sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bach Digital, Bach family, Bach Medal, Georg Christoph Biller, Gotthold Schwarz, Klaus Mertens

No. 21 Fall 2014

BACH NOTES

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY

Report: and His Sons Kenyon College, 1-4 May 2014

The biennial meeting of the American Evan Cortens (Cornell University) convened in Gambier, OH brought nuance to the received Bach nar- on the beautiful campus of Kenyon Col- rative by considering core repertory from lege. The program of this ABS conference the perspective of a Graupner scholar. year, entitled “Johann Sebastian Bach and Cortens problematized two tropes of Ba- His Sons,” examined the Bach legacy from roque studies—“Bach as a culmination of a variety of perspectives, introducing new the Baroque” and “Bach as anticipator of sources and reconsidering known ones. later styles”—by comparing different, but (Professor Emeri- successful settings by Bach and Graupner tus, Harvard University) gave the key- of the same rare text: “Mein Herz[e] note address on the subject of C. P. E. schwimmt im Blut.” Grappling with the Bach’s relationship to the history of mu- question of Bach and Graupner’s rela- sic. Unlike most of his contemporaries, tive fame, Cortens argued that historical Emanuel Bach exhibited an acute histori- circumstance, and not artistic inferior- cal awareness, both of his family’s musi- ity, is to blame for Graupner’s decidedly ABS President Stephen Crist with Michael Maul at cal tradition, and of his place within the more marginal status: Graupner did not Kenyon College broader history of . Wolff dem- have anything like Bach’s network of onstrated C. P. E.’s pervasive concern sons and students to carry on his legacy. for posterity by exploring in fascinating Papers by Michael Maul and Man- In This Issue: context the active role Emanuel took in uel Bärwald (both at the Bach-Archiv, 1. Conference Report: Johann shaping his own and his family’s legacy. ) went a great distance toward fill- Sebastian Bach and His Sons Concerning the inheritors of the ing gaps in our knowledge of J. S. Bach’s David G. Rugger Bach legacy, Robert Marshall (Professor final decade. Maul’s paper contained yet 4. C. P. E. Bach in America Emeritus, Brandeis University) offered another instance of the kind of astonish- David Schulenberg a speculative, Freudian reading of the ing archival discovery we are coming to complicated aesthetic and personal re- expect from him. This time, the new ma- 6. Report on the lationship the Bach sons seem to have terial came from a church archive in Dö- Paul Corneilson had with their father. Marshall went beln, , in the form of Gottfried 10. Results of the 2014 Biennial so far as to suggest that the sons’ rejec- Benjamin Fleckeisen’s application for Dö- Bach Competition tion of the father’s style and influence beln’s then-vacant cantorship. In the doc- 11. Announcements, News amounted to acts of symbolic patricide. ument, Fleckeisen claimed that he direct- from Members, Officers, Advisory Marshall’s biographical interpretation ed the musical activities at Leipzig’s main Board, & Membership of the Bach offspring seemed to sug- churches for two years while still a prefect Information gest that the youngest sons were more at the Thomasschule during Bach’s ten- © 2014 successful than the older ones in throw- ure as . If we take Fleck- The American Bach Society ing off the aesthetic yolk of the father. eisen at his word, it leaves us to wonder 2 what, exactly, Bach was doing instead of his job. Leipzig archival sources confirm that Fleckeisen was indeed head prefect at the Thomasschule during the 1740s, just as he claims in his application letter. Furthermore, although he graduated in 1743, it seems that Fleckeisen continued to reside at the school, in direct contradiction of the ex- plicit rule that boarders must depart upon graduation. Maul speculated that the Leipzig town council might have installed Fleckeisen as Bach’s temporary replace- ment in reaction to the real Thomaskantor’s increasing withdrawal from his usual activities in the 1740s. While much remains unknown, Maul’s investigation suggests that Bach might have turned away from his contractual duties after losing the right to choose his own prefects. Similarly concerned with expanding our spotty knowl- Some of the students and “grandstudents” of Christoph Wolff at ABS–Kenyon (left to right: edge of Leipzig’s musical culture in the 1740s, Manuel Mary Greer, Michael Maul, , Mark Knoll, Dan Melamed, Andrew Talle, Bärwald offered a report on the city’s secular concert Manuel Bärwald, Greg Butler, Christoph Wolff, Ellen Exner). life. Bärwald made use of a newly discovered report on this historical insight with discussion of a previously Zimmermann’s garden to give a fresh account of the unknown copy of C. P. E. Bach’s Fantasia in C Major venue where so many of Bach’s secular were per- (Wq 59/6). Wollny discovered a copy of the Fantasia in formed. However, the dissolution of the Leipzig Colle- a box of uncatalogued material in the Staatsbibliothek gium musicum under Bach’s direction was by no means zu . The source is invaluable because it contains the end of public concerts in the city. The Großes Konzert significant markings in the composer’s own hand. For series began in 1743, and in 1744, Enoch Richter opened example, at the beginning of each new section, the com- his own coffee garden, heralding a new wave of Italianate poser specified which of two instruments should be musical theater that flourished in the coming years. played: faster sections are marked “Clavecin” and slower The Breitkopf “Firmenarchiv” also yielded some in- sections are marked “Piano Forte”. These unique piec- teresting new and unexpected musical sources related es of information suggest strongly that Bach intended to the . Christine Blanken (Bach-Archiv, the piece to be played on two different instruments. Leipzig) reported that a box of manuscript materials Also interested in how composers explore an instru- dating from the early eighteenth through the early nine- ment’s idiomatic capabilities, Mary Oleskiewicz (Univer- teenth centuries was recently found among the firm’s sity of Massachusetts–Boston) surveyed C. P. E. Bach’s holdings. Among other things, this box contained mu- flute quartets, and, with the assistance of Newton Ba- sic by J. S. Bach that included rare performance indica- roque’s Sarah Darling on the , examined these works tions. Blanken speculated that these execution mark- from a performer’s perspective. Composed for Sara Levy’s ings were probably reserved for special pieces, such as salon in 1788, the quartets raise interesting generic issues. works in the North German fantastic style and those in Wolfram Enßlin (Bach-Archiv, Leipzig) reported on the new concerto style, which were reserved for musical the newly-completed C. P. E. Bach Thematisch-systemati- connoisseurs. In addition to the J. S. Bach manuscripts, sches Verzeichnis. Finding a comprehensive work concept Blanken found music by Bach’s sons that offers insight by which to organize the catalogue proved challenging, into the repertoire of the Großes Konzert and Leipzig’s particularly with regard to the composer’s church mu- civic concert life immediately after Sebastian’s death. sic. The compilers’ solution was to divide works by com- Peter Wollny (Bach-Archiv, Leipzig) took us on an positional technique, first by separating fully original historical tour of the development of keyboard instru- works from those derived from earlier works, and then ments with regard to the Bach family. He traced the to further divide the derivative works according to how highly varied evolution of keyboard instruments dur- the composer incorporated borrowed material. Some ing the mid- to late-eighteenth century and combined information truncated in the catalogue will be avail-

