The Bach Cantatas

[Marc]

Some of my fave opening choruses:
BWV 6 and BWV 39 (already mentioned by Jens).
And BWV 8 (Liebster Gott, wenn werd' ich sterben), BWV 125 (Mit Fried' und Freud' ich fahr dahin) and BWV 62 (Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland II).

BWV 39 and 8 are really very special, with prominent parts for respectively recorder(s) and traverse flute.
If you love f.i. the opening chorus of Bach's Matthäus-Passion, then I guess you will certainly like the introductions of BWV 6 and 125. It's vintage Bach!
BWV 62's intro is a fiery and intense movement filled with hungry anticipation, awaiting the birth of the Saviour.

[mc ukrneal]

Jens and Marc - thanks for that! Very helpful.

[jlaurson]

Selected Cantata recordings with wonderful choruses:

incl. BWV 6 & 68
Christophe Coin & Chœur de Chambre Accentus

incl. BWV 6, 68, & 126
Ton Koopman & ABO Choir

incl. BWV 39 & 93
Philippe Herreweghe & Collegium Vocale Gent

[mc ukrneal]

Selected Cantata recordings with wonderful choruses:
incl. BWV 6, 68, & 126
Ton Koopman & ABO Choir

I came across 2-3 of these recordings that have multiple selections from your list. Volume 12 looked like a good candidate as well.

[Marc]

And some more good stuff by Herreweghe:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-J-S-Magnificat-Christmas-Cantatas/dp/B003QLY5J2/

(with a.o. BWV 8 and 125.)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Famous-Cantatas-Collegium-Herreweghe/dp/B003122HBE

(with a.o. BWV 78 and 198: two very good cantatas with great opening choruses; the latter is definitely one of Bach's highlights, being a funeral cantata for Queen Christiane Eberhardine of Saxony and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Much of the music was used again in the Markus-Passion of 1731.)

Gardiner isn't my favourite conductor in Bach, but this disc is quite good IMO:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Cantatas-BWV36-61-62/dp/B00004YYPV/

(with Advent cantatas, a.o. the earlier mentioned BWV 62.)

[Marc]

I came across 2-3 of these recordings that have multiple selections from your list. Volume 12 looked like a good candidate as well.

I personally found Koopman's recording of BWV 6 a bit disappointing. Christophe Coin (also mentioned by Jens) is much better IMO. He's got the 'good old' Harnoncourt drive!

[mc ukrneal]

You guys are great! I would prefer to try out a few single discs to hear the music and to compare the different versions. One can spend a lot on this stuff if so desired. So these rec's are just perfect for me. I will probably get a disc of Suzuki too (and to think a review of the Suzuki motets was the thing that got me thinking about the cantatas.

[jlaurson]

You guys are great! I would prefer to try out a few single discs to hear the music and to compare the different versions. One can spend a lot on this stuff if so desired. So these rec's are just perfect for me. I will probably get a disc of Suzuki too (and to think a review of the Suzuki motets was the thing that got me thinking about the cantatas.

Oh, of course, the motets! If you don't have them already...

Herreweghe, Jacobs, and my favorite by some measure: Kuijken (on Accent Plus)(http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-recordings-of-2008.html) are all excellent.

[mc ukrneal]

Oh, of course, the motets! If you don't have them already...

Herreweghe, Jacobs, and my favorite by some measure: Kuijken (on Accent Plus)(http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/12/best-recordings-of-2008.html) are all excellent.

Actually I don't have them yet. But I am happily listening to snippets and youtube tracks to figure out what which cantatas I would like to start with. The motets are next (and should be easier, or at least faster). One could spend a lot of time trying to figure out all these performances...

[chasmaniac]

Oh, of course, the motets! If you don't have them already...

I really like the Cantus Colln recording meself.

[Marc]

Two discs worth considering (at least I like them quite a lot); another proof that, en Bach, les Belges sont très convaincants.

Marcel Ponseele (also known as hoboist) and his ensemble Il Gardellino:



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OSJAOC

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LYIDRS

EDIT: one picture was deleted by uploadsite, had it replaced.

[chasmaniac]

Re. Kuijken's series Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year, there are currently 14 volumes out, and I have seen the projected total severally described as 20 and 17. Does anyone have the inside scoop on how many volumes there will be?

[Marc]

Re. Kuijken's series Cantatas for the Complete Liturgical Year, there are currently 14 volumes out, and I have seen the projected total severally described as 20 and 17. Does anyone have the inside scoop on how many volumes there will be?

20.

http://www.newolde.com/kuijken_bach_project.htm

[chasmaniac]

20.

http://www.newolde.com/kuijken_bach_project.htm

Thanks.

[Opus106]

And here I was, thinking that it was all done and ready to be packaged into a box.

The Ascension cantatas were originally scheduled to be recorded [as part of the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage Project] in Salisbury Cathedral in 2000, but recording was abandoned due to noise, so plans are underway to fill this gap in the series.

Sir John Eliot, the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra will perform the Ascension cantatas in two concerts on May 10 at St Giles Cripplegate in London. To enable the concerts to be recorded and released on CD £50,000 needs to be raised.

