Systematic Discussions of Bach's Other Vocal Works: Motet BWV 226

Discussions in the Week of January 11, 2004

Aryeh Oron wrote (January 11, 2004):
Motet BWV 226 – Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf

Introduction

The chosen work for this week’s discussion (January 11, 2004) is the Motet BWV 226 ‘Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf’ (The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness).

Recordings, discussions & additional information

Your gate to the Motets BWV 225-231 - list of recordings, previous discussions, and additional information (texts & translations, score, commentaries, music examples, etc.) - is located at the page:
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Vocal/BWV225-231.htm

Some Background

The leading German composers of the 17^th century, Samuel Scheidt, Johann Hermann Schein and Heinrich Schütz, with Michael and Hieronymus Praetorius, were Bach’s predecessors in the art of motet composing both in Latin and in German. Their motets depended heavily on instrumental accompaniment to the vocal forces employed. But in the 18^th century the vocal parts began to outweigh the number of instruments used in the motet setting, so that the result would seem to be a capella singing, although the German motet, including Bach’s was usually accompanied by an organ or strings, even tough it was called a capella. For special ceremonies more instruments could be added. The funeral to which the Motet BWV 226 was composed was most probably a very unique event, because this is the only one of his motets, apart from BWV 118 (which is most probably a fragment from a lost cantata), that Bach provided with a full orchestral accompaniment. It includes two oboes da caccia, a bassoon, strings and basso continuo (organ). However, there is also another explanation. This funeral service was held in St. Paul’s, the University Church of Leipzig, where the orchestra and the organ were allowed for burial service.

Bach composed this 8-voice (2 choirs) motet for the Gedächtnispredigt (memorial sermon) at the funeral service, October 30, 1729, for Johann Heinrich Ernesti, rector of the Thomas School and Professor of Poetry at the University of Leipzig, who had died couple of days earlier. Bach’s rapport with him had been most friendly, unlike his dealings with his successor, Johann August Ernesti, who was not related. Yet Bach does not display his own personal affection for the deceased Rector in this motet, but confines himself to translating the Biblical texts that he had chosen into music. He does this by dividing the libretto into three parts: two Biblical quotes and then a final chorale verse.

The central theme of the motet is to show how Holy Ghost influences our lives, according to God’s will. Bach has chosen two verses from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans 8: 26, 27 and the third stanza of the chorale by Martin Luther to illustrate this in words and in music.

Let’s the discussion begins!

Arjen van Gijssel wrote (January 11, 2004):
I have sung this motet a dozen times in concerts. I uploaded a performance of the Laurenscantorij, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 2001.
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Vocal/BWV225-231.htm

It is not the most difficult motet, in terms of notes, breathing space and length. And of course there's the orchestral support. What is particularly fun to sing, is the part with "unaussprechlichem Seufzen" because here really text and music come beautifully together. I like the choral as well, with words like Brunst, Fleisches Blödigkeit, Trübsal abtreiben, ritterlich. Nice words which you as a singer can really use to give clarity of expression, and to let the public know what you are doing. The best performances have clear expression (you should hear the entire sentences sung), transparent voices (you should be perfectly able to follow individual lines, but the voices should perfectly merge in a warm, clear group sound). I like it when occasionally a voice is given priority over the others for a short (!) while. There are some of these spots, like bar 87 -92, where it seems written as if the tenor is accentuating the Conclusio.

These things are what I am looking for in the recordings. In the end, I don't know of really bad performances. They all sound great, because Bach's music is great. That is my particular experience with the motets, not with all of his music. To me, Corboz, Herreweghe and Harnoncourt do a perfect job. Corboz/Ensemble vocal de Lausanne is warm/gai in a French-like way, Herreweghe's approach is as always perfect (but perhaps a little bit too outstanding, so that it becomes dry), Harnoncourt/Stockholm Bach Choir's attack and is exact (or occasionally choppy?) in letting us hear the structure (the conversations between the voices, the way they come in each after another). Koopman and Dutch Chamber Choir are fine as well, but did not try to be too exact on end-nouns. I hear: der geiz hielf, without t's. Are they singing seusen or seu-f-tzen. The tempo is rather quick (get it over with, bury the man so we can go home). The Laurenscantorij recording is somewhat slower than the aforementioned professional ones. In terms of attack it resembles Harnoncourt. That's all I dare say of it.

Arjen van Gijssel wrote (January 19, 2004):
Brad ley Lehman stated: < And it also very much ticked me off when, on December 31st, I presented a recording from one of my own performances, and Braatz (not even four hours later) lambasted it as completely wrong according to his literalistic way of reading Bach's scores. >
Somebody bashing at your own performance is bad. Worse is that nobody takes the trouble to post a reaction, as happened with my recording (BWV 226) last week....

Neil Halliday wrote (January 20, 2004):
[To Arjen van Gijssel] Your group's performance of BWV 226 has much more character than Rilling's, and has similarities with the Herreweghe recording, an excerpt of which can also be heard at the BCW: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Mus/BWV225-231-Mus.htm

As usual, the less than ideal recording engineering used for this performance by the Laurenscantorij is obviously a drawback - it's about on a par with the low quality Herreweghe 20 b/sec internet sample - but otherwise this recording displays solid musicianship from the choir (and orchestra, a nice addition in this performance). I like the adoption of the moderate tempo, which you noted.

Thomas Braatz noted in his multi-recording review of BWV 225, that Rilling's recording of BWV 225 is less than inspiring, with which I concur, and the same can be said about BWV 226.

The high speeds that Rilling chooses in some sections of this complex choral writing is perhaps part of the problem. More importantly, the generally diffuse sound of the choir(s), which results in an often featureless, amorphous body of sound, is disappointing.

(I'm beginning to wonder what happened to the gloriously colourful, clear and rich sound Rilling was able to achieve in many of the church cantatas that he recorded in the 70's and 80's.)

Jason Marmaras wrote (February 26, 2004):
BWV 226 – Herreweghe

I just downloaded the sample from the BCWs and couldn't stop myself. In exactly the same most naive and childish way that I thought while growing up with Herreweghe's Weinachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) recording, I state: Herreweghe's trills remind me of Bach and Baroque in such a manner as can't be described in words!

(what's going on? what is this long silence that's befallen the list?)

Avi Eilam-Amzallag wrote (February 26, 2004):
[To Jason Marmaras] No silence my dear, that is the greatness of music, and that is the greatness of J.S. BACH, the greatest of the greatest. Don't try to express it with words.

Motets BWV 225-231: Details
Recordings: Until 1970 | 1971-1980 | 1981-1990 | 1991-2000 | From 2001
General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Systematic Discussions: BWV 225 | BWV 226 | BWV 227 | BWV 228 | BWV 229 | BWV 230 | BWV 231
Individual Recordings: Motets – Cantus Cölln | Motets – Ericson | Motets – Fasolis | Motets – Harnoncourt | Motets - Kammler

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Last update: ýMarch 6, 2004 ý00:25:25