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Frits V. Herbold wrote (September 13, 2026):
The BCW shows 33 recordings so far for this cantata, starting with early recordings from the late 50ies and 60ies with famous Bach conductors as Karl Ristenpart, Günther Ramin, Robert Shaw and Hermann Scherchen (not discussed here) and ending with very recent renditions (2026!), many of them only available on YouTube, but neither discussed here.
BWV 42 is the 24th. cantata of Rudolf Lutz’s cycle, recorded live at the Evangelic Church in Trogen, on Friday, April 17, 2009 – as usual, 2 days before the respective Quasimodogeniti (1st Sunday after Easter) in that year.
See also the Bachipidia Bachipedia with links to the concert (YouTube), workshop and reflexion. The names of all performers, including all choristers can also be found there. See also my general comments about the Lutz cycle at Rudolf Luts - Discussions Part 1.
Scoring: see NBA: I/11.1, BC: A 63 and Bach Digital: Bach Digital:
Sopran solo, Alt solo, Tenor solo, Bass solo, Sopran, Alt, Tenor, Bass, Oboe I, Oboe II, Bassono, Violine I, Violine II, Viola, Basso continuo
Note: this is misleading, since there are no separate parts for soloists and ripienists among the original parts! Therefore, the OVPP version recorded by Lutz makes sense.
Remarks:
1. The NBA I/11.1 with its ‘Kritischer Bericht’ (critical report) was published in 1989 (Rainmar Emans), meaning that it was only available to conductors after Harnoncourt, starting with Suzuki’s recordings discussed here.
2 The ‘Kritischer Bericht’ (critical report) mentions both extant original score and all parts, including the added violone part for a later performance in Leipzig (probably 1742). As usual for most Leipzig cantatas, there are 2 continuo parts, one non transposed and one transposed, and also a later organ part, also transposed as well as doublets for both first and second violins. Bach reviewed all parts personally.
3 Key, Pitch and Temperament. All recordings discussed here are performed in D Major at the Leipzig Cammerton pitch of a’ = 415 Hz. Lutz uses Young’s or Vallotti’s temperament.
Introduction Cantata BWV 42 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantatas of J. S. Bach’):
‘Bach composed this cantata for performance on 8 April 1725. The structure of the text and its dry learned character suggest that it was written by the same librettist as the text of Cantata 6, which had been performed only six days before. It opens with a literal quotation of the first verse of the Sunday Gospel, which alone provides the theme of the free verse that follows. The third movement quotes Jesus’s promise that ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18.20). And the following chorale— the first verse of the hymn by Jacob Fabricius (1632)— gives the fearful Christian further encouragement to trust in God. The recitative, no. 5, gives a ‘fine example’ as evidence of Jesus’s promise: as He then appeared to His disciples, so He will always remain a shield to His own people when persecution strikes them (no. 6). In the concluding chorale, the congregation prays for God’s peace in the words of Luther’s hymn ‘Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich’ (see above, p. 239).
Remarks:
· I don’t think IMHO that any HIP recording with relatively large choirs for the final chorale are really ‘historically inspired’, considering Bach’s own choir size in Leipzig. In my comments I am including, nevertheless, the recordings with Harnoncourt and Leusink because of their soloists.
· Total times vary considerably between the fastest at 26:01 (Lutz) and slowest 28:45 (Suzuki).
Movement 1: Sinfonia, Oboe I and II, Bassoon, Strings and BC
Introduction Cantata BWB 42,1 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantatas of J. S. Bach’):
‘The introductory sinfonía perhaps originally opened a lost secular vocal work from the Cöthen period, the serenata ‘Der Himmel dacht auf Anhalts Ruhm und Glück’, BWV 66a, for the birthday of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen on 10 December 1718.61 Ripieno strings are set against a concertino of two oboes and bassoon. At first, the two groups each state their own theme (though the two themes are related), but later on they often play independently, exchange themes, or else join together. A startling effect occurs at the beginning of the middle section: the first oboe and bassoon (later, second oboe and bassoon) enter with a new, highly melodious theme— Bach himself labelled it ‘cantabile’— while the strings provide a figurative accompaniment. The passage remains a brief episode, however: long before the da capo of the principal section, both groups have resumed their initial themes.’