For £20, you will be credited as part of the production team and receive a copy of the finished CD; for £50 you will also be credited on the Monteverdi and SDG websites and have your name appear in the programme; for £150 your CD will be signed by Sir John Eliot and you will receive year's complimentary membership as a Friend of Monteverdi; for £500 you will also be acknowledged as a Benefactor of the Friends of Monteverdi.

[Source]

[JaapT]

A view pages back someone mentioned the recordings of secular Bach cantatas by Leonhardt and the OAE. The original Philips CDs are out of print, but a dutch newspaper NRC offers them now in a 5cd box: http://www.nrclux.nl/Bach-Cantates-Gustav-Leonhardt-5-cd/nl/product/980781/

Some loose comments on various issues concerning cantata recordings:
- In general I have some mixed feelings about the Leonhardt/Harnoncourt cycle. Clearly the technical level of playing on historical instruments is better today. That said, the raw quality of the playing has its own appeal to me, and Leonhardt/Harnoncourt often give insights not offered by others. One example I like is BWV 74/IV the bass aria Ich gehe hin. This is about the Ascension. I have in iTunes both Leonhardts/van Egmonds version and the one by Suzuki. Clearly Leonhardt's stands out in phrasing, the lovely cello playing, and the very effective BC improvisations (Leonhardt himself?). The cello part suggests a going away, which is very apt.

-Most people on the forum praise Equiluz. I have a bit more mixed feelings about him. I think he was an eminent recitative singer, and one of the best evangelists, but in some aria's of the cantata series, he seems to struggle too much with the rhythm, and his voice sounds too hoarse.

-There is something too be said for the rawness of Leonhardt/Harnoncourt version. In a very interesting essay Richard Taruskin points out that Bach even seems to write his music on the edge of what is possible, so that his instrumentalist/vocalist had too struggle, thus emphasizing the text at hand. If true this would mean that too much technically smooth playing is not what Bach had in mind. Of course this is conjecture, but an interesting. Taruskin's essay can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/27/arts/recordings-view-facing-up-finally-to-bach-s-dark-vision.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

-Like most here I don't consider Leusink's set top notch, but it is a cheap way too acquire all cantatas. The quality is very variable, and many people praised/complained various of the artists involved. However, I haven't seen any comments (at least the last pages) on the excellent bass Bas Ramselaar (what's in a name!). I very much like his interpretation of BWV 82, Ich habe genug, among the best recordings of this work. Somehow I was less impressed by BWV 56 (Ich will den Kreuzstab), which sounds less heartfelt.

-Talking about BWV 56/82: the excellent recording by van Egmond/Brüggen has been reissued in a 4cd box, together with recordings of cantatas/motets by Bernius, and a SONY recording of cantatas with Leonhardt.

[Marc]

I.c. Equiluz: I've praised him a lot around here, but, indeed, mostly for his superb recitativo 'declaim' technique.
I.c. the 4cd box with a.o. BWV 56 & 82 with Van Egmond/Brüggen: that's a very nice box indeed! Highly recommendable IMHO.
I.c. the NRC box with Leonhardt: thanks a lot for the link. I might have a go at it.

[rickardg]

- In general I have some mixed feelings about the Leonhardt/Harnoncourt cycle.

I'm about as far from a Bach expert as possible, but last weekend I listened to the Harnoncourt, Suzuki and Rilling versions of BWV 51 "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen" and (to my surprise) after three listens each I still prefer Harnoncourt---vocal warts and all. Perhaps with repeated listening I'll start to prefer Suzukis smoother approach or I'll get used to the more operatic sound of Auger (whom I love in other repertoire) the Rilling recording, but for now it's the baroque'n'roll of Harnoncourt.

I'd be hard put to say exactly what I like about it though...

[Leon]

I have been enjoying my subscription to Spotify for weeks now, and recently found they they have Gardiner, Harnoncourt/Leonhardt, Suzuki, Koopman and speaking of Kurt Equiluz - there's plenty of him in these works too. 

All in all nearly 5,000 tracks of Bach Cantatas.

Fantastic.

[Mandryka]

-There is something too be said for the rawness of Leonhardt/Harnoncourt version. In a very interesting essay Richard Taruskin points out that Bach even seems to write his music on the edge of what is possible, so that his instrumentalist/vocalist had too struggle, thus emphasizing the text at hand. If true this would mean that too much technically smooth playing is not what Bach had in mind. Of course this is conjecture, but an interesting. Taruskin's essay can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/27/arts/recordings-view-facing-up-finally-to-bach-s-dark-vision.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Thanks for posting that essay by Richard Taruskin. I'd read it before in Text and Act , but it was good to be reminded of it.

He said something which niggled at me a bit – it's to do with BWV 170. He says that Bach describes the organ part as "infernal bawling and drawling" Is that right? And then he goes on to suggest that the Leonhardt's 1985 performance is "unfortunate". Well, why? Are there more "infernal" performances of it on record? Which ones? I rather like Leonhardt there – I certainly prefer it to the 1956 one with Deller, partly because I prefer Paul Esswood to Alfred Deller on Vanguard.

And another thing. What do people know here about the counter-tenor tradition? I mean, did Bach use countertenors or catsrati or women or  what?