Luogo e data di registrazione		Academiezaal, Sint-Truiden, (Belgium) - 23/27 April 2009
	Registrazione: live / studio		studio
	Recording Staff		Eckhard Steiger
	Prima Edizione CD		ACCENT - ACC 25313 - (1 CD) - durata 59' 00" - (p) 2009 (c) 2011 - DDD
	Note		-

COMMENTARY on the cantatas presented here This recording contains works for Easter Sunday (BWV 249) and Easter Monday (BWV 6). BWV 249 and BWV 6 come from the same annual cycle (1725). The Leipzig congregation heard these two pieces for the first time on two consecutive days. Only BWV 6, “Bleib bei uns, denn es will abend werden” (Abide with us, for evening approaches) was intended by Bach to be a church cantata. The other work goes back to cantatas for secular occasions and shows us in an exemplary way the skill of Bach and his text poet at remodelling (parody). EASTER ORATORIO “Kommt, eilet und laufet, ihr flüchtigen Füße”, BWV 249 (Come, hurry and run, on your flying feet) (Easter Sunday, 1725) The original secular source for the Easter Oratorio (BWV 249a, “Entfliehet, verschwindet, entweichet, Ihr Sorgen” - Flee, disappear, escape your cares) was heard five weeks before Easter 1725, as the “Shepherd Cantata” (Pastorale) for the birthday of the Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weissenfels. On Easter Day of the same year, the 1st April, 1725, the church version of this Pastorale was performed: the Easter Oratorio. The poet Picander, who worked closely with Bach, was the author of both versions. The Easter Oratorio was first given the title “Oratorio” by Bach himself for a repeat performance in the 1740s. It differed from the other Bach-Picander Oratorios in that no Evangelist appears here to perform the Gospel sections, and also there are no chorales. The Pastorale (BWV 249a) for Duke Christian was based on a tradition, which had its origin in antiquity and was handed down via the Renaissance. “Shepherds” act out a scene, which is appropriate for a celebration. The form is one of a small opera, with alternating recitatives, arias and ensembles. (Pieces of this kind can be presented with a minimum of scenic means, or even performed just with conventional gestures.) With the reworking of the Shepherd Cantata into the sacred Cantata the structure and also the musical composition of the work remain unchanged. The new libretto was so written that in each fragment the prosody of both versions is parallel, and thus the existing music of the first version fits seamlessly. Naturally the recitatives were newly composed. The four shepherds of the original Pastorale became four holy characters: Maria Jacobi (soprano), Maria Magdalena (alto), and the Apostles Peter (tenor) and John (bass). The original “Shepherd Play” thus became at Easter an “Easter Play”. At that time it was also in fact traditional, in the Easter church service, for the holy characters sometimes to come on to the stage, where they ‘perform’, as they approach the sepulchre and discover with astonishment that it is empty. Was Bach’s work also performed in this way? For me I don’t know of any indication for this. Possibly (or even probably, in this case) Bach and Picander at the outset considered that the form of the original Pastorale should be ‘compatible’ with the sacred parody five weeks later. If this is so (which I accept), the text and musical setting were conceived in a kind of ‘double bookkeeping’, as a joint exercise. Such ‘mix-and-match’ invention is the most amazing achievement, which shows how, at the time, artistic ‘craft’ and technical ability were developed and also treasured so highly. We are here far removed from the idea of a rather spontaneous, individualistic artist, who wishes to divulge to the public all the most personal emotions for the sake of their egos... Also the frequently occurring parodies of this kind from the ‘secular’ to the ‘sacred’ testify that, in Bach’s time, there was not such a distinction between the two. Incidentally, a year later (1726) Bach and Picander wrote a third work as a parody of the original Pastorale: the secular Cantata ”Verjaget, zerstreuet, zerrüttet ihr Sterne” (Dispel, scatter, destroy them, you stars), likewise for a noble birthday. Sadly, however, this score has gone missing. Very clearly the intention in the Easter Oratorio was not so much to present the Gospel text literally with appropriate commentary, but much more to perform a kind of devotional event within a traditional