Something for a Friday: All of Bach

[hmvman]

Bach: First Movement from Cantata BWV 191

"The music of the Christmas cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo originates from the Kyrie and Gloria in B minor, BWV 232a, which Bach was later to expand to a complete Mass in B minor. So is this opening chorus, recorded here for All of Bach with conductor Jos van Veldhoven. Words and music fit like a glove: the dancing angels’ singing is heavenly, and we come peacefully down to earth in the ‘Et in terra pax’."

Netherlands Bach Society
Jos van Veldhoven, conductor
Maria Keohane, soprano I
Michaela Riener, soprano II
Alex Potter, alto
Charles Daniels, tenor
Matthias Winckhler, bass

The complete performance of Gloria in excelsis Deo BWV 191.

More information on BWV 191.

That's a lovely performance, I've played it a couple of times over Christmas!

[Hitch]

Yes, it's invigorating. A good cap to the year.

[hmvman]

Yes, it's invigorating. A good cap to the year.

Indeed, and the third part of the Christmas Oratorio is pretty special too. Oddoneout has linked to it in post 1240.

[Hitch]

"Special notes: This work is probably not by Johann Sebastian Bach."

Bach(?): Orchestral Suite in G minor BWV 1070

From the YouTube description:

"The Orchestral Suite in G minor, BWV 1070 – recorded here for All of Bach with Bojan Čičić – wasn’t written by Bach. Yet the suite got a BWV number by the makers of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, a complete overview of Bach’s works, numbered and ordered. Who did compose this piece is unknown, but the style of the piece fits very well with the young Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Bach’s son. Like father, like son?"

Article from the All of Bach website:

"Like father? Like son?

Who wrote this suite? And why do we want to know?

Not by Bach, and yet a BWV number anyway? That happens more often than you might think. And let’s be honest, it’s only a number. The makers of the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis from 1950 knew only too well there would be gaps in their catalogue of all the works by Johann Sebastian Bach that were known at the time. They also expected to include more than a couple of dubious cases, one of which turned out to be this suite (or overture) in G minor, BWV 1070: ‘Echtheit nicht sicher verbürgt’ [‘Authenticity not guaranteed’].

Earlier generations of musicians, however, had no doubts. They counted this work as Bach’s fifth Orchestral Suite, on the basis of a single source with two words written on it: a set of parts from 1753, stating ‘Sig^e. Bach’. This manuscript was a copy made by Christian Friedrich Penzel, a pupil at the Thomasschule, in Leipzig, where Bach taught. Shortly after Bach’s death, Penzel became one of Bach’s greatest upholders and collectors. His collection ended up in the hands of Franz Hauser, who besides compiling a major Bach catalogue had various pieces from his collection of Bachiana published at the end of the nineteenth century. Could the suite possibly have been written by Bach’s son Wilhelm Friedemann, whose archive formed the basis for the Penzel-Hauser collection? This thought did not even occur to many people, including the copyist Penzel. After all, why should he not name the most famous of all the Bachs as the author?

Since the first BWV, we have been given some answers to that question, carefully formulated by musicologists and people from the professional field. They concern mainly the style, which is not easily reconciled with that of father Bach. Hartmut Haenchen, for example, sees parallels between the fugal yet rather more galante Capriccio and a symphony by Friedemann Bach, while Peter Wollny places the Torneo – possibly from a horse ballet! – in Southern Germany or Austria. And with purpose and flair, the Menuet and its Trio avoid all regularity, which David Schulenberg thinks fits very well with the young Wilhelm Friedemann, who was known for his inventiveness. So a Bach after all – but then a son? Whatever the case, the number holds firm!"

[Hitch]

Bach - Cantata Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe BWV 162

Johanna Soller, organ and direction
Kristen Witmer, soprano
Alex Potter, alto
Guy Cutting, tenor
Matthias Winckhler, bass
Netherlands Bach Society
Recorded for the project All of Bach on June 28th 2024 at Oude Kerk Charlois, Rotterdam.

From the YouTube description:

Cantata Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe – recorded here for All of Bach with conductor and harpsichordist Johanna Soller – focuses on a biblical parable from the Gospel of Matthew about a princely wedding. The message: only those who dress smartly – i.e. lead a virtuous, god-fearing life – can count on a place in heaven. Poet Salomo Franck sketches what is at stake: see the ‘soul's poison and the bread of life’ in the opening aria, which Bach set to music in serpentine twists.

Article from the All of Bach website:

"Dress code: Heavenly

A biblical parable offers comfort.