Remarks:
· I am commenting on the concertante playing of the strings and the woodwind concertino of two oboes and bassoon.
· Total times vary slightly around a minute; the fastest at 5:45 (Suzuki) and slowest at 7:03 (Leusink).
Harnoncourt (02 & 03 &12-1974): we certainly have to thank Harnoncourt and Leonhardt for the first cantata recordings with original (or copies thereof) as well as the detailed liner notes with description of these instruments as well as their players. I like this rendition with the excellent oboe and bassoon playing, soloists as Alice Harnoncourt (violin), Niklaus Harnoncourt (violoncello) and Herbert Tachezi at the positive organ. The size of the string section is very close to Bach’s own situation in Leipzig: 4 first, 4 second violins and 3 violas and the BC consists of violoncello, violone and organ. This is very fresh and joyous rendition, among my first choices.
Herreweghe (01-1990): the string section is even closer to Bach with 3 first, 3 second violins and 2 violas. The oboe I is played by Marcel Ponseele; the first violin by Roy Goodman. The BC is played only by But this rendition – although very transparent - lacks the spontaneous freshness and joy of Harnoncourt’s recording above. Not among my first choices.
Leusink (04 & 09- 1999): the string section of a total of 12 instruments is too big for my taste, although the concertante playing with oboe’s and bassoon is still very transparent and intimate. Among my first choices, although not at the top.
Gardiner (04-2000): unfortunately this rendition is too fast for my taste (as with Suzuki below) leaving the concertante playing between strings and woodwind concertino fuzzy and wishi-washy. The string section with 5 first, 4 second violins and 3 violas is also too huge. Not my first choice.
Koopman (03-2001): although with an equally huge string section as with Gardiner above, this recording sounds lifeless and fades regarding the concertante playing with the woodwind concertino. Not my first choice.
Suzuki (02-2006): as with Gardiner this rendition is also too fast IMHO, but Suzuki manages a better transparency of the concertante playing between his reduced string section of 3 first, 3 second violins and 2 violas with the excellent woodwind concertino. I am not sure if I hear both organ and harpsichord, but the liner notes indicate so. This is my third choice after Lutz, below.
Lutz (04-2009, OVPP): this is a very similar rendition to Suzuki’s, also in tempo and size of the reduced string section. The video shows both organ and harpsichord (played by Lutz himself). The overall playing is very joyous and transparent. My second choice in ranking.
Ranking: Harnoncourt (1), Lutz (2), Suzuki (3) Leusink (4), Gardiner (5), Herreweghe (6), Koopman (7)
Movement 2: Recitativo, Tenor, Bassoon, Organ (BC)
Introduction Cantata BWB 42,2 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantaof J. S. Bach’):
‘The biblical passage (no. 2) that prefaces the madrigalian* text (no. 3) is set as secco recitative over throbbing continuo semiquavers, which are no doubt designed to depict the disciples’ fear of ‘the Jews’.
Remarks:
· I am only commenting on the tenor soloists and the ‘throbbing continuo semiquavers’ mentioned above by Dürr.
· Total times vary slightly around a half minute; the fastest at 0:27 (Harnoncourt) and slowest at 0:47 (Suzuki).
Harnoncourt (02 & 03 &12-1974): although there are many younger excellent tenor soloists today, Kurt Equiluz (see BCW), is still my favorite. His unique timbre, declamation and technique is not easy to match. The sustained pedal point is played only by the violoncello and organ. and sounds very adequate, not exaggerated, although the original ‘bassono’ (bassoon) part is omitted. Certainly my first choice.