framework, in order to strengthen the religious ideas of the believers and their faith. The aspect of ‘catechesis’ is always present as well! Both versions display a festive instrumental setting, and begin with instrumental music, which is like a concerto. The Sinfonia (no. 1) is for three trumpets and timpani, two oboes and bassoon, strings and basso continuo. This instrumentation was very typical for festive occasions, both sacred and secular. This Sinfonia in 3/8 time was most probably once the first movement of an instrumental concerto. Bach uses the sound colours of the different families of instruments very skilfully, which also on occasion, split up into ‘individual families’, to show off their typical colours. There follows an Adagio (no. 2): the second movement of the concerto? The trumpets, timpani, oboes and the bassoon are silent, and one of the oboists takes up the transverse flute (a quite natural thing at the time). This movement has a completely different feeling. The flute plays a highly decorated lyrical line, supported by the strings, which bear the harmonic changes with a repetitively repeated rhythmic figure. This Adagio ends with a ‘question mark’ in the music, to which the next movement, so to speak, provides the answer: No. 3 is a rearrangement of the presumed finale of the concerto – and at the same time the actual Opening chorus of both versions of the work. Here the four protagonists make their appearance, who call to each other – and in a figurative sense to everyone – to hurry to the grave of Jesus “for our Saviour has risen from the dead”. So this is a kind of prologue to the action. In the first version of the sacred Cantata (1725), this fragment was a duet between Peter and John; in a later performance Bach decided to let the two women to take part as well, which presents no problem for the text. We have used the later version. The movement has an A-B-A form, and the tempo is similar to a Passepied; after 24 bars of cheerful introduction the voices enter, with the instruments participating more modestly. The figures on “eilet – hurry” and “laufet – run” are very appropriate. In the B-part, (“Lachen und Scherzen begleiten die Herzen, denn unser Heil ist auferweckt” - Laughing and joking accompany our hearts, for our Saviour has risen from the dead), only Peter and John sing, with a reduced accompaniment, in which “Lachen” receives an appropriate semiquaver figure, and on “Heil” both sing a long vocalise. As an example of the parody process, I make here a short comparison between the secular version of the B-part and the sacred reworking, in order to illustrate how well the poet can supply a new text for the existing music. The Pastorale text says “Lachen und Scherzen / Erfüllet die Herzen // Die Freude malet das Gesicht” (Laughing and joking / fills our hearts / our face is a picture of joy) – the metre in the first two lines is dactylic in character (‘dactyl’ – long short short. long short short etc. and ‘amphibrach’ – short long short, short long short etc.) and in the third line iambic (short long, short long etc.). The reworking respects this introduction exactly: “Lachen und Scherzen / Erfüllet die Herzen // Die Freude malet das Gesicht”. In the following Rezitativo secco (no. 4), in Baroque fashion, the two Marias are placed opposite the two Apostles. The women reproach the men for a certain unloving nature. They had not hurried to the sepulchre as early as the women, who had to go first to set a good example (we also read in the Gospel account, that the women had run there first). The two men defend themselves by saying that they, meanwhile, had from their tears for their Saviour (after his Crucifixion) intended an annointing for his body, “which (as the two Marias replied) is now in vain because He is risen” ... Here, therefore, to the delight of the faithful the gospel account is treated in a relaxed way. The Aria (no. 5) for soprano (Maria, the mother Jacobi), transverse flute and basso continuo, adds to the idea of the annointing, which had just been expressed by the two men: “Seele, deine Spezereien sollen nicht mehr Myrrhen sein…” (My soul, thy spices should no more be myrrh) – the soul now should rather bring laurel, the symbol of victory. Jesus has triumphed through his resurrection! In this aria the flute plays in dialogue with the soprano the ‘fragrance of spices’ in elegant figures. The same piece in the original