Luogo e data di registrazione		Schloss Seehaus, Markt Nordheim (Germany) - August 2007
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Recording Staff		Eckhard Steiger
	Prima Edizione CD		ACCENT - ACC 25305 - (1 CD) - durata 73' 55" - (p) 2006 (c) 2007 - DDD
	Note		-

COMMENTARY on the cantatas presented here "Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei" - BWV 179 (for the 11th Sunday after Trinity) Bach wrote this cantata in his first year in office (1723) for the 11th Sunday after Trinity (8th August). Some 15 years later he used the opening chorus and the aria no.5 in his Lutheran Masses BWV 236 and BWV 234 (as the "Kyrie" and the "Qui tollis"). The opening chorus is astonishing in the complexity of its composition - even more so, if one is told how Bach, in this movement, uses traditionally strict compositional precedents from the old polyphony as an illustration of the text. The Old Testament saying from Jesus of Sirach (1, 34) "Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei, und diene Gott nicht mit falschem Herzen" ("Make sure that thy fear of God is not hypocrisy, and serve not God with false hearts") brings Bach to the idea that‚ hypocrisy‘ must be put in a strict counter-fugue - thus named in a fugue, in which each neighbouring thematic entry is the‚ inversion‘ of the previous one. Every interval in the process is used in the other direction (for example rising fifths become descending fifths, etc.). Because the rhythm also remains unchanged in this ‘inversion‘, the ear recognises this ‚new‘ theme as a similarly equal ‘building block‘ of the fugue. Undoubtedly, in my opinion, this 'inverted' imitation interprets the ‘hypocrisy. This is none other than a false, feigned (from the 'inversion') imitation of the 'truth'? This rigorous counter-fugue is 36 bars long. Then a new subject comes into play, based on the words "diene Gott nicht mit falschem Herzen" ("serve not God with false hearts"), which Bach sets for 6 bars as a pure canon at the fifth. That means that the new motif comes in here six times in succession canonically, in itself unchanged, but each time a fifth 'higher' (as if on a planned circle of fifths); for the first time beginning on g, till the last time six fifths 'to the right', beginning on f sharp. This progression, of pure canon in a sequence of rising fifths, illustrates well (in sharp contrast to the counter-fugue for 'hypocrisy') the ‘clear, forever repeating – and climbing! - command‘ which is pronounced in this section of the text. This canonic section breaks off after 6 bars (note also the proportion: 36 bars of ‘hypocrisy‘ compared to 6 bars of ‘clear proclamaton‘...; not only ‘longer‘ against ‘shorter‘, but also 6x6 = 36! What is Bach playing at here??? - only a fondness for mathematics?). From then until the end he follows a freer and more expansive contrapuntal treatment of already used material. At the same time the typical madrigalism on ‘false hearts“ should be noted; chromatic notes following one another (rising and falling) to illustrate clearly the ‘unsafe‘, the ‘false‘... After this impressive opening, which depicts the “motto“ of the cantata so artistically and vividly, the (still anonymous) Baroque poet starts with his initially fiery language. The secco recitative for tenor (no. 2) presents an extremely negative picture of a ‘lukewarm‘ and hypocritical Christian, with many allusions to the scriptures (among others the Sunday Gospel). The (iambic) rhythm runs undisturbed through the verses; these are of unequal length one from the other, and thereby appear irregular and hesitant - the ‘agitation‘ of the poet? The text of the following aria is similarly stretched, where the tenor (with oboes and string accompaniment) develops the portrait of the hypocrite further, and sums up: "Heuchler, die von aussen schön/Können nicht vor Gott bestehn" (Hypocrites, though outwardly fair / Cannot exist in God‘s presence). The text is trochaic, as one would expect for such an aria. The instrumental upper voice (oboes and first violins in unison) and the solo singer carry on a dialogue with similar motifs, alternately and sometimes at the same time. In the secco recitative for the bass (no. 4) the poet decides instead to abandon his negative position, and to show positively how the true Christian ought to be. This section is also coloured by allusions to the scriptures (as is the soprano aria which follows). Purely declamatory ‘secco‘ lines alternate very meaningfully in this recitative with more ‘arioso‘ statements of the main ideas (for example at the end: "So kannst du Gnad und Hülfe finden", "Thus canst thou find grace and help"). The soprano aria "Liebster Gott, erbarme