Herreweghe (01-1990): North-American-born lyric tenor, Howard Crook (see BCW), has played with other conductors as Rilling, Parrot and Gardiner and has a warm timbre, very close to Equiluz. Here the bassoon is also playing the pedal point in the BC. Among my first choices.
Leusink (04 & 09- 1999): I like German tenor, Knut Schoch (see BCW), almost equally well as both tenors discussed above. The bassoon is also playing the pedal point in the BC. Among my first choices, but not at the top.
Gardiner (04-2000): English tenor, Charles Daniels (see BCW), has a somewhat shriller timbre here, and the pedal point is also played with the bassoon. Still among my first choices, but not at the top.
Koopman (03-2001): Swiss lyric tenor, Jörg Dürmüller (see BCW), is not my first choice here and the pedal point is too ‘thin’ (probably only with violoncello and organ, played by Koopman himself). Although not bad, among all these other very good tenors last in my ranking.
Suzuki (02-2006): English counter-tenor, Robin Blaze (see BCW), although technically perfect sounds too slow in this rendition. I can’t hear a bassoon playing the pedal point, probably played only by the organ and violoncello. Not my first choice.
Lutz (04-2009, OVPP): Austrian tenor, Bernhard Berchthold (see BCW), is one of my favorite Bach tenors of a newer generation. The video shows the BC with bassoon but without the harpsichord. This is my second choice.
Ranking: Harnoncourt (1), Lutz (2), Herreweghe (3) Leusink (4), Gardiner (5), Koopman (6), Suzuki (7)
Movement 3: Aria, Alt, Bassoon, Strings and BC
Introduction Cantata BWB 42,3 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantatas of J. S. Bach’):
‘In stark contrast, the third movement unfolds a superterrestrial calm. Over held string chords and pulsating quavers on the bassoon, the two oboes play an ‘adagio’ duet in broad melodic arches, interrupted by triplet scrolls. This aria seems to be a parody drawn from the same lost secular cantata as the sinfonía, BWV 66a; 62 there it would have formed the sixth movement, whose text opens with the lines: ‘Beglücktes Land von süßer Ruh und Stille, In deiner Brust wallt nur ein Freudenmeer’. Fortunate land of sweet calm and quiet, In your breast flows but a sea of joys. The extended bipartite principal section of the aria is followed by a middle section accompanied only by continuo (plus bassoon)— marked ‘un poco andante’ and in a different meter— after which there is a literal da capo of the principal section.’
Remarks:
· This is one of my favorite arias describing the evening mood in way only Bach can achieve.
· I am only commenting on the alt soloists and the instrumental accompaniment as cited by Dürr, above.
· Total times vary significantly; the fastest at 10:13 (Herreweghe) and slowest at 13:25 (Suzuki).
Harnoncourt (02 & 03 &12-1974): English counter-tenor, Paul Esswood (see BCW), is certainly among the first and finest counter-tenors of an older generation. His technique – especially in the higher registers, declamation and German diction are perfect. The instrumental - especially the oboe playing with original instruments create the perfect evening mood. One of my first choices.
Herreweghe (01-1990): French counter-tenor and conductor, Gérard Lesne (see BCW), comes very close to Esswood in all aspects but his higher notes are not as steady. The instrumental accompaniment – with Marcel Ponseele as first oboe is also perfect. Among my first choices, although not at the top.
Leusink (04 & 09- 1999): I am not a great fan of Dutch counter-tenor, Sytse Buwalda (see BCW); I don’t like his higher tones as well. The instrumentation sounds as good as with most other recordings. Average in my ranking.
Gardiner (04-2000): Canadian counter-tenor, Daniel Taylor (see BCW), reminds Lesne above; his higher notes aren’t as steady as expected. The instrumental accompaniment is ok but the tempo is too slow for my taste. Not among my first choices.
Koopman (03-2001): Polish mezzo-soprano and contralto, Bogna Bartosz (see BCW), is among my favorite Bach soloists and sounds more as a contralto Her tessitura is consistently low, with the voice feeling most natural and stable in the lower-middle register. The instrumental accompaniment is also very delicate and transparent. Among my first choices.