Pastorale had a text, in which the shepherdess Doris declares that she can no longer withhold “the hundred thousand flatteries which well up in her breast”. She wants to run to the Goddess Flora to ask her to bind a wreath for Duke Christian’s birthday, (as it is still winter and nature has produced no flowers ...). From pleasant “flatteries” came fragrant “spices” - and the music fits like a glove, not only with regard to the prosody, but also the content. A short Rezitativo secco (no. 6), gives the word to three other characters: they arrive at the tomb, and see the stone moved aside from the open entrance; Mary Magdalene tells how, with Mary Jacobi, they met an angel earlier, who announced to them the resurrection of Jesus. Peter and John go into the tomb, as the Gospel tells us; now Peter sees “mit Vergnügen das Schweißtuch abgewickelt liegen” (with pleasure that the veil lies unwound). Again it is noticeable that the poet quotes here the longest-held tradition of the Christian community; only because of that he can say that Peter finds the veil “with pleasure” ... the whole thing is like an ‘epilogue’ to the universally known events of Easter. There follows Peter’s Aria (no. 7), for tenor with basso continuo and the violins, which are doubled an octave higher by two recorders. The veil is, in Peter’s lines, the symbol for the sorrow and crucifixion of Jesus: “durch dieses Schweißtuch wird mein Todeskummer nur ein sanfter Schlummer sein” (through this veil the grief of my death is only a gentle slumber). Peter teaches us here, clearly, that, thanks to the death of Jesus, the believer does not really die when he dies, but is only ‘temporarily’ separated from life, thus ‘slumbers’, until he also rises up at the Last Day. In the B-part of the Aria the cloth is really seen as a cloth, which refreshes and wipes away the tears from the cheeks. It is also noticeable here, how well both versions fit the same music. In the Pastorale it is sung to the sheep; they must, as the Goddess Flora calls for, “rock themselves to sleep” during the absence of the shepherds. Admittedly the discrepancy between the content of the two subjects is almost unbearable for us – yet the music in both cases is the perfect bearer of the meaning; it takes the event to a higher (or must we say a ‘deeper’) level... This Aria, through its instrumentation and its motif invention, comes very close to the tradition of the “Sommeils” (sleep-arias) in French opera, but seldom was the right tone so grippingly found to place us in a kind of dream-state. The bass proceeds almost throughout in regular quavers, in repeated notes or small intervals. The upper voices are dominated by a gentle rocking figure in semiquavers frequently repeated. The tenor soloist inserts himself into this web in a lyrical undramatic way. Throughout its length the Aria gives the impression of almost timeless slumbers... The Recitative (no. 8) follows, first a tempo, then arioso for the two Marys (soprano and alto) and basso continuo. They long “with burning desire” for the hour in which they can see the Saviour for themselves. For the most part both sing their sighing Lamento homophonically, in which it stands out how skilfully expressive is the way Bach always sets the repeated cry of “Ach!” with a painful tritone interval between the two voices. In the Arioso section a pure trio comes from the duet; the basso continuo imitates the soprano and alto with the same motif material. The Aria (no. 9) for alto (Mary Magdalene), oboe d’amore and strings is a piece which moves serenely: “Saget mir geschwinde, wo ich Jesum finde, welchen meine Seele liebt” (Tell me quickly, where I may find Jesus, whom my soul loves). In the Pastorale it is: “Komm doch, Flora, komm geschwinde / Hauche mit dem Westenwinde / Unsre Felder lieblich an” (Come now Flora, come quickly / Breathe with the West Wind / sweetly on our fields). The sense of urgency in the speaker’s plea is the same in both cases, the figures written for the West Wind illustrate in the sacred version rather the “quickly”. Thus the community is here called upon to look for Jesus in life. In the Recitativo secco (no. 10) the bass closes the action: “Wir sind erfreut, dass Jesus wieder lebt, etc.” (We are joyful that Jesus lives again, etc.) - the faithful must now celebrate together the resurrection of Jesus. This is precisely what happens in the Closing Chorus (no. 11): this magnificent