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Freud und Lust - Buxtehude and Bach
Dietrich BUXTEHUDE (c.1637-1707)
Jesu meine Freud und Lust (BuxWV 59), cantata for alto,
strings and bc [7:52]
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Komm, süßer Tod (BWV 478), song for solo voice and bc [4:18]
O Jesulein süß, o Jesulein mild (BWV 493), song for solo
voice and bc [2:22] Dietrich BUXTEHUDE
Sonata for two violins, viola da gamba and bc in F (BuxWV
269) [8:00]
Johann Christoph BACH (1642-1703)
Ach, daß ich Wassers gnug hätte, Lamento for alto, violin,
three viole da gamba and bc [8:14] Dietrich BUXTEHUDE
Trio sonata for two violins, viola da gamba and bc in a minor,
op. 1,3 (BuxWV 254) [11:03]
Jubilate Domino, omnis terra (BuxWV 64), cantata for alto,
viola da gamba and bc [9:24]
Wenn ich, Herr Jesu, habe dich (BuxWV 107), cantata for
alto, two violins and bc [6:33]
Ryland Angel (alto)
The Holy Trinity Bach Players (Peter Kupfer, Amelia Roosevelt (violin),
Susan Iadone (viola), Carlene Stober (viola da gamba), Patricia
Ann Neely (violone), Daniel Swenberg (theorbo), Rick Erickson (organ))/Rick
Erickson
rec. 10 - 15 January 2005, St Paul's Lutheran Church, New
York, N.Y., USA. DDD
DEUX-ELLES DXL1147 [57:52]
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"The seventeenth century witnessed a veritable explosion
in the writing of new hymn texts and the publication of hymnals
that carried into the eighteenth century, as we see in the Schemelli
hymnal. Whereas Luther's hymns had given poetic voice
to the faith of the community (...), the later hymns tended
to reflect a more personal spirituality". Thus Buxtehude
scholar Kerala J. Snyder in the liner-notes to this recording.
This is an interesting subject which is reflected in the choice
of pieces for this disc.
One could discern two lines within German Protestant music.
On the one hand composers made use of biblical texts and of
hymns as written in the 16th century in the wake of the Lutheran
Reformation. Luther wanted to return to the Bible as the sole
source of faith, which explains the use of biblical texts. He
also wanted the congregation to sing, which was answered by
poets and composers in writing the hymns which are incorporated
in many compositions from the 16th century until our own time.
Such pieces were usually performed in church, as part of the
liturgy.
On the other hand the mysticism of the Middle Ages was still
very much alive. One of its main representatives was Bernard
of Clairvaux (1091-1153) who was held in high esteem by Luther.
In Luther's theology the direct relationship between
the individual believer and God was a central issue: Lutheranism
did away with the role of the priest as mediator between the
believer and God. In particular the Vier Bücher vom Wahren
Christentum (1606-09) by the Lutheran theologian Johann
Arndt (1555-1621) played a crucial role in the spreading of
Bernard's mysticism in the world of Lutheranism. He also
translated the Rhythmica Oratio into German which provided
the text for Buxtehude's famous cantata cycle Membra
Jesu nostri. During the 17th century this aspect of Lutheran
thinking was enhanced by the rise of pietism, which was in favour
of accommodating the subjective sentiments of fervour, compassion
and emotion.
Not only Membra Jesu nostri, but also many other pieces
bear the traces of pietism, albeit in a less drastic way. The
cantata Jesu, meine Freud und Lust which opens the
programme, is a good example. It is based on free poetry by
an anonymous author, divided into seven stanzas. It expresses
an emotional relationship with Jesus. Almost the whole whole
piece is a vehicle for praise: "joy and desire", "food
and fare", "light of my eye" or "sweet flowing
nectar". It typically ends with "let us be inseparable,
most dear sweet Jesus". It is rather unlikely that a piece
like this would be performed in church. It is rather music for
private devotion. The closing cantata, Wenn ich, Herr Jesu,
habe dich, is again a strophic poem, this time by Anna
Sophia, countess of Hesse-Darmstadt, dating from 1658. It is
pervaded with the same spirit: "Whoever has Jesus in the
heart, has potent comfort and joy of Heaven, even in the greatest
heartache, and he will live though he dies". The scoring
for solo voice of these two cantatas emphasizes their intimacy
and pietistic character.