No. 21 BACH • NOTES 3

able in its unabridged form on the Bach-Digital website. the appeal of his voice to eighteenth-century audiences. Many papers at the conference were concerned with vo- Daniel Melamed (Indiana University) took on the cal music. Mary Greer (Cambridge, MA) saw a masonic thorny issue of J. S. Bach’s audience and asked whether or connection to Emanuel Bach’s , Die Israeliten in not they analyzed what they heard. In particular, he asked der Wüste, in part because poet and Freemason Friedrich the question of whether audiences noticed when Bach Gottlieb Klopstock encouraged Bach to publish it. In a subverted formal expectations, and whether such formal letter to Breitkopf, Bach stipulated that the subscribers divergence might at times reveal the existence of a parody remain anonymous. Greer suggested that this fact, along model. In the end, Melamed took a carefully qualified with the subsequent wording of the publication announce- position, suggesting that whether or not the audience ment, might imply that the subscribers were Freemasons. could articulate what they were hearing in technical lan- published five annual cycles guage, the pervasiveness of certain structural conventions of church cantatas that circulated widely and remained a almost certainly provided clues to meaning and origin. central part of the northern European church repertoire Taking a similarly analytical approach to the reper- until the early nineteenth century. Both Friedemann and toire, Stephen Crist (Emory University) examined the Emanuel Bach knew and performed these works, mak- influence of J. S. Bach on his student Johann Ludwig ing adjustments to suit their specific needs. Nik Taylor Krebs. Through a comparison of , Crist offered (Indiana University) argued that the ways in which the insight into how Bach might have taught the composi- Bach sons used Telemann’s published cantatas, especial- tion of vocal works. The influence of Bach’s approach ly with regard to their choice of which to perform and can be seen through comparison between his how to adapt them to the available performing forces, BWV 95/5 and Krebs’s aria Krebs-WV 110/3. These tells us much about the practices and professional ex- arias have similar texts and use pizzicato string effects pectations of northern European church musicians. to depict the bell imagery each text contains. Notably, Making use of the recently rediscovered archive of another Krebs aria (Krebs-WV 112/3) elides the B sec- the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, Moira Hill (Yale Uni- tion with the return of the A section in exactly the same versity) drew parallels between C. P. E. Bach’s way Bach’s does in BWV 75/3. Both of these instances aesthetic and his changing approach to Passion set- suggest not only Bach’s general influence, but also an tings. Hill argued that the influence of Emanuel’s almost derivative borrowing practiced by the student. lied composition on his later speaks not only In addition to the program of excellent papers, con- to the general tendency toward simpler church mu- ference-goers had many opportunities to attend concerts sic in the later eighteenth century, but also to Bach’s and lecture recitals. On the opening night of the con- renewed engagement with the lied in his final years. ference, David Yearsley (Cornell University) performed Two papers explored various facets of Johann Chris- a recital entitled “Bach and Sons at the Organ.” In con- tian Bach’s career as an opera composer. Margaret trast to their prolific father, the Bach sons left behind Butler (University of Florida) traced the fate of singer Gaetano Guadagni’s suitcase aria, “Vivro se vuoi cosi,” through iconographic representation and different ver- sions of the opera Artaserse by Baldassare Galuppi and J. C. Bach. When Guadagni sang J. C. Bach’s version of Artaserse, he performed “Vivro se vuoi cosi,” but, no- tably, to different music, making it an anomaly among suitcase arias. Equally focused on performers, Paul Cor- neilson (Packard Humanities Institute) surveyed tenor Anton Raaff’s long and successful career, particularly as it related to the operas of J. C. Bach. Corneilson ar- gued that through an examination of the many arias Bach wrote for this tenor, we can come close to estab- Left to right: Nik Taylor, Moira Hill, and Evan Cortens at ABS–Kenyon. lishing a vocal profile for Raaff in order to understand

