musica Dei donum
CD reviews
Johann Sebastian Bach: Arias
Angelika Kirchschlager, mezzosoprano a
Stefanie Haegele b, Nicola Favaro c, oboe; Giuliano
Carmignola, violin d; Venice Baroque Orchestra
Dir.: Andrea Marcon
rec: Jan 12 - 18, 2002, Venice, La Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista
Sony - SK 89924 (72'47")
Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, cantata (BWV 42): Wo zwei und drei
versammlet sind (BWV 42,3) abc; Wer mich liebet, der wird mein
Wort halten, cantata (BWV 74): Nichts kann mich erretten (BWV 74,7)
ad; Widerstehe doch der Sünde, cantata (BWV 54): Widerstehe doch
der Sünde (BWV 54,1) ad; Ich habe genung (BWV 82): Schlummert
ein, ihr matten Augen (BWV 82,3) a; Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde,
cantata (BWV 83): Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde (BWV 83,1) ad;
Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe, cantata (BWV 156): Sinfonia (BWV 156,1)
b; Herr, was du willt (BWV 156,4) ab; Vergnügte
Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust, cantata (BWV 170): Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte
Seelenlust (BWV 170,1) a; Mass in b minor (BWV 232): Laudamus
te (BWV 232,6) ad; St Matthew Passion (BWV 244): Erbarme dich
(BWV 244,39) ad; Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248): Bereite dich,
Zion (BWV 248/I,4); Wie soll ich dich empfangen (BWV 248/I,5) a
Any singer who wants to compile a programme of arias by Bach has one problem:
which should he or she choose, since there are so many and they are all so great.
This CD proves it once again.
Angelika Kirchschlager is an Austrian
mezzosoprano. In the baroque period there are no specific arias for that kind
of voice. So it will depend on what the tessitura of the singer is whether she
is taking soprano or alto arias. On the basis of the character of the voice I
would say that she has rightly chosen alto arias. And her luck is that Bach
has written so many brilliant arias for alto, perhaps even more than for any
other kind of voice. Fortunately she - or whoever compiled the programme - didn't
choose only the well-known arias, like 'Erbarme dich' and 'Schlummert ein'. One
won't find arias like 'Nichts kann mich erretten' or 'Wo zwei und drei versammlet
sind' on aria records or concert programmes that often. So: thumbs up for the
way the programme has been put together.
That doesn't imply that we should be happy with a programme like this. I find it
very problematic to sing these arias out of their context. It isn't that much of a
problem with arias from baroque operas, since they are often almost exchangeable
as far as the text is concerned. But in the case of Bach's cantatas it is
different. All parts of these works are closely related to each other, and the
cantata as a whole to a certain biblical context. Taking arias out of their
context reduces them to beautiful pieces in their own right, at cost of the depth of
their content. So I am strongly in favour of performing and recording these
cantatas in their entirety.
I could live with a compilation like this if the performance would do the music
justice. But there aren't many positive things to say about this recording, I'm
afraid. To begin with, the performers take liberties with the score without any
justification at all. The text has sometimes been modernised: instead of
"versammlet" ("Wo zwei und drei versammlet sind", BWV 42) Ms Kirchschlager sings
"versammelt", and - even more seriously - in the same aria "Denn was aus Lieb und
Not geschieht" instead of "geschicht". As a result the next line doesn't rhyme
anymore ("Das bricht des Höchsten Ordnung nicht"). In the Sinfonia from Cantata
156 the strings play pizzicato, but there is no indication in the score for
that. The indication to play this way is ony added when the Sinfonia is reused
as the slow movement in the Harpsichord concerto BWV 1056. The liner notes say
that in the aria 'Erbarme dich' (BWV 244) the strings first should play piano,
then pianissimo. I can't find any sign of that in the score, only sempre p
at the start.
I have great problems with the way Ms Kirchschlager does sing these arias. Her
continuous vibrato is most annoying, she is singing legato all the time,
her diction is anything but perfect - there are some horrible examples in
'Erbarme dich' - and so is her articulation. In 'Laudamus te' (BWV 232) she isn't
able to sing the trills in the first phrase properly. But even more serious is
that there is no text expression at all. 'Widerstehe doch der Sünde' could be
about almost anything, the listener won't notice that this very expressive aria
is about the temptation of sin in contrast to the cruel reality.
The orchestral playing isn't any better. Here again, there seems to be a total
lack of understanding of the text. The playing is characterised by a smooth
legato, which has nothing to do with historical performance practice. In
particular the instrumental part of 'Erbarme dich' is unacceptable. Giuliano
Carmignola uses far too much vibrato and the orchestra creates a sound which
reminds me of old-fashioned performances in the romantic symphonic tradition.
The last piece is a chorale from the Christmas Oratorio, which is
performed here by the soloist and the orchestra. It demonstrates a total lack
of understanding of the basics of chorale singing. It sums up the character of
this recording quite nicely.
The best items on this CD are the first aria ('Erfreute Zeit', BWV 83) and 'Bereite
dich Zion' from the Christmas Oratorio. But on the whole this is a very
unsatisfying recording, which shows once more that using period instruments isn't
enough to call a performance 'historically informed'. Sony seems to have
understood that, since this recording isn't part of its early music series
'Vivarte' - rightly so.
Johan van Veen (© 2003)
Relevant links:
Angelika Kirchschlager
Venice Baroque Orchestra