dich" ("Beloved God, have mercy") (no. 5) is a four-part weave (2 oboi da caccia, soprano and basso continuo) of exceptional tone colour and design. As when a ritornello returns the opening phrase time and again throughout the aria, at different pitches however, a five-bar bass line rising bar by bar (like an archaic basso ostinato) supports the dialogue between the two oboi da caccia, to be joined sometimes by the soprano. In the last verse ("Ich versink in tiefen Schlamm", "I am sinking in deep mire") the usually rising bass line also sinks to the earth. A few bars later the solo voice, for her part, is also quite explicit with the sinking line of "Jesu, Gottes Lamm, ich versinkt" ("Jesus, Lamb of God, I am sinking"). The madrigalism can hardly fail in this context. The closing chorale follows: "Ich armer Mensch, ich armer Sünder" ("I am a feeble man, a feeble sinner", the first verse of a song by Christoph Tietze, 1663). Bach‘s harmonisation of this simple melody is shaped very expressively, as the main idea, “have mercy“, requires. "Geist und Seele wird verwirret" - BWV 35 (for the 12th Sunday after Trinity) This Cantata was composed for the 12th Sunday after Trinity in 1726 (8th September). It is a solo cantata for alto. The instruments involved are: 2 oboes, alto oboe (known as “taille de hautbois“ or tenor oboe), strings and ‘organo obbligato‘ – i.e. a concertante organ. The text is by Georg Christian Lehms (1684-1717), from 1710 Court Poet and Librarian at the Court of Darmstadt. Lehms was a versatile poet, writing opera libretti and secular poems. From his four cantata cycles various cantatas were set by Chr. Graupner and J. S. Bach among others (Bach 10 works in total). The lessons for this 12th Sunday after Trinity have a deeper meaning, and lead the poet and listener into the inner contemplation of God‘s nature and his miracles. Lehms combines in his poetry the epistle and the gospel lessons: The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (ch. 3, v. 4-11), where the Apostle describes the glory of God and the effect of His spirit on mankind in the new alliance, and the recovery of the deaf and dumb in the Gospel according to St. Mark. Many allusions find their way back in his text; a closing chorale is omitted. This Cantata is purely an extended Baroque reworking of the main themes, a passionate monologue by the poet - and as such Bach puts it in the mouth of one single singer, the alto. This Cantata is also a kind of organ concerto. Only in the two secco recitatives (numbers 3 and 6) the organ accompanies as usual - in all the other movements, however, it plays a significant solo role. It remains uncertain whether Bach had been moved to use again just for this cantata an earlier instrumental composition (from the Cöthen period?). It seems to me that the leitmotif of God‘s miracles (which runs through the whole text) may have been the basis of this decision. What other sound than the sound of an organ could ever illustrate more suggestively this idea of the miracles? In church, organ music, which sounds literally ‘from above‘, was the original symbol of ‘music from heaven“. As a result of this double decision, the whole text was delivered as an alto monologue, and the constant and conspicuous role assigned to the organ earns this Cantata a quite special place in Bach‘s church music. The Cantata is in two parts, and was probably played before and after the sermon. The first part starts with an instrumental movement, entitled ‘concerto‘. The setting is very colourful. The concertante organ is not only accompanied by the usual string band, but additionally by 2 oboes and a ‘taille‘ (alto oboe). This ‘concerto‘ is based on an earlier, lost work (oboe concerto?) of which only 9 bars are known, in fact in an adaptation for harpsichord and strings together with a single oboe. This movement was the first movement of the lost concerto. The first aria follows. It is certain that this piece, a kind of ‘siciliano‘ in 6/8 time, was originally the second movement of the concerto. The alto voice interposes itself into the existing ensemble, the rearrangement of the aria being made with immense skill. The opening verse proclaims: "Geist und Seele wird verwirret / Wenn sie dich, mein Gott betracht‘ / denn die Wunder, so sie kennet / (...) Hat sie taub und stumm gemacht". ("Spirit and soul are bewildered / When they contemplate Thee, my God. / For the miracles of which they have knowledge / (...) have rendered them deaf and dumb.") The dumbness from astonishment is the kernel here. In the original siciliano movement it was a fact that the repeated bars quite obviously broke the continuity (the 'interruptio' was a favourite