Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Lutheran Masses - Volume 2
Lutheran Mass in A major, BWV 234 [29:52]
Lutheran Mass in F major, BWV 233 [24:01]
Marco Gioseppe PERANDA (1625–75)
Missa in A minor [16:42]
Hana Blažiková (soprano) (BWV 233, 234)
Joanne Lunn and Aki Matsui (sopranos) (Peranda)
Robin Blaze (counter-tenor) (BWV 234)
Katsuhiko Nakashima (tenor) (BWV 234)
Gerd Türk and Yusuke Fujii (tenors) (Peranda)
Peter Kooij (bass) (BWV 233, 234)
Dominik Wörner (bass) (Peranda)
Bach Collegium Japan (chorus and orchestra)/Masaaki Suzuki
rec. February 2014 (Bach), February 2015 (Peranda), Kobe Shoin Women’s University Chapel, Japan
BIS BIS2121
SACD [71:30]
This is the eagerly anticipated second volume of Bach’s
Lutheran Masses, performed by the Bach Collegium Japan, under their
director Masaaki Suzuki; I reviewed
Volume 1 last year.
Unlike the well-known B minor Mass, in which Bach set the entire Latin
Ordinary, the four Lutheran Masses (BWV 233-236), or Missa brevis as
they are sometimes referred to, give us the Kyrie and Gloria
only. Unjustly, they are not frequently performed or recorded, and have
remained in the shadow of the B minor work. They were composed between
1737 and 1748 whilst he was Cantor of the Thomasschule at the Thomaskirche
in Leipzig. This was a position he was appointed to in 1723 and which
he held until his death in 1750. Martin Luther's reforms had
brought about fundamental changes to the structure of the Roman Catholic
liturgy, where the sermon took on a central role, and German replaced
Latin, with the option that some parts of the Ordinary (Kyrie,
Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus
Dei) could be retained in Latin. In Bach’s day, the Kyrie
and Gloria tended to be sung figuraliter (in several
voices), with the Sanctus being reserved for special high feast
days, also sung figuraliter.
A tireless recycler, Bach rearranged material from his cantatas for
these ‘parody’ masses. They are both six-movement works
and, being relatively short in duration, are compositionally focused
and perfectly formed. Suzuki’s chorus is bright and vibrant, and
the instrumentalists blend in discreetly. The performances are agreeably
paced, with phrasing and dynamic gradients both idiomatic and superbly
achieved. Suzuki is an inspirational conductor, and he secures intense
and heartfelt contributions from all concerned.
The Gloria of the A major, BWV 234 is joyous and uplifting
and, in the Domine Deus which follows, Peter Kooij’s
duet with the solo violin is an absolute delight. Hana Blažiková’s
Qui Tollis peccata mundi is set against a pure diaphanous flute
obbligato. Instrumental texture is kept light and luminous.
Of the two masses, I prefer the F major BWV 233. The Gloria
is exquisitely sung, and is both uplifting and exhilarating. For those
coming tentatively to these works, I suggest playing this movement (track
8) first. I can guarantee it won’t fail to win you over. Suzuki
brings freshness and rhythmic drive to the performance, securing favourable
results. Again, the bass aria Domine Deus, sung by Peter Kooij,
is utterly convincing and assured. In fact, one of the disc's
strengths is the compelling contributions from all the soloists.
As Cantor, Bach utilized the works of other composers, the Missa in
A minor by Marco Gioseppe Peranda being one. Born around 1625, Peranda
was a native of Macerata, and most likely received his musical education
in Rome. Starting off as a viola player in the Dresden Hofkapelle, he
eventually became vice-kapellmeister, then in 1663 one of three court
kapellmeisters, a post he held until his death in 1675. His compositional
oeuvre consists mainly of church music, but he also wrote some stage
works. Bach took an interest in him, greatly admiring his contrapuntal
skills, and acted as copyist for some of Peranda’s music. The
Missa in A minor, consisting here of the Kyrie and Gloria,
dates from the 1660s, and was later revised and extended to include
all five parts of the ordinary mass.
The Missa conforms to the concertante style, prevalent in Dresden
at the time, with full vocal and instrumental scoring. The work is divided
into sections, each conveying different emotions and dispositions. The
opening Kyrie is solemn but then the mood lightens. In the
music which follows, Peranda’s expert contrapuntal skill is revealed
in all its glory, and Suzuki and co. highlight the textures, allowing
the polyphonic strands to be clearly heard. The beautifully rendered
Laudamus te by the sopranos, contrasts with the Dominine
Deus, Agnus Dei, richly articulated by the bass. There is so much
vocal colour in this compelling reading.
Audio quality is top notch, as in volume 1, and the Kobe Shoin Women’s
University Chapel, Japan confers a warm, resonant bloom to the sound,
particularly sympathetic to highlighting the counterpoint. Annotations
in English, German and French offer informative background to the music.
With both volumes now available, these performances of the four Lutheran
Masses will be hard to beat.
Stephen Greenbank