BACH • NOTES Fall 2014 4 a fairly slender body of organ compositions. Yearsley made up for the lack of music by transcribing other works for the instrument, as organists have done for centuries. The end result was both varied and enjoy- able. Newton Baroque (Newton, MA) also presented two official concerts during the conference. The first, an afternoon performance in Kenyon College’s inti- mate recital hall, featured chamber music and songs by C. P. E. Bach. Violist Sarah Darling stood out for her pyrotechnic displays, as did violinists Alexander Woods and Cynthia Freivogel, who brought a rambunctious en- ergy and perfect comedic timing to C. P. E.’s Gespräch zwischen einem Sanguineus et Melancholicus, Wq 161/1. Additionally, Newton Baroque offered a program David Schulenberg at ABS–Kenyon. on Saturday evening that featured a number of tru- ly excellent performances, including J. C. F. Bach’s had the opportunity to attend a Sunday morning ser- charming secular , Die Amerikanerin, sung by vice featuring cantatas by J. S. Bach and G. P. Tele- mezzo-soprano Julia Steinbok, and a highly musical mann, performed by Newton Baroque, and a sermon and engaging rendition by Andrus Madsen of C. P. E. by Dr. Robin Leaver in the eighteenth-century style. Bach’s in D Minor (Wq 17). Beyond the officially scheduled events, the thought- ful pacing of the conference and the intimate set- ting of the Kenyon campus allowed for breaks and meals to become invaluable time for enlightening discussion. The next ABS conference will take place at the University of Notre Dame from 7-10 April 2016. The theme of the conference will be “J. S. Bach and the Confessional Landscape of His Time.”

– David G. Rugger (Indiana University)

C. P. E. Bach in America Members of Newton Baroque at ABS–Kenyon (left to right: Sarah Freiberg, Andrus Madsen, Sarah Darling, Cynthia Freivogel, Alexander Woods). By David Schulenberg

On Saturday afternoon, David Schulen- In 2003 the American Bach Society issued volume five berg (Wagner College) gave a lecture recital on of Bach Perspectives, edited by Stephen A. Crist and C. P. E. Bach’s keyboard music of the 1740’s. published by the University of Illinois Press. The vol- That same evening, the Washington Bach Consort ume was subtitled “Bach in America,” and, as in the performed a concert featuring some of Emanuel name of our organization, the word “Bach” (which ap- Bach’s sacred works, including the Heilig (Wq 217) pears four times on the dust jacket) is assumed by all and the in D Major (Wq 215). Though who see it to refer to Johann Sebastian. A quick review not officially part of the conference, attendees also of the titles of individual articles published in Bach

No. 21 BACH • NOTES 5

Perspectives (available online at www.americanbachsociety. To be sure, special concert programs devoted to CPEB org/perspectives.html) reveals only a handful that specify or the Bach sons have been offered during 2014 in connec- another member of the family. Yet as one whose perfor- tion with meetings of the ABS and the American Guild of mances and scholarship have involved the music of sev- Organists, and recent years have seen first American perfor- eral Bachs, I long ago got in the habit of always specify- mances of several of CPEB’s major vocal works. Yet despite ing “J. S.,” “C. P. E.,” or even “J. C. Bach of Halle” when the presence of the offices of the ongoing complete edition referring to an individual family member. Another habit of his music in Cambridge, Mass., or the nearly complete has been always to explain, when writing program notes or recording of his collected keyboard works by Miklós Spányi giving talks to general audiences, that W. F. Bach was the now available on the BIS label, American performances first surviving son “of the famous Sebastian,” and so forth. even of popular works such as his Hamburg symphonies do It’s natural to relate family members to the most famous not seem to have been more frequent in 2014 than usual. bearer of the name, and doing so helps establish a rough Flute students continue to play his unaccompanied sonata chronology for those who understand, if only vaguely, that and harpsichordists the first “Württemberg” Sonata, Wq Sebastian lived sometime between the Middle Ages and 49; an early, immature sonata remains the sole exposure to World War I. But for most Americans—by which I mean his work for many oboists, as does an unrepresentative little residents of the Americas as a whole, including serious Solfeggio in C Minor, Wq 117/2, for many pianists (often musicians and scholars—awareness of the family as a group in a distorted version that goes back to the late nineteenth probably remains less common than in northern Europe, century). But few people seem to be exploring his lieder or where the sons of Sebastian, at least, probably have remained his keyboard concertos, to name two categories that con- within the awareness of the general musical public, if only tain more remarkable compositions in greater numbers. dimly. This must reflect distinct historical and cultural tra- How one feels about this depends on whether one ditions, and during this year marking the three-hundredth finds the music of CPEB to be more deserving of atten- anniversary of the birth of Emanuel Bach the distinction tion than, say, the cantatas of Barbara Strozzi or the lat- is reflected in the relatively small number of observances est composition of Helen Grime—to mention two other here, in comparison to those taking place in Germany. composers whose work I happen to admire but is not Needless to say, no American city has seen the official often heard in America. The exponential expansion of marketing still ongoing for CPEB-related tourism and per- available music, both old and new, inevitably means that formances in , Leipzig, Berlin, and Hamburg. But much must go unheard, particularly in a time of limited re- even organizations and presenters that might have taken sources. Under such circumstances, one might argue that the occasion as an opportunity to educate the American the ABS should focus on Sebastian, serving as a distinct musical public or broaden their listening habits have been advocate for his music rather than diluting its service to few. To some degree this may simply reflect the increas- society (whatever that might be) by dividing its attention ing difficulty of producing arts-centered events in a society between various Bachs. After this year of special perfor- that seems to have a declining interest in culture generally mances, conferences, exhibitions, and publications relat- and where government support for any public or common ing to CPEB—including a special issue of Early Music to good has become surpassingly difficult to secure. As Amer- which several of us have contributed—perhaps we should ica tends toward greater inequality, concert presenters return to concentrating on Sebastian and his music. avoid the risky or the unknown; the growing gap between But the new edition of CPEB’s works will continue the super-wealthy and everyone else is likely reflected in to progress toward completion, and the 78,700 “C. P. E. expanded visibility for a few familiar names that sell (Bran- Bach” videos and pirated recordings currently on YouTube denburg Concertos, “Coffee Cantata”) and reduced atten- will not be deleted. Besides, it takes time for what we do as tion to all others. Even college textbooks may be trending musicians and scholars to seep out into the general musi- smaller, eliminating coverage of “minor” composers like cal culture. Ten years after the art historian Reimar Lacher the Bach sons. I confess to deleting the one CPEB score identified a portrait by F. G. Weitsch of the Halle J. C. from the latest edition of my Music of the Baroque anthol- Bach, it is still widely reproduced as depicting his distant ogy even while publishing books on the music of his old- cousin Wilhelm Friedemann, and an organ fugue by Kell- er brother in 2010 and on CPEB’s own music this year. ner is still being played and recorded as the latter’s. Bad

