John Eliot Gardiner - Aria for Soprano BWV 1127

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John Eliot Gardiner & Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists

Aria for Soprano BWV 1127
Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn Ihn

Recording

L-1	Bach: Alles mit Gott
Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn Ihn BWV 1127 Selections from Cantatas BWV 182/1, BWV 182/2, BWV 54/1, BWV 71/7, 155/4, BWV 78/2, 190/5, 151/1, BWV 159/4, 159/5
John Eliot Gardiner
Monteverdi Choir / English Baroque Soloists
Soprano: Elin Manahan Thomas (BWV 1127) Sopranos: Joanne Lunn, Malin Hartelius, Gillian Keith; Altos: Nathalie Stutzmann, Robin Tyson; Tenor: James Gilchrist; Bass: Peter Harvey
Soli Deo Gloria		July 2005 (1127); 2000 (Others)	CD / TT: 57:40
BWV 1127 recorded in Air Studios, London, England. Other selections recorded live during the 2000 Bach Cantata Pilgrimage. See: Aria for Soprano BWV 1127 - conducted by John Eliot Gardiner Buy this album at: Amazon.com

Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn' ihn, BWV 1127

John Pike wrote (September 23, 2005):
I have just heard the world premiere recording of this long last Bach work, by John Eliot Gardiner's group, and I had to come straight in and write of my joy at hearing it. As you will know by now, it was discovered in the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar in June this year. It was composed as a birthday ode for Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar in 1713, and has been unkown until now. The Duke was a very lucky man indeed to have this music composed for his birthday by the unbelievably talented 28 year old Bach. It is a very beautiful piece of music and also very long, at 12.20mins. I loved the recording. The performance is very beautifully shaped and the singing and instrumental playing are both excellent. Highly recommended.

Marten Breuer wrote (September 23, 2005):
[To John Pike] One may listen to parts of the area at: http://www.monteverdiproductions.co.uk/shop/listenbach5.asp

Anne Smith wrote (September 23, 2005):
[To Marten Breuer] Thank you. This small blurb makes me want to rush out and buy the recording.

John Pike wrote (September 23, 2005):
[To Anne Smith] I now realise that Gardiner only performs the 1^st, 3^rd and twelfth Stanzas of the Aria. Maul (who found the manuscript) says in the liner notes that there is evidence that all 12 stanzas would have been performed for the Duke on his birthday....48 minutes of one aria! However, with music of this calibre I doubt if he was bored for one second of it!

Alles mit Gott

Mick Webster wrote (October 20, 2005):
Anyone with comments on the Elin Manahan Thomas/Soli Deo Gloria recording of 'Alles Mit Gott', found last June? I saw it reviewed in the paper last week (4 stars/4) - do I need to get it?

John Pike wrote (October 20, 2005):
[To Mick Webster] Yes, definitely get it. It is wonderful, and you also get odd movements from a number of other cantatas not yet released by Gardiner.

Craig Schweicker wrote (October 20, 2005):
[To Mick Webster] Be aware that the performance on the disk involves only three of the twelve stanzas. It is rumoured that a complete recording will be released at a later date; if Gardiner doesn't come through, someone else surely will. While I wouldn't rate the work a masterpiece, the music is, of course, of a high quality and the performance enjoyable, provided you aren't allergic to period instruments, "white" voices and repetition. Unfortunately, the couplings make this little more than a sampler disk.

For a totally contrarian view, see Christophe Huss's comments on Classics Today France (a quick-and-dirty translation follows): http://www.classicstodayfrance.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=1217

"So here we have 12 minutes of previously unheard Bach that none of us would regret never having heard: a birthday ode written by the composer in Wiemar in 1713, a naive and boringly bland eight-note ritournelle whose repeated returns get on our nerves and whose artistic depth is equal to that of a work that the 21/2-year-old Mozart could have composed. I am, of course, exaggerating, but not much. In today's overloaded CD market, I'd rather encourage you to discover scads of composers (Jenner, Farrenc, Ernst Wilhelm Wolf) than this workaday composition of Bach at his least inspired.

"The piece is sung by a woman with a childlike voice, supported by instruments that phrase professionally despite having to play with an ugly little organ. If that's what pushes your buttons..."

John Pike wrote (October 20, 2005):
[To Craig Schweickert] Although there is some repetition that is inevitable with a piece like this. However, Gardiner and his consort go out of their way to make each stanza interesting by varying the accompaniment.

As for Huss' views, I'm sorry but I think the man is either an idiot or has very poor taste, or both. It may not be Bach's greatest work but it is very enjoyable and very well performed. Some of these so-called critics drive me crazy. I'd be interested to know what his qualifications are for coming up with such a load of *(^%$.

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Last update: �February 3, 2006 �09:35:16