Bach: Weihnachtskantaten (Cantates de Noël) / Jezovsek, Connolly, Padmore, Kooy

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Bach's magnificent Christmas Oratorio tends to overshadow his other Christmas music, much of which, as Philippe Herreweghe demonstrates here, is superb. Unser Mund sei voll Lachens is the biggest of the three--it's known for its opening chorus, which overlays vocal parts onto the first movement of Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4, but its arias display a wide variety of moods--and instruments, from flutes to oboe to trumpet. Moving from the sumptuous to the spare, Selig ist der Mann uses only two soloists: it's one of those allegorical dialogues in which a soprano represents the Soul of the Believer and a bass represents Jesus. It's surprisingly somber for the season, but beautiful nonetheless. Das neugeborne Kindelein is a rather cheerful work, its minor key notwithstanding. Typically for a Bach cantata, the opening chorus has the lower three voices singing dense counterpoint while the sopranos sing the titular chorale melody; less characteristically, Bach uses a similar technique in a subsequent trio, with the alto singing the chorale while soprano and tenor sing a spirited duet with a separate text. Soprano Vasiljka Jezovsek sounds a bit awkward at times--and so, oddly, does the tenor, baroque specialist Mark Padmore. On the other hand, Sarah Connolly is the rare female alto who sounds mature but not matronly, and Peter Kooy shows again why he's the best Bach bass soloist around. Herreweghe's choir and orchestra exhibit their usual glowing tone and flawless execution, but on this occasion their approach seems too subdued for the material, especially when the trumpets and drums are involved. The performances may not be absolutely ideal, but they're valuable, especially since these particular cantatas aren't widely recorded. --Matthew Westphal

Tracks:

Das neugeborne Kindelein BWV 122: 1. Choral: Das Neugeborne Kindelein
Das neugeborne Kindelein BWV 122: 2. Aria (B): O Menschen, die ihr tTaglich sich sundigt
Das neugeborne Kindelein BWV 122: 3. Recitativo (S): Die Engel, welche sich zuvor
Das neugeborne Kindelein BWV 122: 4. Aria (S, A, T): Ist Gott versohnt und unser Freund
Das neugeborne Kindelein BWV 122: 5. Recitativo (B): Dies ist ein Tag, den selbst der Herr gemacht
6. Choral: Es bringt das rechte Jubeljahr
Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110: 1. Chor: Unser Mund sei voll Lachens
Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110: 2. Aria (T): Ihr Gedanken und ihr Sinnen
Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110: 3. Recitativo (B): Dir, Herr, ist niemand gleich
Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110: 4. Aria (A): Ach Herr, was ist ein Menschenkind
Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110: 5. Duetto (S, T): Ehre sei Gott in der Hohe
Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110: 6. Aria (B): Wacht auf, ihr Adern und ihr Gleider
Unser Mund sei voll Lachens BWV 110: 7. Choral: Alleluja! Gelobt sei Gott
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 1. Aria (B:, Selig ist der Mann
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 2. Recitativo (S): Ach! dieser susse Trost
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 3. Aria (S): Ich wunschte mir den Tod
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 4. Recitativo (S, B): Ich reiche dir die Hand
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 5. Aria (B): Ja, Ja, ich kann die Feinde schlagen
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 6. Recitativo (S, B): In meiner Schoss liegt Ruh und Leben
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 7. Aria (S): Ich ende behende
Selig ist der Mann BWV 57: 8. Choral: Richte dich, Liebste, nach meinem Gefallen

Amazon.com

Bach's magnificent Christmas Oratorio tends to overshadow his other Christmas music, much of which, as Philippe Herreweghe demonstrates here, is superb. Unser Mund sei voll Lachens is the biggest of the three--it's known for its opening chorus, which overlays vocal parts onto the first movement of Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4, but its arias display a wide variety of moods--and instruments, from flutes to oboe to trumpet. Moving from the sumptuous to the spare, Selig ist der Mann uses only two soloists: it's one of those allegorical dialogues in which a soprano represents the Soul of the Believer and a bass represents Jesus. It's surprisingly somber for the season, but beautiful nonetheless. Das neugeborne Kindelein is a rather cheerful work, its minor key notwithstanding. Typically for a Bach cantata, the opening chorus has the lower three voices singing dense counterpoint while the sopranos sing the titular chorale melody; less characteristically, Bach uses a similar technique in a subsequent trio, with the alto singing the chorale while soprano and tenor sing a spirited duet with a separate text. Soprano Vasiljka Jezovsek sounds a bit awkward at times--and so, oddly, does the tenor, baroque specialist Mark Padmore. On the other hand, Sarah Connolly is the rare female alto who sounds mature but not matronly, and Peter Kooy shows again why he's the best Bach bass soloist around. Herreweghe's choir and orchestra exhibit their usual glowing tone and flawless execution, but on this occasion their approach seems too subdued for the material, especially when the trumpets and drums are involved. The performances may not be absolutely ideal, but they're valuable, especially since these particular cantatas aren't widely recorded. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......1999-04-30

I really enjoyed the three cantatas collected on this disc, especially the festive Unser Mund sei voll Lachens which looks back at the birth of Christ from the standpoint of full knowledge and appreciation of his mission. To this effect, the tenor aria (possibly the best piece in this recording) intones: "He has become man, and solely That we might be heaven's children." A different mood is struck by the next cantata, Selig is der Mann, a sorrowful solicitation of death that will reunite the forlorn soul with its savior. This cantata is written as a dialogue, a format that used to be quite popular a century before Bach. For that reason, in my mind at least, this format invoked the sense of timelessness, an undoubtedly appropriate reaction, whether or not intended. In the third cantata, Das neugeborne Kindelein I especially liked the SAT trio Ist Gott versöhnt und unser Freund, with its beautiful blend of voices, all three of which sounded peculiarly and appropriately alike in color and warmth.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Rockin' the Joint-Live at the Hard Rock

Works By Turina 1

Truckin' with Albert Collins

Ronnie Kole Trio in Concert [Live]

Send Your Love/Moon Over Bourbon Street [CD-single] [Import]

V-103 Live [Live]

Voice [Import]

Twenty Fanfares for the Common Man

Wait For Your Spring

Viennese Concert [Live]

Treasure Box: The Complete Sessions, 1991-1999 [Box set] [Original recording remastered]

Tu Eterno Enamorado

Vicente Fernandez/El Tahur, Vol. 4 [Original recording remastered]

Songs 4 Life: Lift Your Spirit!

It's Easy to Remember