In 17th-century Germany the form of the lamento was
very popular. Many composers wrote such pieces, and Johann Christoph
Bach was one of them. Two such works from his pen are known:
Wie bist du denn, o Gott, in Zorn auf mich entbrannt
for bass, the other Ach, daß ich Wassers gnug hätte
for alto. The instrumental scoring of both is typical of the
genre: violin, three viole da gamba and bc. Although the latter's
text is put together from three books of the Bible, its character
points into the direction of private use rather than liturgical
function.
In 1736 Georg Christian Schemelli published a book with sacred
songs in Leipzig, which is generally known as Schemelli's
Gesangbuch. It contains 954 hymns of which in most cases
only the text is given, with an indication of the melody. It
also included 69 songs for solo voice and basso continuo, which
today are mostly recorded as being written by Johann Sebastian
Bach. In most cases in all probability, he provided only the
basso continuo part. O Jesulein süß, for instance,
is written on a pre-existing melody. The collection was meant
for use in church and at home. The hymns were suitable for liturgical
use, but it is rather unlikely that the solo songs were used
in church. Their texts and the scoring make them more appropriate
for private use. That is certainly the case with Komm, süßer
Tod, which reflects the positive attitude to, or even longing
for death, which is very characteristic of German Protestantism
in Bach's time, and which we also meet in his own cantatas.
The most objective piece, as it were, is Buxtehude's
cantata Jubilate Domino, omnis terra, which is entirely
based on a biblical text: Psalm 98, vs 4-6. Whether it was meant
for liturgical use is impossible to say. Buxtehude was not expected
to compose cantatas for such purposes, but it seems likely that
he did anyway. He also composed music for public performances,
for instance the famous Abendmusiken. Like many of
Buxtehude's cantatas it is included in the Düben-Sammlung,
a collection of pieces which were put together by Gustav Düben,
conductor of the Swedish court orchestra and organist of the
German church in Stockholm.
The sonatas by Buxtehude were meant for public performance,
for instance during the Abendmusiken, by the members
of the Ratsmusik, the town's ensemble of instrumentalists
which was responsible for performances at official occasions,
in church and in private surroundings, like the homes of the
town's upper class. The members of the Ratsmusik were
all virtuosos on their instrument and the requirements of applicants
were very high. This is well reflected by Buxtehude's
sonatas which are written in the typical North-German stylus
phantasticus, with a sequence of short sections of contrasting
character. In the Trio sonata in a minor the frequent
chromatic passages and dissonants are striking. In both sonatas
the viola da gamba has a concertante part which is another feature
of the North-German music scene. From that perspective the obbligato
gamba part in the cantata Jubilate Domino comes as
no surprise.
In 17th-century Germany much music of a high calibre was written,
and this disc bears witness to that. It is a bit disappointing
that the programme largely consists of pieces which are quite
familiar and have been recorded more than once before. A little
bit of research could have resulted in a programme including
less familiar compositions. The performances are generally satisfying,
though. Ryland Angel has a very nice voice, and avoids the incessant
vibrato with which some of his colleagues are contaminated.
His German pronunciation is reasonable, although several vowels
don't come off perfectly. The "ch" at the end
of words is often hardly audible, and in Jubilate Domino
he seems to think that in the German pronunciation of Latin
the p in "ps" should not be sung (salmi
instead of psalmi).
I find some tempi a bit slow. That is in particular the case
with Buxtehude's Jubilate Domino, but the solo
song Komm, süßer Tod also suffers from it. In the two
songs Angel hardly adds any ornaments which seems to me at odds
with the performance practice of the time. There could have
been stronger dynamic accents, both in the vocal and in the
instrumental parts. The sonatas are well played, and in particular
in the Trio sonata in a minor the bold harmonic progressions
come off well.
This disc may not provide the ultimate interpretations of the
repertoire but if you decide to purchase it you won't
regret it.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
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