stylistic device). This episode fits in well with the text (the bewilderment, the dumbness!). With the entry of the voice after the opening ‘tutti‘ ritornello the web of sound changes suddenly and completely. The basso continuo group falls silent, and the strings and taille take over, in unison and lightly, the bass an octave higher. This produces a fascinatingly transparent five-part texture from 2 oboes, organ (right hand only), alto voice and “bassetto“. This sound picture alternates with the colour of the opening ritornello, until finally (in conclusion to part A) the sound of the tutti comes in under the voice. In part B the ‘rejoicing‘ of the people is strikingly suggested by a trumpet-like motif ringing out in a dialogue between the organ and the voice, in which the woodwind and the higher strings answer each other rhythmically. After these three ‘festive‘ bars the "...hat sie taub und stumm gemacht" ("have rendered them deaf and dumb") has a very suggestive effect, in the way Bach has set them to music. In the secco recitative that follows the poet tries to indicate the eternal, incomprehensible wonder of God - the recovery of the dumb, the deaf and the blind is given as an example "und ihre Stärke ist auch der Engel Chor nicht mächtig auszusprechen" ("and Thy strength is such that even the angel choir is not powerful enough to express it"). No. 4 is a quite special aria, in which the way it is written down is a little enigmatic. Next to the alto solo part Bach only stipulates “organo“ and “basso continuo“, with the organ part written on one stave (with the bass clef!) and the basso continuo on another stave, also with the bass clef. Both parts regularly cross each other, which (if the organist is playing both parts) requires two manuals and still may be expected to sound rather confused. The organo part (played with the left hand, in accordance with the notation) has a continuous, virtuosic free fi guration - it could well be taken as a description of God‘s inextinguishable works ("Gott hat alles wohl gemacht", etc. "God has made everything well" etc.). The continuo part supports the harmony quite simply and shortly with crotchets, and is undoubtedly to be played by the bass string alone. Because it was so unusual to play a whole solo piece with only one hand, our organist, Ewald Demeyere, has put forward the hypothesis that perhaps the intention was for the right hand to play continuo, while the left hand takes on the solo part. There is nothing to disprove this theory (there are countless examples of unfigured bass parts which nevertheless must be filled out with harmonies) - and it has the great advantage of creating a 'plausible', complete organ part, and thus making the aria sound even more festive. The first part of the Cantata ends with this unique piece. The second part (“seconda parte“, i.e. after the sermon) opens again with a “Sinfonia“. This is undoubtedly the third movement of the missing "concerto original", a lively Presto in 3/8 time, in which the strings and the woodwind frame the virtuoso organ part with simple accompanying figures. The secco recitative "Ach, starker Gott" etc. ("Ah! Mighty God", etc.) follows after this. The poet continues to meditate on God‘s miracles: "...so kann ich dich vernügt in meine Seele senken lassen", "...damit ich ... mich als Kind und Erb erweise" ("...thus can I let my soul find happiness with Thee", "...as it will turn out to be with me, my children and their children"). The Cantata ends with a dance-like aria (not far removed from a "minuet"!): "Ich wünsche nur, bei Gott zu leben / Ach! Wäre doch die Zeit schon da / Ein fröhliches Halleluja mit allen Engeln anzuheben" etc. ("I wish only to live with God. Ah! If the time were but here to begin singing a cheerful Alleluia with all the angels" etc.), where the organ and solo voice play happily with frequent triplets. The opening instrumental ritornello (with all the woodwind and strings) returns twice between the various sections of text - slightly varied and in different keys - and closes the work full of happiness. "Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet" - BWV 164 (for the 13th Sunday after Trinity) This Cantata, for the 13th Sunday after Trinity, was originally performed in 1725 (26th August). Bach took the text from the ‘Evangelisches Andachts-Opffer‘ (1715) of Salomon Franck. It is mainly based on the Gospel for that Sunday (St. Luke ch. 10, v. 25-37), the story of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus used as an answer to reproach an arrogant, pedantic lawyer. The latter came to Jesus to tempt him with questions ("What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" and "Who is