BACH • NOTES Fall 2014 6 editions of CPEB’s “Solfeggietto” and other works con- the focus was Johann Sebastian Bach’s second son, tinue to be best-sellers at music-teacher conferences, and Carl Philipp Emanuel, whose 300th birthday is be- awareness of alternatives spreads at a glacial pace. Music ing celebrated internationally (8 March 1714). (Full theorists continue to re-analyze a few of the famous key- disclosure: I am managing editor of the ongoing board pieces for Kenner und Liebhaber while neglecting critical edition of complete works of C. P. E. Bach, other equally interesting works. I’d like either to give or published by The Packard Humanities Institute.) to hear performances of such innovative concertos as The opening concert at the Thomaskirche (13 June) CPEB’s Wq 5 and 43/4, now readily available in the new featured different settings by father and son of the edition, but I’ve yet to see even his most famous and ar- Magnificat text (BWV 243 and Wq 215, respectively). guably best such work, Wq 23 in D Minor—in print since Both works have been recorded numerous times, and 1907—on a public program in the US; for this reason I’ve they are occasionally paired together on discs, but in chosen it for a concert at this year’s Idaho . concert performances or liturgical services only one Perhaps these choices reflect the real value of CPEB’s of the two is normally given. Thus, we had a rare op- music: his greatest contributions were a few useful peda- portunity to compare the works side by side. Bachfest’s gogic pieces and several ingenious experiments. Yet, performance of the two Magnificat settings were framed looking beyond America, we see that J. S. Bach’s music, by J. S. Bach’s fugue on the Magnificat tune, “Meine once confined to northern Europe, has gained a global Seele erhebt den Herren,” BWV 733 (admirably played following. Whether or not we in the Americas continue by St. Thomas organist Ullrich Böhme) and C. P. E. to explore the music of the other Bachs, the latter will Bach’s double- Heilig, Wq 217. The latter is rep- likewise continue to be further investigated and per- resentative of Emanuel’s wahre Art in vocal music, and formed in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. We risk provin- he himself called it his “swan song.” He published it cializing ourselves, confining ourselves to a canon com- in 1779 so that he “would not be forgotten too soon” prising a 1% of “great” works and composers, if we don’t after he died. In this performance, Tafelmusik Baroque keep looking beyond—and encouraging our students Orchestra (the Bachfest’s ensemble in residence this and non-specialist colleagues to look beyond—what for year) was supplemented by members of the Leipziger some of us may have become too familiar and comfort- Barockorchester. Bach liked to perform the Heilig at St. able. I personally will have had quite enough of C. P. E. Michael’s Church in Hamburg, with its multiple balco- Bach once 2014 is over. But I know that after taking a nies, to allow a separation of the two choruses. I think break from it I will resume performing and studying it, it would have been more effective at St. Thomas’s to and I will continue to view his music—and his father’s— use the four soloists as the “Engel” and the Thomaner within a context that is much broader than the nar- as the “Völker.” In any event, the double fugue on the row Sebastian-centered one of thirty or forty years ago. words “Alle Lande sind seiner Ehren voll” (the whole earth is full of his glory) would have made an even bet- ter effect with antiphonal choruses. conducted the performance, substituting for the usual Thomas Choir music director . “Die wahre Art” The duet (no. 6) in C. P. E. Bach’s setting was particu- larly excellent, as was the alto aria (no. 7) with flutes. Report on the Bachfest Leipzig On 14 June at the Nikolaikirche we had another 13-22 June 2014 pairing of music by father and son, with J. S. Bach’s cantata, “Du Hirte Israel, höre,” BWV 104 and C. P. E. The theme of this year’s Bachfest Leipzig was “Die wahre Bach’s oratorio, Die Israeliten in der Wüste, Wq 238. Art,” a quote from the title of Carl Philipp Emanuel This pairing though does not allow for fair compari- Bach’s keyboard treatise Versuch über die wahre Art das son, since BWV 104 has just six movements (opening Clavier zu spielen. The organizers of Bachfest surely in- chorus, two pairs of and arias for tenor and tended die wahre Art to mean “the True Art” of mu- bass respectively, and closing ), while Wq 238 is sic, passed from father to sons and pupils. This year, more than an hour long with twenty-eight movements

