Search - Peter Kooy, Christoph Prégardien, Ruth Ziesak :: Secular Cantatas

A voice teacher and early music fan

George Peabody | Planet Earth | 04/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A DIFFERENT KIND OF BACH, BUT I'LL TAKE IT!!!During Johann Sebastion Bach's sojourn in Leipzig, he was asked to take over the direction of th "Schottisches Collegium musicum", a competent ensemble recruited from students and a few professional musicians who met to make music once a week on Friday evenings and throughout the summer. It was this group that performed these two secular cantatas.



The cantata "Schleicht, spielende Wellen" (Glide, playful waves) was composed for the birthday of the Elector Friedrich Augustus III of Poland. The cantata text, written by an author unknown to us, refers to political events of the year 1734.



In the framework of a typical Baroque laudatory discourse, four rivers outdo one another in paying homage to the above named Elector, the "most benevolent Augustus", and each river claims him as their own. The "dispute" is settled peacefully and in a final chorus with the character of a gigue Bach brings the four rivers together in a common blessing for the Elector.



Bach endowed this with a suitably festive instrumentation with trumpets, timpani, flutes, strings and continuo. The opening chorus is full of dynamic contrast and the final chorus is made brilliant by the sound of the trumpets.



The cantata "Auf, schmetternde Tone der muntern Trompeten" (Up lively trumpets) was performed for the name-day of the Elector of Saxony. The 'divine right' of the "sovereign" is combined with cares about the well-being of the subjects entrusted to him. The recitatives and arias of the cantata "Up, lively trumpets, blaring sounds" praise in this sense not only the virtues of the monarch but also the happiness of his people which they owe chiefly to him. (I sure would like to meet this guy!)



To save himself work, Bach made use of the parody technique in this cantata. Pieces which had served a limited purpose, forgotten as quickly as the event for which they were originally written, were thus made to serve a new purpose.



The performance of the personnel on this recording is PERFECTION! But then, that's what one expects from Frieder Bernius. His Kammerchor Stuttgart sing with enthusiam, accuracy, buoyancy, absolute lovely tone quality and accurate balance between the parts. AND, in addition, his choice of soloists is first-class all the way. They are: Ruth Ziesak, soprano; Michael Chance, alto (and how glorious are his arias rendered!); Christoph Pregardien, tenor; and one of my personal favorite basses Peter Kooy. The Concerto Koln accomapanies skillfully and with inspiration.



Although I personally prefer Bach's Sacred Cantatas I find myself playing this recording frequently. It's a HALLELUIA listening experience!"