In 2000 Easter Sunday
fell on 23 April. Fittingly, Sir John
Eliot Gardiner and his Cantata Pilgrims
spent the Easter weekend in Eisenach,
Bach’s birthplace, and gave concerts
on three consecutive days at the church
where he was baptised and where he was
a boy chorister. This pair of CDs contains
two cantatas for each of the three days
of the Easter festival. Some collectors
may already have the DG disc that was
issued in 2000 and which contains two
Easter cantatas, BWV 6 and BWV 66. It’s
worth confirming that these are different
recordings: the DG performances were
taped in the studio in April 1999 –
in other words, in advance of the Pilgrimage
– and feature different soloists.
Given that Easter is
the greatest feast in the Christian
calendar it may seem surprising that
Bach left so little Easter music. Besides
the pieces included here there’s only
the so-called Easter Oratorio,
BWV 249 and one other cantata, BWV158.
It may be, as Alfred Dürr and other
scholars have suggested, that Bach poured
most of his creative energy into the
composition of his Passion settings,
leaving him little time or energy to
compose for Easter as well. In fact,
some of the Easter music included here
was recycled by Bach from earlier secular
celebratory cantatas that he had written
in Cöthen and, in his characteristically
eloquent notes, Gardiner opines that
this was highly appropriate. However,
whether recycled or not, the feast of
Easter inspired some pretty marvellous
music from Bach.
BWV 4 is a very
early work, probably dating from 1707.
It’s both a chorale cantata – setting
Luther’s famous hymn – and a choral
cantata in that there are no soloists.
It contains some splendid music and
one fascinating aspect is the variety
of ways in which Bach treats just one
word, namely "Halleluja!"
with which each of the seven verses
concludes. Gardiner has recorded this
work at least once before, a 1980 studio
account for Erato. That’s a pretty impressive
achievement but I think this new version
is finer. Comparing the two readings
the first chorus is a bit lighter on
its feet in 2000 and I wonder also if
a slightly smaller choir was used? The
same degree of fervour is apparent in
both performances but in the more recent
performance we hear even more bite in
the singing. At the end of this chorus
Gardiner adopts a fast speed for the
"Halleluja!" which gives a
pell-mell effect. I can imagine this
might raise a few eyebrows amongst those
used to Richter, for example, but I
find it exhilarating and I’m afraid
Richter sounds staid by comparison.
In the third verse
of the hymn only the tenors are deployed
by Bach and they, and the accompanying
violins, are splendidly fiery in this
latest performance. The fourth stanza
follows without a pause, whereas there’s
a tiny break between the movements on
the Erato CD, which is a pity. That
fourth verse is graphically presented
here and in the following stanza the
basses are quite outstanding. Overall
this is a gripping account of the cantata.
In Gardiner’s hands the music has a
tremendous degree of drama, which won’t
surprise anyone who reads his stimulating
note on the cantata. His 1980 version
was very good but this new account eclipses
it.
BWV 31 (1715)
is very different from BWV 4. In the
earlier cantata the dark side of death
had been to the fore. By contrast, BWV
31 is a much more celebratory affair.
The opening sinfonia is resplendently
scored with the inclusion of a festive
trumpet choir. In the chorus that follows
the Monteverdi Choir sings with tremendous
verve and a real sense of jubilation.
Their passagework is superb and for
all the world it sounds like angels
laughing. In the stalwart bass aria,
‘Fürst des lebens, starker Streiter’,
I’m not convinced that Stephen Varcoe
possesses quite the vocal weight that
the music demands, though he sings stylishly.
James Gilchrist, however, brings a splendid
ringing tone and real presence to the
recitativo that follows. In his aria,
‘Adam muss in uns verwesen’ he’s forthright
and agile, as the music demands. The
cantata also contains a lovely soprano
aria, ‘Letzte Stunde, brich herein’
and Gillian Keith gives a touching account
of it, well partnered by a delicious
oboe obbligato.
1724 was the first
year that Bach was based in Leipzig
for Easter and on Easter Monday he unveiled
BWV 66, using material recycled
from a 1718 secular cantata, BWV 66a.
The new Easter piece opens with a truly
splendid chorus, which had been the
final movement of the secular work.