then my neighbour?"). But Jesus turned the questions back on him, indicating that he should live his life according to what was written in the scriptures, instead of asking questions. Sometimes Bach has done without the four-part opening chorus when it seemed to him that the text was more suited to a single singer (thus, for example, in ,"Ich habe genug" ("I have now enough") BWV 82, and in many other cantatas). In this cantata as well the first verse of S. Franck is not set for more than one voice, but given to the tenor alone, accompanied purely by strings. As a result we are more directly involved in the contents of this text - it is as if we are encouraged by God himself, as a person (rather than as if a ‘universal moral statement‘ has been made): "Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet, / Wo bleibet die Barmherzigkeit / Daran man Christi Glieder kennet?" ("You, who call yourselves disciples of Christ, / Where rests the compassion now, / By which we recognise our brothers in Christ?"). The question is not purely rhetorical – it is difficult, because we know how true it is. The tone of the piece is moving and polyphonically complex - one can so clearly see the ‘holy‘ crowd of the “announcer“ as well as the rather confused feelings of those addressed. G minor is indeed the ideal key in this situation. The first word "Ihr, ..." is set on its own by Bach again and again, followed by a falling interval of a fifth, which strengthens the directness of the salutation so much. Such a chief motif is, throughout the whole piece, only repeated imitatively by the two violins and the tenor - really very surprising, as it never occurs in the viola or the bass in this five-part contrapuntal web! It results in an 'artificial‘ triple “salutation“. Can one go so far as to see in this the “speaking“ Trinity? The ternary metre of the music (9/8) is suited to every expression - be it pathetic or rather gently moving as in "Die Herzen sollten lieblich sein, ..." ("Your hearts ought to be loving, ..."). Note also the more intensive structure of the next verse "So sind sie härter als ein Stein" ("yet they are harder than stone"). In the following recitative the bass speaks - as representative of the faithful who are addressed directly. He confesses how we indeed hear the words of Jesus, but do not put them into practice. In typical Bach style the paraphrase of the Sermon on the Mount "Die mit Barmherzigkeit den Nächsten hier umfangen / Die sollen vor Gericht Barmherzigkeit erlangen" ("Those who embrace their neighbours with compassion / Will obtain compassion before the judgement seat") is not set ‘secco‘ but arioso, as a “verdict“ of universal value. Then follows the aria (no. 3) for alto, two transverse flutes and basso continuo ,"Nur durch Lieb' und durch Erbarmen..." ("Only through our love and through our mercy..."). The text endorses the "verdict" of the Sermon on the Mount. The trochaic rhythm (long-short) of the poem is bent here by Bach into a smooth, calm quaver movement ("spondaic" long/long foot). This calm, continuous pulse starts in the basso continuo - the so-called “andante-bass“ - and clearly creates the going, the striding (also, at the same time, the gait of the helpful Samaritan). The flutes and voice float freely over this firm bass with flowing semiquaver figures, in which, with descending scale fragments, the movement certainly indicates ‘obeisance‘; the loving and helpful attitude of the Samaritan. These figures follow and ‘embrace‘ each other continually. Occasionally the basso continuo allows itself to be tempted into this pattern. Notable and touching is the way that Bach allows the opening melodic phrase on "Samaritergleiche Herzen" ("hearts like those of the Samaritan") to be immediately echoed twice by the flutes, so that this idea affects us even more. The tenor undertakes the accompanied recitative which is now added. The earnest Christian will take the foregoing lecture to heart, and passionately beg for the help of God‘s love: "Ach, schmelze doch durch deinen Liebsstrahl / des kalten Herzens Stahl" ("Ah! Melt with the burning rays of Thy love / the cold steel of my heart"). The strings characterise and colour this declamation with harmony full of expression, and the recitative closes peacefully in arioso fashion: "...So wird in mir verklärt dein Ebenbild" ("so in me Thy image will be transfigured"). In the duet for soprano and bass, which follows here, Bach once again displays the outstanding inventiveness of his textual treatment, in that he even allows the compositional process to characterise the ideas contained in the text: "Händen, die sich nicht verschließen / Wird der Himmel aufgetan. / Augen, die