‘Many are called, but few are chosen’, you used to hear now and then. But where does the saying actually originate? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus describes a princely wedding. Numerous invitations were sent out, but each of the guests had their own excuse: too busy, too tired or just not interested. Outraged at so much disdain for his son, the king gathered together a motley crew for his wedding feast, including good and bad people. But one of them had the nerve to turn up in his ordinary clothes, which was scandalous enough for the king to throw him out of the window. One less chosen one!

The poet Salomo Franck projects this rather cryptic parable onto issues of the day: only those who dress smartly – i.e. lead a virtuous, god-fearing life – can count on a place in heaven. The characters are God as the king, Jesus as the bridegroom and the human soul as his shy bride. In sharply contrasting colours, Franck sketches what is at stake: see the ‘soul's poison and the bread of life’ or the ‘the radiance of heaven and the flames of hell’ in the opening aria, which Bach set to music in serpentine twists. Incidentally, when Bach performed the cantata again, he gave the aria a part for corno da tirarsi; an instrument that may have been specially developed for his regular trumpeter Gottfried Reiche.

After the tenor has set out God’s plan once again, the soprano begs that Jesus might bestow forgiveness and ‘bread of life’ on us, despite our sins and weaknesses. Originally, she received support from a solo instrument, possibly a flute, violin or oboe, but that part has not survived - in this performance, the solo part is played by the right hand of the organ. The story ends with a duet for alto and tenor, once again with frugal continuo accompaniment, in which they thankfully rejoice at how God in his mercy provides suitable clothing for true Christians. A couplet from the chorale ‘Alle Menschen müssen sterben’ forms a fitting ending."

[Hitch]

Bach - Brunnquell aller Güter BWV 445

Daniel Johannsen, tenor
Leo van Doeselaar, organ
Instrument: Henrick Bader, 1639/1643
Recorded for the project All of Bach on May 28th 2024 at Walburgiskerk, Zutphen.

From the YouTube description:

"The Brunnquell aller Güter in the title is the Holy Spirit himself, whom the Bible is attributing the provision of several essential ‘charismata‘ (talents). The Pentecostal song – recorded here for All of Bach with tenor Daniel Johannsen and organist Leo van Doeselaar - depicts and worships all of the benefits, merits and talents literally ‘inspired‘ by God. The text gradually becomes an ardent plea for steadiness in faith, for composure in turmoil."

Article from the All of Bach website:

Praising the Fountain of all Good

A Pentecostal poem that worships all charismata of the Holy Spirit.

The 'Brunnquell aller Güter' in the title is the Holy Spirit himself, whom the Bible is attributing the provision of several essential ‘charismata‘ (talents). Johann Franck, one of the most important Lutheran poets wrote this Pentecostal poem in mid-17^th century. The melody (as used by Bach in Schemelli’s hymnal) was first published in 1653 in the epochal compendium ‘Praxis Pietatis Melica‘ (‘Exercises in soundful piety‘) and could have been written by the editor of this collection, the great Johann Crüger.

The originally eight verses (in this recording the tenor sings four verses) are depicting and worshipping all of the benefits, merits and talents literally ‘inspired‘ by God. But the text gradually becomes an ardent plea for steadiness in faith, for composure in turmoil. The last stanza is a prayer for overcoming satan’s attempts and for the granting of a place in the heavenly chorus.

The catchy tune, always changing minor and major, is both earnest and playful. It could easily be the theme for a set of variations: the different length of the lines (six shorter followed by two longer ones) keeps the poem fluent and interesting. Observing the tradition of 17^th century music, a little interlude, a ritornello, is inserted between the four selected verses. It is one of these tunes that stay in your ear for a long time ― which might be exactly the aim of its devout author...

Musicalisches Gesang-Buch G.C. Schemelli

In the eighteenth century, sacred songbooks for private use were an important aid in simple, domestic devotion. For example, no fewer than 17 editions of Johann Freylinghausen’s Geistreiches Gesangbuch were published between 1704 and 1734. Two years later, pietist Georg Christian Schemmel, alias Schemelli, launched his own songbook, containing no fewer than 954 songs, 69 of which included melody, text incipit and figured bass. In order to outdo the competition, he involved probably the most famous music consultant of all time, who happened to be his son’s music teacher: Bach. Following intensive research, only three of the 21 original melodies in the collection (BWV 439-509) can be attributed with certainty to the cantor at the Thomasschule: BWV 452, 478 and 505. The others are accompaniments, revisions and improvements. Bach’s precise role in Schemelli’s Gesangbuch will probably always remain a mystery.