Soloists also play a part here, singing
short duets, and they carry most of
the burden of the central section of
the movement. Stephen Varcoe sounds
to be better suited to the dancing aria
that he’s allotted in this work. Comparing
this performance with the 1999 DG effort
I marginally prefer Dietrich Henschel
to Varcoe, finding the German singer
to have a bit more character in his
voice and stronger bottom notes. However,
Gardiner and Varcoe impart more spring
to the music in their reading of the
aria so honours are about even between
the two recordings. There follow two
important movements, a dialogue recitativo
and a duet aria, in which the alto and
tenor soloists combine. The singing
of Daniel Taylor and James Gilchrist
is full of interest, although in the
aria Taylor seems to be a bit too prominent
at times. Again, comparing this aria
with Gardiner’s 1999 reading I felt
that the earlier version has just a
little less of a spring in its step
and though the 1999 soloists – Michael
Chance and Mark Padmore – sound more
evenly matched I think that on balance
Taylor and Gilchrist, with a touch more
spontaneity, take the palm.
The inspiration for
BWV 6 is the passage in St. Luke’s
Gospel that tells of the encounter between
the risen Christ and some of his disciples
on the road to Emmaus. In his note Gardiner
speculates that in writing the opening
chorus of BWV 6, with its tone of "tender
pleadings", "you sense that
Bach had the final chorus of his St.
John Passion, if not on his
writing desk then still ringing in his
ears." I confess I’d never made
this connection before but it seems
so obvious now. This marvellous music
is magnificently performed here. Daniel
Taylor acquits himself very well in
the fine aria, ‘Hochgelobter Gottessohn’
and the player of the oboe da caccia
obbligato also excels. Similarly to
be admired is the player of the violoncello
piccolo obbligato in the chorale
movement that follows. The melody here
falls to the sopranos of the Monteverdi
Choir, who deliver it with chaste purity.
The cantata also contains a plangent
tenor aria, which is expressively sung
by James Gilchrist.
BWV 134, which
dates from 1724, may not be as well
known as, say BWV 4 or BWV 6 but it’s
actually a superb piece. It contains
music originally composed for a Cöthen
cantata to celebrate New Year’s Day
1719. The featured soloists are the
alto and the tenor and they have rewarding
parts to sing. There is, for example,
a joyous tenor aria, ‘Auf! Glaübige,
singet die lieblichen Lieder’ of which
James Gilchrist gives an exhilarating
performance. The accompaniment features
a pair of busy oboes and strings and
the scoring imparts a real feeling of
a bright spring morning. The duet recitativo
is vividly delivered by the two soloists
and then they combine in a super aria,
‘Wir danken und preisen dein brünstiges
Lieben’. Taylor and Gilchrist sing this
most delightfully; it’s a winning performance.
The closing movement unites soloists
and chorus in the manner of the opening
movement of BWV 66. This is a jubilant
movement, which is done here with splendid
assurance and real élan.
Finally, a brief cantata,
BWV 145, which is thought to
date from 1729. It’s possible that Bach
prefaced this cantata with an instrumental
movement or a chorale. There are only
two movements of significant dimensions.
One is a duet between a tenor soloist,
as Jesus, and a soprano (the soul).
Gilchrist maintains his fine form while
Angharad Gruffydd Jones displays a clear,
sweet timbre that’s most attractive.
The piece also includes a sprightly
bass aria, which is well taken by Stephen
Varcoe.
There’s some magnificent
music here and, once again, the Pilgrims’
performances are first rate. James Gilchrist
is the pick of the soloists, though
all his colleagues also give a great
deal of pleasure. The singing of the
Monteverdi Choir is quite superb and
the orchestral playing is no less fine.
As ever John Eliot Gardiner proves to
be an expert guide to the music, whether
he’s (figuratively) wielding his baton
or his pen. The sound is excellent.
Collectors of this wonderful series
need not hesitate. The people of Eisenach
were surely treated to a marvellous
millenary celebration both of Easter
and of their city’s most illustrious
son and we can now relive the occasion
thanks to this splendid pair of CDs.
John Quinn
Bach Cantata Pilgrimage
page
The Monteverdi Choir/English Baroque Soloists/Sir
John Eliot Gardiner. 