mitleidend fließen / Sieht der Heiland gnädig an. / Herzen, die nach Liebe streben / Will Gott selbst sein Herze geben." ("To hands, which are not closed / Heaven will open. / At eyes, which weep with compassion / the Saviour will glance with mercy. / To hearts, which strive for love / God will even give his own heart."). The two-part instrumental introduction (the flutes, oboes and both violins playing in unison, with basso continuo) is a strong imitative execution of a theme (put forward in the upper voice) in combination with its own reflection (answered canonically in the continuo after a bar): i.e. all intervals, which rise in the ‘original subject‘, fall by the same amount in the counter-subject (and this quite literally holds out from first to last!). This produces a visual pattern in the score and, for the ear, an aural pattern, which in itself has the image of “opening, open up“ in contrast to the "Verschließens" ("closing"), with which the text starts. The execution of these lines which mirror themselves continues throughout the piece with immense artistry in varied combinations, in which the harmony, astoundingly, stays quite natural. The second section of the text is about "mitleidend fließen" ("weeping compassion"). Here Bach introduces in the vocal part a calm, flowing and melodic movement with smaller intervals. This line is initially strictly contrapuntal, and in fact a canon at the fourth (the bass starts, and after three bars the soprano sings the same line a fourth higher); and over that the high instruments still play the opening theme! The third section of text ("Herzen, die nach Liebe streben", "to hearts, which strive for love" etc.), on the other hand, develops new material in the vocal parts: a lovely flowing line, which is also treated canonically (this time at the third), during which the instrumental “mirror playing“ continues between the melody instruments and the basso continuo. Undoubtedly one must suspect from this canonical imitation in the vocal parts an interpretation of the “Imitation“ - the Imitation of the Words of Christ, at which the text is constantly aimed. Also in this fragment the composer has distorted the trochaic metric foot of the poet to the equal spondaic for the “alla-breve“ bars, the tempo preferred for generations by composers for complex counterpoint. A simple Chorale, based on the mannerist text of Elisabeth Creutziger (1524!) closes this Cantata: "Ertöt‘ uns durch dein Güte / Erweck‘ uns durch dein Gnad" ("Let us die through Thy loving-kindness / Awaken us through Thy grace"). "Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich" - BWV 17 (for the 14th Sunday after Trinity) This Cantata was probably fi rst performed in 1726. It is organised in two parts (before and after the sermon as usual), in which each part begins with a quotation from the Holy Scriptures, which then serves the (still anonymous) poet as a theme for further refl ections. Thus the opening text for the fi rst part is taken from Psalm 50 (v. 23): "Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, und das ist der Weg, dass ich ihm zeige das Heil Gottes" ("Whoso offers me thanks, glorifies me, and that is the way, that I will show him the Salvation of God"). The psalmist, somewhat confusingly, uses the "ich" form with a double meaning: on the one hand, as if God himself is speaking here ("Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich"), and, on the other hand, as a separate person ("und das ist der Weg, dass ich ihm zeige das Heil Gottes"). With this he wants to reveal that the way to God‘s Salvation lies in offering thanks to God. In the recitative (no. 2) and in the aria (no. 3) the poet describes for the first time, how, basically, the whole of creation ("Luft, Wasser, Firmament und Erden", "Air, water, firmament and earth", and every living thing) must praise God, because of the "ungezählten Gaben, die er ihr in den Schoß gelegt" ("the countless gifts, which He has placed in her lap"). In the recitative he paraphrases Psalm 19, v. 5 and, at the beginning of the aria, some phrases from Psalm 36, v. 5 ("Herr, deine Güte reicht, soweit der Himmel ist, / Und deine Wahrheit langt, soweit die Wolken gehen", "Lord, Thy goodness extends as wide as heaven is, and Thy truth reaches as far as the clouds"). Finally he comes to the heart of his thought: even more should man glorify and thank God. This basic thought dominates the second part of the Cantata text then. This (no. 4) also begins, as already mentioned, with a quotation from Holy Scriptures: the poet takes as his “motto“ from St. Luke‘s gospel (ch. 17, v. 11-19) the “story“ of the salvation of the ten lepers, of whom only one - actually a ,"gentile", a Samaritan - came back, to give thanks to his saviour (Christ). Here the thought arises (aria no. 5), that man is never sufficiently conscious of how many gifts he constantly receives from the creation, and that he ought therefore to give thanks continuously. A recitative (no. 6) follows, an “echo“ from the Epistle to the Romans (ch. 14, v.5) "...Lieb, Fried, Gerechtigkeit und Freud in deinen Geist / Sind Schätz etc.", ("Love, peace, righteousness and joy in Thy Holy Spirit / are treasures etc."). The Cantata libretto ends with a verse from the Chorale "Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren" ("Now praise the Lord, my soul") by J. Gramann, from 1530. Bach has set this Cantata for two oboes (d‘amore), strings and basso continuo, with the usual four "concert performers" - soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The first movement, to a text from verse 23 of Psalm 50, has a meticulous structure. The basso continuo of constant running quavers keeps on indicating a climbing gesture (the "offer", no doubt!), during which both upper voices (violins doubled by the oboes) interweave with each other by means of an imitative motif. After 27 bars (3x3x3!) of instrumental introduction the tenor enters with the first section of text. His motif is a fugue subject six bars long, of which the "head" (a rising fourth) was also one of the building blocks of the instrumental introduction. This tenor entry is framed and somewhat veiled by the first violin and both oboes, which then fall silent shortly after the entry of the alto. With the soprano entry all the instruments re-enter, in order to double the singers (up to that point and for the moment only three), so to speak. With the bass entry the basso continuo finally abandons just its ostinato rôle and joins in with the bass in his thematic statements. This web, which is now in four parts, continues for twenty bars, until, after a clear “close“ in the dominant key of E major, the piece takes a new direction. The known thematic material is shortly treated anew in varied vocal and instrumental duet and trio combinations, until a fresh fugal construction is put in place from the bass up, which, in 45 bars of highly inventive counterpoint, leads us to the end of the movement. Bach used this choral movement again in his A major Mass on the words “Cum sancto spiritu etc.“. After the secco recitative of the alto (no. 2, see above) sections of the motif, which are familiar to us from the opening chorus, ring out again in the aria (no. 3). The movement is set for two violins, soprano and basso continuo. The text sings of God‘s goodness and truth. The three upper voices develop – in continuous imitation and changing forms over the bass (quasi-ostinato as in the opening chorus) – the picture of the Trinity, which hangs over the earth. (?) The tenor‘s secco recitative (no. 4) initiates the second part ot the Cantata. As mentioned above, it is a literal quotation from St. Luke‘s gospel – it undoubtedly reminds us in its narrative style of the Evangelist in the Passions or the Oratorios. The tenor aria (no. 5) "Welch Übermaß der Güte schenkst du mir" ("What excess of goodness Thou gives to me") follows, with strings and basso continuo, whose main theme is easy to assimilate. It hangs over a suggestive bass figure, where the interval of a second is repeated 6 times in succession, the picture of the “excess“? The whole aria speaks of a wonderful feeling for the abundance and the gratitude, as it befits mankind. In the last section of text from the hand of the poet and the compiler respectively, the secco recitative (no. 6) continues to echo the Epistle of Paul to the Romans (see above). Here God‘s gifts are presented as the method which God uses for mankind ,"an Leib und Seele vollkommentlich zu heilen" ("to heal completely in body and soul"). It is notable how very appropriate the flowing ‘arioso‘ movement is for "...sind Ströme deiner Gnad, die du auf mich lässt fließen" ("are rivers of Thy grace, which Thou lets fl ow over me"), which returns once again to "round things off" in the final words. The closing chorale "Wie sich ein Vat‘r erbarmet" ("As a father has mercy", from 1530) is set here in triple time – relatively rare, which lends the song a certain positive folk character, even if it contains refl ective afterthoughts. We know the same chorale verse with the same melody from the middle section of the great Bach Motet "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied" ("Sing unto the Lord a new song"), though it is performed there in ‘straight‘ metre by the second choir. Sigiswald Kuijken Translation: Christopher Cartwright and Godwin Stewart