar Myrheim] Wonderful stuff, isn't it, and I just love the way he ends that alto recitative in BWV 161.
Cantata BWV 95
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Last update: ýFebruary 11, 2006 ý13:49:46