No. 21 BACH • NOTES 7 in two parts. Die Israeliten is probably as close as C. P. E. night’s many problematic moments. Appearing with the Bach ever came to writing operatic music, and almost Canadian group was Midori Seiler, who played two vio- all the arias are lengthy da capo settings. A few of the lin concertos: Georg Philipp Telemann’s Concerto in B- Bachfest’s soloists, especially the sopranos Hannah Mor- flat Major, TWV 51:B1, and J. S. Bach’s reconstructed rison (Erste Israelitin) and Sarah Maria Sun (Zweite Is- Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052R. The concert began raelitin) attempted embellishments in the reprises, but with Bach’s Sinfonia in G Major, from the cantata “Ich these were not entirely convincing. They sounded too liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte,” BWV 174, rehearsed and at times forced. Bach himself wrote out which most people today would know as the third Bran- embellishments for the Zweite Israelitin’s two arias and denburg Concerto but with additional oboes and horns. these are published in an appendix to the critical edi- It seems to me that Bach might have miscalculated in tion (CPEB: CW, IV/1, ed. Reginald L. Sanders). The adding difficult horn parts to his concerto grosso for tenor Daniel Johannsen (Aaron) was slightly weak, but three violins, , and cellos; in this performance, the the bass Johannes Weisser (Moses) gave a strong perfor- horns indeed had some trouble. Closing out the first half mance, especially in the central aria no. 15. The duet was J. S. Bach’s Concerto in C Minor, BWV 1060R, re- no. 13 for two sopranos accompanied by two flutes and constructed for oboe and violin. The two soloists—John strings though was one of the most memorable mo- Abberger and Jeanne Lamon (also the leader of Tafel- ments. Christoph Spering led the Chorus Musicus Köln musik)—had excellent chemistry with the ensemble. and Das Neue Orchester in a convincing performance. On 17 June we were treated to two double concertos: The next evening’s concert at the Nikolaikirche on J. S. Bach’s Concerto in C Major for Two Harpsichords, 15 June promised a survey “From Baroque to Classi- BWV 1061, and C. P. E. Bach’s Concerto in E-flat Major cism,” but the order of pieces went in the opposite di- for and Harpsichord, Wq 47. Malcolm Bilson rection, starting with C. P. E. Bach’s Symphony in G played the harpsichord in the former and fortepiano in the Major, Wq 180, and ending with J. S. Bach’s Orches- latter, and Richard Egarr, conductor of the Academy of tral Suite in D Major, BWV 1069. Of course there is Ancient Music, played the harpsichord in both concertos. nothing wrong with mixing things up a little, but this Written in the same year as Wq 47, Mozart’s “Jupi- program by the Streicherakademie Bozen, led by its bas- ter” Symphony, K. 551, seems decades advanced. Egarr soonist Sergio Azzolini rather than the concertmaster made the chamber orchestra (12 violins, 3 violas, 3 cel- Georg Egger, was a strange affair. First, the ensemble los, 2 contrabasses) sound twice as big in the resonant was muddy—perhaps due to the unfamiliarity of the live Nikolaikirche, and he was certainly going for a “hero- acoustic in St. Nikolai?—and BWV 1069 began so bad- ic” Beethovenian sound even though the work was by ly, I thought they would have to start over. Also, each Mozart. Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music gave piece began to sound like a concerto, and while an exciting performance, and the final Molto Allegro Azzolini did impress by playing Mozart’s Bassoon Con- with its double fugue brought the audience to its feet. certo K. 191 from memory, he was overbearing in the On 18 June, the and Gewandhausor- other pieces, especially BWV 1069. Less so, perhaps, chester Leipzig presented choral works by J. S. Bach and in the in E-flat, Wq 165, skillfully ren- Telemann, who preceded Bach’s tenure in Leipzig. Tele- dered by Giovanni De Angeli. When the two of them mann’s Donner-Ode, TWV 6:3, was sandwiched between played the anonymous Concerto in C Minor, however, two of J. S. Bach’s cantatas for Jubilate: BWV 12 and the bassoon dominated the oboe. Beware: this group has 146. One of the more outstanding effects in the Donner- released a three-CD set of “C. P. E. Bach: Bassoon Mu- Ode is an abrupt cadence on the word “erstaunt” (as in: sic” which in fact is concertos and other works arranged “the whole world sees it and is amazed”), followed by for and played by bassoon. (I have no objection to Azzo- a caesura, which together create a musical exclamation lini playing these works on bassoon, but they should not point. Telemann proves that the doctrine of affections be marketed as though they were written for bassoon.) was not yet dead in the mid-1750s, though some of his The next concert (16 June) was again at the Niko- contemporaries thought his text painting was over the laikirche. It was presented by Tafelmusik and made top. By contrast, the two cantatas—“Weinen, Klagen, for a complete and refreshing contrast to the previous Sorgen, Zagen,” BWV 12, and “Wir müssen durch viel

