July 11, 2018

  • Celebrating the Reformation

     

    Cantatas for Luther
    Helene Brunet, soprano; Michael Taylor, countertenor;
    Philippe Gagne, tenor; Jesse Blumberg, baritone
    Montreal Baroque/Eric Milnes
    ATMA Classique 2407
    Total Time:  69:35
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    2017 was the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Thesis on the church door at Wittenberg.  The outlining of specific ways the church had fallen off the path of the Gospel inadvertently resulted in the creation of communities that split with the Catholic Church.  After October 31, 1517, the world would subsequently enter a new religious age started by these “Protestants”.  Those who followed this upstart German monk would take on his name as their denominational identity, Lutheran.  We might be hard pressed to wonder what the musical world might have lost had things gone differently.  But, there was an explosion of new music that would shape worship and music history well beyond it theological foundation.  The Feast of the Reformation is celebrated yearly by Lutheran congregations to mark this historical moment.

    Johann Sebastian Bach wrote hundreds of cantatas and a massive amount of music that would be used in Lutheran worship.  The cantatas are like mini sermons and the three on the present release, which is the latest volume in Montreal Baroque’s survey of Bach cantatas, focuses on the intended use of these pieces on Reformation Sunday.  Both BWV 80 (ca. 1723) and BWV 79 (1725) were specifically written for the celebration.  BWV 76’s (1724) was written for the Second Sunday After Trinity, but Bach later sent the second part to the St. Paul Church, Leipzig, to use for Reformation Sunday.

    For their performances, the group has streamlined their ensemble to a chamber size (2 2 2 1 1) with the requisite winds as called for in the score.  The other rather interesting aspect is the decision to have the four soloists also serve as the chorus, one voice to a part.  Using a countertenor in place of an alto is another slightly unique choice.  The goal is to perform the music using the latest in Bach scholarship.

    Die Himmel erzahlen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76 opens the album.  This was the second cantata Bach would write in his new post at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig.  The opening part has a decidedly dance-like feel which is captured very well in this performance.  The opening chorus shows off by concluding with a little fugue.  Beautiful writing for each of the four soloists is one of the work’s stunning moments.  The second part tends to be more reflective moving away from the celebration of the opening to the opportunity for the listener to discern “What does this mean?”.  The Luther text is used for the chorale with the melody by Matthias Greiter.  The instrumental writing also stands out with interesting use of viola da gamba and oboe d’amore in the latter half, and exciting trumpet writing in the opening (especially in the bass aria).

    The orchestral writing also tends to stand out in the central cantata, BWV 79, Gott Der Herr ist Sohn und Schild.  Those with good Baroque ears may hear faint strains of Buxtehude’s style in the opening prelude.  The following aria features beautiful writing for oboe in alternation with the alto line.  Johann Cruger’s hymn Nun danket alle Gott is fairly straightforward in this setting with an almost festive air created with the horn writing which is fairly advanced.  A reflective duet follows before a final chorale melody closes off the piece.

    The most famous of Luther’s hymns, Ein Feste Burg, opens the cantata that bears its name here, BWV 80.  Here is an opening that is far closer to a motet, thus giving a nod to the historic roots of the movement.  Melodic lines encircle the material creating the mighty fortress musically with exhilarating results.  Throughout the cantata the melody is explored instrumentally and vocally in what is perhaps one of Bach’s finest works of the genre.  It is a celebration both of theological understanding, confidence and musical painting of the highest order.  Because of the familiarity of this tune, it is even easier to hear how Bach takes individual threads of the melody as departure points for his setting here as well as some of the unique harmonic choices he makes.  The result is a capping performance of three engaging sacred works.

    Each of the Montreal Baroque’s releases focused on a specific season or aspect that unites the chosen pieces and in this eighth release, they have pulled together works that really explore the spirit of the Reformation.  Ein Feste Burg is the work that is perhaps more well known among the texts and tunes that appear in these cantatas, but each features some excellent writing that is interpreted quite well by the ensemble and singers.  While some will want a bigger choral presence in these pieces, or even a larger orchestra, these performances lend us an opportunity to hear clearly some of Bach’s textures with these reduced forces.  The music has great forward energy and proper emotional qualities in the arioso moments.  Tracking down earlier releases in the series will be of interest to those looking for a general survey of these important sacred Baroque works.