tutti is in two parts, of which the first ressembles closely the Sanctus (from 1724, BWV 232, III), which we find later in the so-called B-minor Mass: “Preis und Dank, Herr, bleiben dein Lobgesang…” (Praise and thanks, Lord, remain thy hymn of praise…). Running quaver triplets, like the clearly homophonically scanned “Preis und Dank“, characterise this fragment. The second part, in 3/8 time, (“Eröffnet, ihr Himmel, die prächtigen Bogen / der Löwe von Juda kömmt siegend gezogen” – Open up, O heavens, the splendid arches, the victorious Lion of Judah draws near) is a powerful fugato, which recalls for us the festive D-major atmosphere of the opening Sinfonia. “Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden”, BWV 6 (Abide with us, for it is toward evening) (Easter Monday, 1725) This Cantata was performed on the day after the Easter Oratorio, the 2nd April 1725. The Leipzigers were really spoilt... The text is by an unknown poet. The main theme is taken from the Gospel reading: the well-known episode of the journey to Emmaus (St. Luke 24, 13-29). Three days after his death, two disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, and they talked of the crucifixion of their Master, when suddenly a stranger appeared, who went with them. They did not know it was Jesus, who asked them ‘What manner of communications are these that ye have one with another?’ They were amazed at the unawareness of the stranger, and told him what had come to pass in Jerusalem, how the chief priests and the rulers delivered Jesus to be crucified, how their hope for Israel was destroyed by this, and how also the sepulchre was later found empty by the women and Jesus himself was not to be seen. Then Jesus said unto them “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken”, and, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they restrained him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent”. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meal with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. They returned to Jerusalem, and found the Apostles gathered together, and those that were with them, saying the Lord is risen indeed - and they told what things were done in the way. This fragment, at the end of the St. Luke Gospel, has been interpreted in every age throughout Christendom in countless commentaries – which every reader or listener feels affects him in his own way; here it is about the deepest recognition of God’s presence. The Opening Chorus (no. 1) is one of the most beautiful that Bach has left us in his Cantatas. The text from St. Luke was illuminated extremely carefully by the composer and from all sides, as if by a painter, who had fully immersed himself in the subject before he represented it for us. C-minor was already at the time the appropriate key for the depiction of darker subjects; actually that is still also the case for us today. (Why certainly remains a secret of ‘nature’). So the evening, the night as a threatening element, are of course depicted in this key. Bach has set the short text section “Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, und der Tag hat sich geneiget” (Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent) in ABA’-form, in which the A’ is a shortened repeat of the A-part. The instrumental introduction of 20 bars has a pronounced Sarabande character – that serious dance, which with Bach often carries a profound content. Two oboes and an oboe da caccia, with strings and basso continuo puts us in the mood for the coming text. The oboes with the continuo prefigurate the four-part vocal ensemble, as it will appear shortly, and through this polyphony Bach has so to speak stretched ‘a wire’ across. The violins and viola in unison repeat in lightly pulsing quavers and held notes the dominant of the key (G in C minor, B flat in the following E flat major), describing the ‘abide’, while the other instruments spin their web. The words “Bleib bei uns” (as also in the ‘non-speaking’ picture of the oboe opening) are set homophonically, as if in a strong united prayer. For “denn es will Abend werden” a sinking figure (the falling evening!) is played by the three wind instruments one after the other. With these basic elements Bach has built the whole A-part: the homophonic Sarabande entry, the lingering notes of the ‘bleiben’ and the sinking motif for the coming evening. These elements alternate in all the parts, in