BACH • NOTES Fall 2014 8

Trübsal,” BWV 146—are more sub- tory nature of these works called for marked Schlaftrunken (drowsily) and dued works. I wonder if anyone else three trumpets and timpani in addi- accompanied by flutes, is a realistic felt a little jarred by the alto recitative tion to the orchestra and choir, here musical depiction of falling asleep, and aria, coming immediately after performed by the Capella Cracovi- with its tipsy, irregular rhythms. the Sinfonia and opening chorus of ensis and conducted by Jan Tomasz The concert ended with J. S. Bach’s BWV 12? The Thomanerchor—unlike Adamus. The four soloists—Jolanta wedding cantata, ”Dem Gerechten typical English boy , which have Kowalska (soprano), Kai Wessel (alto), muss das Licht,” BWV 195. Both men singing the alto, tenor, and bass Karol Kozlowski (tenor), Peter Harvey the opening chorus, based on Psalm parts—only uses boys and young men (bass)—all sang with the rest of the cho- 97:11–12, and the closing chorus (no. (in their late teens), who together cre- rus. As a bonus we heard the chorus 5), feature the soloists and chorus, and ate a very special vocal blend. But their “Wer ist so würdig als du,” Wq 222, they were well balanced. The final cho- tradition now is to give the solos to based on Bach’s setting of Psalm 8 as rale (no. 6), which would have been mature female and male singers even paraphrased by the poet J. A. Cramer. performed at the conclusion of the though the adult voices often have a The following night at the Thom- service, might have been omitted here. totally different tone quality. While askirche we heard a selection of very After the festive music it seemed a lit- Reglint Bühler (soprano), Annette different cantatas by C. P. E. Bach, tle perfunctory (and in the wrong key), Markert (alto), (tenor), Telemann, and J. S. Bach. Earlier that one of the hazards of removing Bach’s and the two basses all did a splendid afternoon, the orchestra, the Akad- cantatas from their original context. job, I would like to hear more of the emie für Alte Musik Berlin, had be- On 21 June, Bachfest concert-goers Thomaner on the solos in cantatas. come the first ensemble to be awarded had a choice: Handel’s “Brockes-Pas- The organist Daniel Beilschmidt the of the City of Leipzig. sion,” HWV 48, at the Nikolaikirche deserves special commendation for They were joined in the evening’s per- with Tafelmusik and the Zürcher Sing- the solos in the first two movements formance by the Dresdner Kammer- Akademie, or an organ concert at the of BWV 146. He played effectively chor and conductor Hans-Christoph Great Hall with Michael the same music as the solo violin in Rademann. The program’s theme was Schönheit (Gewandhausorganist) plus the concerto we heard earlier, BWV times of the day. Thus it was appro- the Collegium Vocale Leipzig and 1052R. Gotthold Schwarz conducted priate that the concert opened with the Merseburger Hofmusik. I chose the Gewandhausorchester, a group Klopstocks Morgengesang am Schöpfungs- the latter, though I might have pre- that plays music primarily from the feste, Wq 239, a chamber cantata for ferred the former. Schönheit played post-Baroque period, so it is natural two sopranos (Gerlinde Sämann and three pieces: C. P. E. Bach’s Prelude that they use modern, not histori- Katja Stuber), flutes, strings, and cho- in D Major, Wq 70/7, the Fantasia cal, instruments. After hearing Tafel- rus. Telemann’s Die Tageszeiten, TWV and Fugue in C Minor, Wq 119/7, musik and the Academy of Ancient 20:39, was unknown to me (and I sus- and the Sonata in A Minor, Wq Music, I found I missed the timbres pect most of the audience); it has a 70/4. These are charming pieces and of the period instrument orchestras simple design and is basically four solo most can be played on a two-manual while listening to Schwarz’s ensemble. cantatas, each with an aria, accompa- harpsichord just as well as an organ. Installation Music was the theme of nied recitative, a contrasting aria, and Clearly, though, Bach was not think- the concert at the Nikolaikirche on 19 concluding chorus. The first, “Morn- ing of the mammoth organ in the June, which featured two “Ratswech- ing,” was sung by the soprano Katja Gewandhaus, and the music is un- sel” cantatas for the installation of Stuber; “Midday,” by the alto Anke derwhelming on such an instrument. the Leipzig town council: “Lobe den Vondung; “Evening,” by the tenor Ju- We had the opportunity to hear Herrn, meine Seele,” BWV 69, and lian Prégardien; “Night,” by the bass a second time the Concerto in E-flat “Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken Tobias Berndt. Almost every move- Major for Harpsichord and Fortepia- dir,” BWV 29; plus C. P. E. Bach’s ment has a colorful tempo indication no, Wq 47, this time played by Denny installation cantata for Pastor Gasie in German, such as Freudig (joyfully), Wilke (harpsichord) and Schönheit (1785), “Gnädig und barmherzig Ernsthaft (gravely), Lebhaft (lively), and (fortepiano), but they set up the two ist der Herr,” H 821 l. The celebra- so on. The second of the tenor’s arias, keyboards at the back of the large

No. 21 BACH • NOTES 9 stage, presumably to avoid having to re- is always J. S. Bach’s , catalogue by the Director of the Bach- move them for the rest of the concert, BWV 232, given in the Thomaskirche. Archiv, Peter Wollny. Website: (http:// and this made the chamber orchestra and the Amsterdam www.bachmuseumleipzig.de/de/bach- seem too distant in the concert hall. Baroque Orchestra & Choir had the museum/aktuelle-sonderausstellung.) I thought it worked much better in honor of performing the work this Many letters and other doc- the Nikolaikirche, though that acous- year. Having heard a number of move- uments from the Elias N. Kulukundis tic is far from ideal for such an inti- ments earlier in the week in their orig- Collection, currently on loan to the mate work. After this, the ensemble inal context, I was aware more than Bach-Archiv, were on display, as was moved to the front of the stage and ever that the grosse catholische Messe the first ever recording of a piece by was joined by the chorus to perform (as C. P. E. Bach’s estate catalogue C. P. E. Bach done in the early 1930s. Emanuel Bach’s Easter cantata, “Gott refers to it) is a compendium of dif- Each day there was a lecture on C. P. hat den Herrn auferwecket,” Wq 244. ferent musical forms and styles as well E. Bach by the Bach-Archiv staff and After this we heard his single-choir as a collection of some of Sebastian’s guest speakers, including Wollny (on Heilig, Wq 218. The second half of best work. The four soloists—Yetzabel “Bachische Originalgeist”), Solvey the concert featured the Einführungs- Arias Fernandez (soprano), Maarten Donadel with Ruprecht Langer (on musik Friderici, H 821g. The soloists Engeltjes (countertenor), Tilman Li- Bach in Berlin), Tobias Plebuch (on were all members of the choir: Gesine chdi (tenor), (bass)— the Versuch), Wolfram Enßlin (on Adler (soprano), Britta Schwarz (alto), were all brilliant, as were the choir Bach in Hamburg), Andreas Glöck- Albrecht Sack (tenor), and Raimund and orchestra. Koopman shared the ner (on the relationship between fa- Nolte (bass). It must be noted that the continuo playing with the very able ther and son’s church music), and texts of the two cantatas were a mess Kathryn Cok. My only complaint is Christine Blanken (on Bach’s pupils in the program; since H 821g at least that some of the tempo changes were and reception). Of the other compos- is available on the website www.cpe- inconsistent. For instance, the tactus ers celebrating their 300th birthdays bach.org there is no excuse for this. between the “Et incarnatus est” (3/4) this year, the Music Direc- On 22 June, I returned to the and “Crucifixus” (3/2) was constant, tor and Kreuzkantor Gottfried Au- Great Hall of the Gewandhaus to but not so between the “Quoniam” gust Homilius was well represented hear Haydn’s Schöpfung conducted by (3/4) and “Cum Sancto Spiritu” with several cantatas and Nicolai . Overall, the pacing (3/4), where the latter (marked Viva- Jommelli was remembered with a and tempi were excellent, and Suzuki ce) was too fast in relation. Excitement (Veni Creator Spiritus); only (Bach Medal winner) brought out the is built into the music, so there is no Gluck was totally ignored. Instead of dramatic contrasts in the score with need to rush. The change of meter performing one of Gluck’s operas, vividness. The three British soloists between the “Sanctus” (C) and “Pleni the Leipzig Opera offered a ballet were likewise excellent. Soprano Caro- sunt coeli” (3/8) is especially tricky, version of Mozart’s . Alas! lyn Sampson (Gabriel and Eve) sang but shouldn’t the tactus stay the same beautifully with clear, floating tones (triplet beat in former = one measure –Paul Corneilson (Packard Humanities soaring above the chorus and orches- in latter)? If so, then the “Sanctus” Institute) tra. James Gilchrist (Uriel) is a fine should be more stately so that the lyric tenor and blended well in ensem- “Pleni” won’t sound like a sprint. *For the full version of this report, bles, and baritone Christopher Purves please visit the website of the British (Raphael and Adam) had perfect dic- * * * Society for Eighteenth-Century Stud- tion and a flexible voice, hitting im- ies: http://www.bsecs.org.uk/criticks/ pressively a low D at the end of his In addition to all the other concerts, ReviewDetails.aspx?id=231&type=1 aria “Nun scheint in vollem Glanze” there was an exhibition at the Bach in part two. The sixty-voice MDR Ra- Museum through July 2014 entitled dio Chorus and Gewandhaus Orches- “Die Musik muss das Herz rühren”: tra filled the hall with glorious sound. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach zum The final concert of the Bachfest 300. Geburtstag, with an excellent

