Customer Reviews

Cantatas 140 & 147

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
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A very soft and delicate version of the BWV 140 & 147 Bach Cantatas. Gardiner shows how angels might have sung in the genious' brain ! Tempo is perfect and allows each instrument to be listened and appreciated. Soloists and concertists are equally right in their interpretation. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to discover Bach cantatas as well to good connaisseurs of this music.

La lectura que hace Gardiner en estas dos de las más famosas Cantatas de Bach, para mi gusto les falta algo. Entiéndame bien, las encuentro estupendas, bien grabadas, etc. Pero... algo falta, ese "algo" que hace de una buena versión en algo Colosal, la sensación final que encuentro al oír la versión de Karl Richter, es inmensamente superior. De hecho recomiendo a los amantes de las Cantatas de Bach el Set de 75 Cantatas 26 CDS que grabó, Karl Richter para Archiv.

STUNNING RENDITIONS OF TWO OF BACH'S MOST ATTRACTIVE CANTATAS.

Without a doubt these are two of Bach's most attractive cantatas, and fortunately performed by the very excellent Monteverdi Choir under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner, who is probably the leading authority on the music of Bach. The soloists are of the best calabre and sing with great skill and emotion.

The first cantata:'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' opens up with a rousing chorale familiar to most of us. Then tenor voice of Anthony Rolfe Johnson announces: 'He comes, the Bridegroom comes!' A conversation then takes place between the Soul (Ruth Holton-soprano) and Jesus (Stephen Varcoe-bass): 'When comest Thou, my Saviour?';'I Come Now'..Holton sounds so much like a boy soprano that I had to keep checking the line-up; but this partially explains to me why the Monteverdi Choir does not need boy sopranos to get the baroque sound. Their sopranos have light somewhat breathy sounds that lend themselves to the kind of music they frequently sing. These cantatas were written for the 27th Sunday after Trinity which took place on Nov. 25, 1731.

The cantata 'Herz und Mund und......'was written for the fourth Sunday in Advent, Dec. 20, 1716, and is based on the Gospel reading: Luke I:39-56. This text takes Mary's words (Magnificat) as the paradigm for personal Christian proclamation, thus encouraging the congregation to bear witness to Christ freely.

All of this is very easy and pleasant listening. I particularly enjoyed Michael Chance's exquisitely performed solo: 'Schame dich, O Seele'. He is truly a master Bach singer.