which the held notes sung by the voices are particularly effective. The end of the A-part brings us to the dominant key of G minor; here the time changes from ¾ to a level ¢, thus from tertiary to binary. The Sarabande character is now replaced by a non-dancing, abstract rhythm. Here comes a denser and quite nervous section, which expresses well the distress of the disciples. This is rather an apprehensive prayer, not to have to go throught the night alone, and to invite the mysterious stranger, whom they had come to trust, to stay with them. Here also Bach weaves the long notes of the ‘bleiben’ through the whole. We find it with singers and instruments doubled and sometimes independently instrumental. In the last four bars of this turbulent B-part we suddenly hear the four singers examine the text homophonically more clearly than ever: “Und der Tag hat sich geneiget, bleib bei uns, bleib bei uns!” (and the day is far spent, stay with us, stay with us). There follows, this time without instrumental introduction, a shortened and intense version of the A-part, and this completes the circle of this wonderful composition. After this follows an Aria (no. 2) for alto, with an obbligato solo part for oboe da caccia or viola (as in a later repeat performance; we have opted for the viola here). “Hochgelobter Gottessohn/Lass es dir nicht sein entgegen/Dass wir itzt vor deinem Thron/Eine Bitte niederlegen//Bleibe unser Licht/Weil die Finsternis anbricht” (Highly praised Son of God/ let it not be against Thee/ that we now before Thy throne/ set down a prayer//Remain, Ah! Remain our light/ because the darkness approaches). This text follows cleverly the lines of St. Luke of the opening chorus. Bach creates as leitmotif (perhaps the prayer) a short rising figure (the viola, right at the beginning, later taken by the alto). Alto and viola carry on a dialogue, which the string bass supports with a regular pizzicato. Twice the alto clearly illustrates the word “Finsternis”: the line bends over dark and rarely occurring minor notes (F flat and C flat). The following Chorale Arrangement (no. 3) is based on two hymn verses written by different poets (Ph. Melanchthon, 1579, and Nik. Seltzner, 1611). The soprano sings the melody “Herr, bleib bei uns, etc.” with long notes, while the piccolo violoncello unfolds a highly imaginative, continuous solo part (the welcome presence of the Lord?). This piece clearly illustrates that for Bach the piccolo violoncello was undoubtedly a ‘da spalla’, that is shoulder, instrument. The solo part of the piccolo violoncello was written in the score of the first violin (and this is not an isolated case!) – incidentally in Bach’s surroundings the violoncello was still described as an “instrument played on the arm”. In the Recitativo secco for bass and basso continuo (no. 4) the poet reflects on the cause of the suffering and darkness in human life. Neither the ‘great’ nor the ‘low’ act according to Christian brotherly love, and (so he concludes) “darum auch hat Gott den Leuchter umgestoßen” (that is why God has knocked over the candlestick). This very suggestive phrase from Revelations connects wonderfully with the main theme of the Cantata: the longed-for presence of God among us, so that he allows his light to shine on us. Now there comes an Aria for tenor (no. 5) with strings and basso continuo, “Jesu, lass uns auf dich sehen” (Jesus let us gaze on Thee). The word of Jesus as the light of the world is compared here to the (overturned) candlestick. The opening motif of the violins can perhaps be taken as a description of the unstable candlestick. When afterwards there are rapid running triplets and other figures for the first violins, this certainly refers to the sparkling light (the tenor solo confirms this with a long triplet vocalise on ‘scheinen’). A further important element in this composition is the clearly scanned descending triad, which occurs repeatedly from the beginning in the middle voices, remains very present during the piece and later is isolated in the tenor solo, and is pointedly combined with the text “Dass wir nicht” and also “Lass das Licht”. The Cantata closes simply (no. 6) with a verse from a Lutheran Hymn from 1542: “Beweis dein Macht, Herr Jesu Christ / Der du Herr aller Herren bist etc.” (Prove thy power, Lord Jesus Christ/ who art the Lord of all lords). Sigiswald Kuijken Translation by Christopher Cartwright and Godwin Stewart