BACH • NOTES Fall 2014 10

Results of the 2014 Biennial Although the music of J. S. Bach has inspired a volumi- nous amount of scholarship, the impact and appropria- Bach Vocal Competition tion of his music in the twentieth century remains rela- tively unexplored. This conference seeks to bring together scholars from diverse disciplines and perspectives that Janna Critz, mezzo-soprano from Baltimore, Maryland, share an interest in the multiple ways the music of J. S. was awarded first prize in the Eighth Biennial Bach Vocal Bach has impacted culture or inspired the work of compos- Competition for Young American Singers, co-sponsored ers, pedagogues, performers, critics, and listeners during by the American Bach Society and the Bach Choir of Beth- the long twentieth century. Topics include Bach’s influ- lehem, PA. The finals were held on May 4, 2014 in Peter ence on major composers, recent discoveries in archival Hall at Moravian College, Bethlehem. The prize includes a research, the reception and appropriation of “Bach” by career development grant in the amount of $3,000 and an diverse political regimes, the use of Bach’s compositions opportunity to perform as a soloist with The Bach Choir as pedagogical models in higher education, the quotation of Bethlehem in the 2014-15 Concert Season. Honorable from or appropriation of Bach’s compositions and style, mentions and cash awards of $500 were awarded to Au- and the metamorphosis of “Bach” and his music from gusta Caso, mezzo-soprano, from Philadelphia, Pennsylva- local to national, European, Western, and, now, Global. nia; Nola Richardson, soprano from Baltimore, Maryland; The keynote address will be given by Richard Ta- and Gene Stenger, tenor, from New Haven, Connecticut. ruskin. Other speakers include Brent Auerbach, The ten finalists were selected from more than 70 ap- Matthew Cron, Ellen Exner, Erinn Knyt, Michael plicants nationwide. Each finalist performed two Bach Maul, Ernest May, Daniel Melamed, Pamela Pot- arias of his/her choice. The five judges included Greg ter, Markus Rathey, Emiliano Ricciardi, Russell Funfgeld, artistic director and conductor of The Bach Stinson, Christoph Wolff, and Johanna Yunker. Choir of Bethlehem; Bethlehem Bach Festival soloists Rosa Lamoreaux, soprano; Benjamin Butterfield, tenor; The conference will be held concurrently with the Uni- and William Sharp, bass-baritone; and Wendy Gillespie, versity of Massachusetts Amherst Bach Festival, which will professor of viola da gamba at the Indiana University take place from 17-19 April. The festival will feature per- Jacobs School of Music. Congratulations to all who par- formances of the St. John Passion, BWV 245 and selected ticipated in the finals. For more information visit The cantatas and under the direc- Bach Choir of Bethelehem’s website: www.bach.org. tion of Julian Wachner. For more information about the (–Text adapted from the Bach Choir of Bethlehem’s press release) symposium, contact Erinn Knyt: [email protected]

Bach Network UK. Seventh J. S. Bach Dialogue Meet- ing, 8–11 July 2015 Upcoming Conferences I am happy to announce details of the 2015 Bach Net- work UK J. S. Bach Dialogue Meeting. After our success- ful meeting in Warsaw in July 2013, we will be holding this meeting, our seventh, in England at Madingley Hall, Back to--and Forward from--J. S. Bach: A Symposium http://www.madingleyhall.co.uk/, a historic sixteenth-centu- Exploring the Revival, Reception, and Appropriation of ry mansion with overtones of Downton Abbey set in mag- the Music of J. S. Bach in the Long Twentieth Century nificent grounds and gardens that were designed in the eighteenth century by Capability Brown. Madingley is just University of Massachusetts at Amherst Friday, April 17, 2015 (Graduate Student Symposium and Workshop) three miles from the ancient university city of Cambridge. Saturday, April 18, 2015 (Scholarly Symposium) Our J. S. Bach Dialogue Meetings differ from the conven- tional academic conference in that every delegate makes an

