Bach Cantata BWV 21 - Review

Barbara Schlick, soprano
Kai Wessel, alto
Christoph Prégardien, tenor
Klaus Mertens, bass
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir/Ton Koopman
Erato 0630-12598-2 3CDs

Cantata 21 "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis" ("I had much grief"): One of the great ones. The work falls into two large parts, reflecting the two main moods of most of the texts: the soul is overcome with sorrow, which transforms into joy because of God's grace. The opening sinfonia, slow and solemn, features a wonderfully expressive oboe soloist, (I assume) Marcel Ponseele, who puts out a long, intense line. The following chorus – ("I had much grief in my heart; but Your consolations restore my soul") begins with one of Bach's expressive wallops – three broken repetitions of the word "I" ("ich"), as if the persona were so afflicted with sorrows he had trouble even telling them. As one can see, the text splits neatly into two parts, and Bach creates two sections: the first, continuing the mood of the sinfonia; the second, much quicker. Both pivot about the word "aber" ("but"). Bach, in yet another brilliant stroke, brings all movement to a halt by having the full choir declaim each syllable on a long note. In both cases, Koopman lets the brilliant word-painting go by. The moments are matter-of-fact. The pivot is an emotional pivot as well, which we can see in the text, but Koopman's choir continues rather po'-faced in the second part, with the same emotional affect as the first.

A heartbreaking soprano aria follows – "Seufzer, Tränen, Kummer, Not" ("Sighs, tears, care, distress"), in which the soloist tells of sickness of soul. The oboe soloist here surpasses even his work in the Sinfonia. I was about to write that Barbara Schlick, the soprano, delivers a lesson to other singers, but that sounds way too dry. Her voice isn't a large one or particularly pretty, but the beauty she gets lies outside the reach of most vocalists. It reminds me a bit of Elly Ameling. She has an extremely flexible line: she seems capable of anything, any dynamic, any degree of emphasis at any moment without losing the forward impulse of the music. The dissonances in her part (for the technically-minded, the suspensions) receive different amounts of emphases, and the meaning of the text at that moment determines the stress. Her handling of ornament is both various and alive to the moment. She lets the listener know that ornament isn't simply a vocal hoop for the singer to jump through, but an expressive device. 
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Vienna, melting pot of Baroque

Vienna was at the beginning of the 18th century capital of a powerful empire, a city where lines and influences from complete Europe crossed each other. The imperial court gave status and power to that process, but could not without the creativity of brio from particularly Italy and Bohemia. The style was characterised by strict counterpoint versus polished emotion. Key characters in the Viennese music society were Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) and Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741). Both were operative to the Viennese court and had their training enjoyed at Corelli. Fux were the brilliant counterpoint. He understood if no other one art romped a musical of creating space by votes which imitated each other according to the strict rules of the counterpoint and for each other gone, a type musical maths. Its merit is especially that he has made the art of polyphony, arranged in the Renaissance large made by Palestrina, for the baroque. Caldara's largest strength lay in the emotion. He was a master in writing refined, polished lines which perfectly bring the text and the affects in this to expression.
Caldara and Fux were the big examples for number tsjechen such as František Ignác Antonín Tůma (1704-1774). Tůma had been since 1722 in Vienna active. Probably he has had lesson of the large counterpoint Fux. But in Vienna of 1750 a new wind in music started blow. More and more music grew into the galante style. That style got later its peak in the music of Mozart and Haydn. Interestingly in the music of Tůma is the galante style announcing late-baroque. Listen to: Tůma:  Stabat Mater from vocal ensemble Trajecti Voces, Utrecht. Conductor Dirkjan Horringa

Wenen, de smeltkroes van de Barok
Wenen was aan het begin van de 18e eeuw hoofdstad van een machtig imperium, een stad waar lijnen en invloeden uit heel Europa elkaar kruisten. Het keizerlijke hof gaf dat proces status en macht, maar kon niet zonder de creativiteit van talenten uit met name Italië en Bohemen. De stijl werd gekenmerkt door streng contrapunt versus gepolijste emotie. Sleutelfiguren in het Weense muziekleven waren Antonio Caldara (1670-1736) en Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741). Beiden waren werkzaam aan het Weense hof en hadden hun opleiding genoten bij Corelli. Fux was de geniale contrapuntist. Hij verstond als geen ander de kunst om een muzikale ruimte te scheppen door stemmen die volgens de strenge regels van het contrapunt elkaar imiteerden en om elkaar heen dartelden, een soort muzikale wiskunde. Zijn verdienste is vooral dat hij de kunst van de polyfonie, in de Renaissance groot gemaakt door Palestrina, geschikt heeft gemaakt voor de barok. Caldara’s grootste kracht lag in de emotie. Hij was een meester in het schrijven van verfijnde, gepolijste lijnen die de tekst en de affecten daarin perfect tot uitdrukking brengen. Caldara en Fux waren dé grote voorbeelden voor getalenteerde Tsjechen zoals František Ignác Antonín Tůma (1704-1774). Tůma is auteur van kerkmuziek, waaronder 65 missen, 20 litanieën, veel vespers, motetten en vijf Stabat Maters. Heel veel van zijn muziek is nog onuitgegeven. Tůma was sinds 1722 in Wenen actief. Waarschijnlijk heeft hij er les gehad van de grote contrapuntist Fux, zoveel is wel te zien aan zijn doorwrochte schrijfstijl. Maar in het Wenen van 1750 begon een nieuwe wind in de muziek te waaien. Meer en meer kwam de galante stijl in de mode. Die stijl kreeg later zijn hoogtepunt in de muziek van Mozart en Haydn. Interessant in de muziek van Tůma is de subtiele manier waarop de galante stijl zich aankondigt in een overwegend laat-barokke stijl.
Beluistert u het vocaal ensemble Trajecti Voces, projectkoor van dirigent Dirkjan Horringa: Tůma - muziekfragment:  Stabat Mater.