Bach Cantatas - What's a good entry point?

[Guest]

With 209 to choose from, where to start? What are your favourites? Which conductor's approach do you prefer?

[umslopogaas]

I'm certainly no authority on Bach's cantatas, nor do I aspire to own them all, but I've filled a couple of inches of shelf space with LPs over years of collecting. The one that introduced me to them, and which I still enjoy greatly is 'Ein' Feste Burg' and 'Wachet auf', Consortium Musicum cond. Wolfgang Gonnewein: soloists Elly Ameling, Janet Baker, Theo Altmeyer and Hans Sotin (quite a line up!). Its on a 1968 LP, ASD 2381, but I dont know if it was ever transferred to CD. However, those are two of the most popular cantatas, so there will be plenty of versions to choose from. The Gonnewein performances are not at all HIPP, but that doesnt bother me at all.

[rauschwerk]

I suppose one approach would be to start with cantatas which contain at least one 'hit number', if one may use such vulgar terminology in relation to such music. For example:

Cantata 147 (the chorale known as Jesu, joy of man's desiring)
Cantata 78 (the duet "Wie eilen mit schwachen")
Cantata 140 (the chorale "Zion hört die Wachter singen")
Cantata 170 for alto solo (opening aria)

My personal favourites include Nos. 63 (a Christmas cantata), 51 (a virtuoso piece for soprano and trumpet) and 106 (the so-called 'Actus tragicus', written for a funeral).

I couldn't possibly make an overall recommendation for a conductor. I have recordings by Gardiner, Rifkin (one to a part), Suzuki, Herreweghe and Hogwood all of which are wonderful in their different ways.

[johnb]

Of the 'modern' Bach cantata cycles I prefer Suzuki. This is a gross generalisation but I find Gardiner recordings are sometimes a bit hard driven and often put the stress on being a 'performance' whereas Suzuki takes a more devotional approach. (I confess to also having a soft spot for pre-HIPP Werner and Richter recordings, but please don't tell anyone.)

As for where to start: just plunge in. In most of the cantatas there is at the very least one absolute jewel of a movement.

My own introduction to the Bach cantatas, back in the late 60s, was when I heard (and recorded) 'Ich habe genug', BWV 82. I still think the central aria is one of the most beautiful movements I know. Next came the popular 'Ein' Feste Burg' and 'Wachet auf'. All very predictable I suppose.

[Don Petter]

Perhaps 140 (Wachet auf), 147 (Herz und Mund) and for sheer beauty 82 (Ich habe genug).

[After posting, just seen john's post above. Agreement, particularly on 82!]

[gurnemanz]

Cantata 21 is special for me. The first chorus has the text "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis in meinem Herzen; aber deine Tröstungen erquicken meine Seele." (I had much trouble in my heart; but your consolations revive my soul.) My wife comes from Leipzig and we met there. During the Communist period in East Germany, many Leipzigers, not necessarily Christians, took consolation from attending the weekly free Thomaner concerts. Bach was "their man", after all. The first word "Ich" is repeated three times, reinforcing the individuality of personal sorrow. The cantata proceeds from tribulation to the joy of the the final choruses and the tenor aria "Erfreue dich, Seele" - rejoice, my soul.

Here is a guide to the cantatas which includes the writer's personal preferences.

[vinteuil]

... you're in for years and years of delight here!

Recently Suzuki, and previously Leonhard/Harnoncourt have provided marvellous accounts of them all. And listening to any and all of them is just an enormous experience.

I personally have come to love particularly the Herreweghe performances - and these have the advantage of being packaged in various user friendly ways - favourite, solo, bass etc Cantatas.

Like others here, I have come to find the John-Eliot Gardiner performances far too hard-driven and over-theatrical to provide continuing listening pleasure.

The purist in me has enjoyed the (all-too-few) Rifkin one-to-a-part performances.

The Kuijken is lovely.

I have not heard much of the Koopman: it will be a question whether you enjoy his exuberance or deplore his waywardness.

But as I say - years of pleasure await. Lucky you!

[Nick Armstrong]

... you're in for years and years of delight here!

Recently Suzuki, and previously Leonhard/Harnoncourt have provided marvellous accounts of them all. And listening to any and all of them is just an enormous experience.

I personally have come to love particularly the Herreweghe performances - and these have the advantage of being packaged in various user friendly ways - favourite, solo, bass etc Cantatas.

Like others here, I have come to find the John-Eliot Gardiner performances far too hard-driven and over-theatrical to provide continuing listening pleasure.

The purist in me has enjoyed the (all-too-few) Rifkin one-to-a-part performances.

The Kuijken is lovely.

I have not heard much of the Koopman: it will be a question whether you enjoy his exuberance or deplore his waywardness.

But as I say - years of pleasure await. Lucky you!

Couldn't have put it better myself (save that I reserve Rifkin for Scott Joplin )

What a wonderful snippet I heard on Breakfast this morning, the opening chorus of "Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit" BWV 115 by Suzuki and the Japanese forces: gorgeous, chromatic, spine-tingling stuff!

[John Shelton]

It might be an idea, rather than looking for highlight cantatas, to start following the cantatas liturgically?

My larger force favourites are Herrweghe and Koopman, but the recordings I return to most often (and they do follow liturgical order) are the Kuijken one voice per part.

[teamsaint]

the J E G set is an easy place to start. whatever one thinks of them as a whole,compared to other favourites there is lots of wonderful singing , and his attention to detail always shines through.(just checked, its 59.99 now, much more than i paid for it.....)

i have the 22CD set, and its fab.
Whole Bach Cantata thing needs more time than i can give it at present, what with work , other music etc.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Whole Bach Cantata thing needs more time than i can give it at present, what with work , other music etc.

One a week every morning at breakfast, ts: there's bigger all on the radio after all!

[teamsaint]

One a week every morning at breakfast, ts: there's bigger all on the radio after all!

its a fine plan Ferney. Breakfast is a bit of a rushed thing at Teamsaint towers, what with work/scraping ice off cars/ filling beat up old thermos flask etc, but I think you might have hit on something.
I shall make it the November initiative. Mrs TS is very partial to a bit of Bach too, so may add to general household harmony.
(re read that last line for cunningly disguised musical pun...) !!!

[Hitch]

The "Bach Cantatas Website" has had a revamp.

[MickyD]

Despite their rough edges in places, I still adore the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt complete set - all 60 CDs can now be had for under £2 a disc:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Complete-Cantatas-Nikolaus-Harnoncourt/dp/B000RZOR2U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1351277385&sr=1-1

A terrific bargain which will give a lifetime of pleasure!

[johnb]

I know that the Harnoncourt/Leonhardt set has very many admirers - something I am always puzzled about. Yes it was ground breaking at the time but it they were also 'learning on the job', and sometimes it shows. And then there are those boy trebles ...

I'm sure if Harnoncourt were to tackle the same thing now the result would be noticeably different (sadly Gustav Leonhardt died early this year).