Suzuki (02-2006): English counter-tenor, Robin Blaze (see BCW), also one of my favorite counter-tenors. His timbre sounds rich and smooth, comparable to most of the other CT’s discussed here. The instrumental accompaniment sounds somewhat reserved but still adequate to create the desired evening mood. Nevertheless the extreme slow tempo here doesn’t sound adequate at all. Not my first choice.
Lutz (04-2009, OVPP): Swiss mezzo-soprano, Irène Friedli (see BCW), has a deeper contralto timbre but sounds too operatic in some instances. I have heard better alto soloists with Lutz. The instrumental part is as good as with all other recordings discussed here. This is my before last choice.
Ranking: Harnoncourt (1), Koopman (2), Herreweghe (3) Leusink (4), Gardiner (5), Lutz (6), Suzuki (7)
Movement 4: Chorale, Soprano & Tenor, Bassoon + Violoncello and BC
Introduction Cantata BWB 42,4 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantatas of J. S. Bach’):
‘The fourth movement, despite its hymn text, is set as a duet largely free of references to the chorale melody, accompanied only by continuo but with figurative embellishment in bassoon and cello. With a little care, fragments of the associated melody, ‘Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn’, may certainly be discovered, but they are overlaid by the vocal themes, which change from line to line.’
Remarks:
· I have already discussed the tenor soloists in movement 2. Here I am commenting on the soprano voice and its mix with the tenor. The instrumental ‘figurative embellishment in bassoon and cello’ as described by Dürr (above) is very well played in all recordings.
· Total times vary around a minute ; the fastest at 2:20 (Herreweghe, Gardiner, Koopman and Lutz) and slowest at 3:17 (Harnoncourt).
Harnoncourt (02 & 03 &12-1974): with his unnamed boy soprano – I am not sure why, since I like his performance very much, giving some room for lack of steadiness combines well with Equiluz, althohis technique is not yet perfect. Not at the top in my ranking.
Herreweghe (01-1990): German soprano, Barbara Schlick (see BCW), is an admired Bach soprano of a veteran generation. In this very (too) fast rendition both soloists perform very well, although I don’t feel that their mix of timbres is ideal. Also among my first choices, but not at the top.
Leusink (04 & 09- 1999): I am a huge fan of English soprano, Ruth Holton (see BCW), because of her boyish and slim timbre, combing very well with Schoch as tenor. One of my first choices.
Gardiner (04-2000): Canadian soprano, Gillian Keith (see BCW), sings well in this very fresh and joyous rendition of the duet. This is a perfect match with tenor Daniels and among my first choices.
Koopman (03-2001): English soprano, Deborah York (see BCW), is as good as Keith, above although slightly unsteady in the higher notes and also mixes very well with tenor Dürmüller. Also among my first choices, but not first.
Suzuki (02-2006): Japanese soprano, Yukari Nonoshita (see BCW), sounds perfect with tenor Gilchrist. This is my first choice.
Lutz (04-2009, OVPP): German soprano, Ulrike Hofbauer (see BCW), with tenor Berchthold are as perfect as with Suzuki; this also very fresh and joyous rendition is faster than most others and
Ranking: Suzuki (1), Lutz (2), Leusink (3) Gardiner (4), Herreweghe (5), Koopman (6), Harnoncourt (7)
Movement 5: Recitativo, Bass and BC
Introduction Cantata BWB 42,5 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantatas of J. S. Bach’):
‘The bass recitative, no. 5— a secco with arioso conclusion (‘Therefore let the enemies rage!’)— leads to the second aria …’
Remarks:
· I am only discussing the performance of the bass soloists.
· Total times don’t vary significantly; the fastest at 0:38 (Harnoncourt, Gardiner, Koopman and Lutz) and slowest at 0:47 (Herreweghe and Suzuki).
Harnoncourt (02 & 03 &12-1974): Dutch bass, Ruud van der Meer (see BCW), performs with his usual perfect technique, declamation and relatively warm timbre. One of my first choices.
Herreweghe (01-1990): I am a huge fan of bass soloist Dutch bass, Peter Kooij (see BCW), performing Bach cantatas, also with conductors as Leonhardt, Koopman and Lutz, among others). He reminds Mertens (see Koopman below) and is certainly one of the best among his veteran colleagues. His neutral timbre, declamation, German diction and technique are perfect. Among my first choices.
Leusink (04 & 09- 1999): Dutch bass and conductor and music teacher, Bas Ramselaar (see BCW), is of a younger generation and also perfect in declamation, technique and German diction. His timbre comes closer to his fellow countryman Kooij, above. Also among my first choices.
Gardiner (04-2000): English bass-baritone, Stephen Varcoe (see BCW), has performed many bass parts with Gardiner, but also with other conductors as (among others) Karl Friedrich Beringer and Stephen Cleobury. His baritone timbre is very pleasant but his declamation is somewhat exaggerated here. Still among my first choices, but not at the top.
Koopman (03-2001): I am a huge fan of German bass-baritone, Klaus Mertens (see BCW), with his very warm (rounded off) timbre, perfect technique, volume and declamation. With van Meer (above), one of my first choices.
Suzuki (02-2006): German bass-baritone, Dominik Wörner (see BCW), is at the same level as Mertens and Kooij and his dark timbre, perfect timbre and declamation makes this also one of my first choices.
Lutz (04-2009, OVPP): German baritone, Markus Volpert (see BCW), among my first choices.
Ranking: Koopman (1), Lutz (2), Harnoncourt (3), Suzuki (4), Herreweghe (5), Leusink (6), Gardiner (7)
Movement 6: Aria, Bass and BC
Introduction Cantata BWB 42,6 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantatas of J. S. Bach’):
(movement 5) … leads to the second aria, which is scored for divided first violins and continuo (which often comes to the fore motivically). Like the sixth movement of Cantata 67, though with different means, this aria derives its themes from the conceptual antithesis between the unrest of the world and peace with Jesus. The lively semiquaver motion of the instruments, with their tumult motives, is contrasted with the calm vocal theme of the bass, which changes to a more consistent semiquaver figuration only on the word ‘Verfolgung’ (‘persecution’).
Remarks:
· I am repeating the ranking of the bass soloists from my remarks to the previous recitative. The playing of the divided first violins and BC, although with different phrasing and emphasis is well played in all recordings discussed here.
· Total times don’t vary significantly; the fastest at 3:00 (Gardiner, Koopman and Lutz) and slowest at 3:33 (Leusink).
Ranking: Koopman (1), Lutz (2), Harnoncourt (3), Suzuki (4), Herreweghe (5), Leusink (6), Gardiner (7)
Movement 7: Choral, S, A, T and B, all Instruments including BC
Introduction Cantata BWB 42,7 by Alfed Dürr (from ‘ The Cantatas of J. S. Bach’):
‘A plain chorale setting concludes the work.’
Remarks:
· Whenever Dürr states comments like ‘a plain chorale’ I remember that there is nothing ‘plain’ about Bach’s choral harmonizations. There is a lot of discussion in the BCW discussions site about how a ‘perfect’ interpretation of Bach’s chorales should be performed, but I am not entering in this discussion, since this is very much a matter of personal taste. As mostly, I always prefer the OVPP versions because of its transparency and clarity of each voice. With the other HIP recordings, my preference is inversely proportional to the size of the choirs, that defines my ranking. In this case, Harnoncourt’s rendition is far too slow IMHO.
· Total times don’t vary significantly; the fastest at 1:41 (Suzuki) and slowest at 2:14 (Harnoncourt).
Ranking: Lutz (OVPP, 1), Suzuki (2), Herreweghe (3), Koopman (4), Gardiner (5), Leusink (6), Harnoncourt (7) |