No. 21 BACH • NOTES 11 equally important contribution regardless of whether or not he/she is presenting material. The aim of the sessions is not to impart new information as an end in itself. Their News from Members prime goal is rather to facilitate open-minded dialogue through the examination of new research and to chew over questions that may even prove unanswerable. And it is the collective expertise and varied perspectives of the del- In April 2014, Raymond Erickson was in China where egates that enrich this search for answers. Anyone keen to he gave the first solo harpsichord recitals (“Bach and His understand Bach’s music more deeply is welcome. We an- Contemporaries”) on major stages in Wuhan and Beijing ticipate a group of around forty-five participants including and also presented master classes on Bach at two Beijing presenters, although we can accommodate up to ninety. conservatories. While en route to China, Erickson played We have set aside two days for dialogue and presen- the recital in the 77th Annual Whittier College Bach Fes- tations interspersed with space for informal one-to-one tival. Works by Bach on the China program, both rarely discussions over meals and walks in the grounds. The heard, were the Toccata in F-sharp Minor, BWV 910 and programme committee, comprising Yo Tomita, Stephen the Prelude and Fugue in A, BWV 894. Erickson has also Rose, Szymon Paczkowski and Ruth Tatlow, is in the pro- directed the annual summer workshop “Rethinking Bach” cess of selecting hot topics that will generate rich discus- at Queens College since 2010. The weeklong workshop has sion. The meeting will begin on Wednesday 8 July 2015 also been invited to Tokai University in Japan this August. with arrivals in time for afternoon tea, followed by the first session and a barbeque supper when we will catch up with old friends and get to know newcomers. Thursday CONCORA “Mastering the Mass” Festival in Review and Friday will be devoted to dialogue sessions and the thought-provoking, entertaining and instructive Young During the month of March, CONCORA (Con- Scholars Forum, in which scholars in the early stages of necticut Choral Artists) presented “Mastering the their careers condense five years of research into as many Mass,” a festival composed of workshops, seminars, minutes. Departures will be on the morning of Satur- lectures, and concerts, in preparation for the profes- day 11 July, or after the concert late on Friday evening. sional choir’s performance of the Bach Mass in B Mi- Details of the programme will be publicised in autumn 2014 nor with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. All of the through our mailing list, website www.bachnetwork.co.uk, and festival’s events took place in South Church, New Brit- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BachNetworkUK ain, the institution that founded CONCORA in 1974. Registration for the Madingley meeting will open in Keynote presenter was Prof. Christoph Wolff (Har- early 2015, and we encourage early booking. If you vard University, Emeritus). His lecturers were entitled have questions or queries concerning the Dialogue “The Bach Expedition: New Findings about Bach’s Life meeting, please drop a line to our Dialogue Admin- and Works” and “Bach’s Mass in B Minor.” Between Dr. istrator, Dr Matt Laube, on [email protected]. Wolff’s lectures, violinist Emlyn Ngai played Bach’s Par- Ruth Tatlow, tita in D Minor on a Baroque violin. Other lecturers in- Chair of the Advisory Council, BNUK cluded the Reverend Louis Nuechterlein, retired Luther- an pastor, Bach scholar, and choral conductor, offering “The Life of J.S. Bach,” and Jason Charneski, Director of Music and the Arts for Hartford’s Center Church, “Links between Bach’s Clavier-Übung and the Mass in B Minor,” which included Mr. Charneski’s playing excerpts from Clavier-Übung, Part III. Soprano Julianne Baird, accompa- nied by harpsichordist Christine Gevert, presented a recit- al of early works, entitled, “Music for Hearth and Home: An Evening in the Home of J. S. Bach.” Ms. Gevert, an Madingley Hall (photo courtesy BNUK)

BACH • NOTES Fall 2014 12 early-music specialist, conduc- or spread the word. Here is a The American Bach Society tor, and keyboardist, presented link to an E-brochure with com- Officers a lecture, “Riots? Fist Fights? plete details and application Stephen A. Crist, President (Emory University) forms. http://astonmagna.org/ Markus Rathey, Vice President (Yale University) How Many Singers Should Reginald L. Sanders, Secretary-Treasurer Sing the Mass in B Minor?” wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ (Kenyon College) AstonMagna-Bach-in-Leipzig- Ellen Exner, Editor, Bach Notes (University of South Mezzo soprano Jacqueline Carolina School of Music) Horner-Kwiatek, a member of the Brochure.pdf (astonmagna.org) acclaimed early music ensemble Advisory Board James Buswell (New England Conservatory) Anonymous 4, presented a con- Don O. Franklin (University of Pittsburgh) cert entitled “Bach and Friends,” Greg Funfgeld (Bach Choir of Bethlehem) and offered a lecture, “The Joys Bach in the Subways Day is an Mary J. Greer (Cambridge, MA) annual celebration on J. S. Bach’s Walter B. Hewlett (Center for Computer-Assisted and Challenges of Singing Bach.” Research in the Humanities) The performance on Sunday, birthday, March 21, 2015, when Robert Levin (Harvard University) musicians around the world will Daniel R. Melamed (Indiana University) 30 March 2014, in Hartford’s Im- George Ritchie (University of Nebraska) manuel Congregational Church, unite to perform free Bach in Kenneth Slowik (Smithsonian Institution) subways and public spaces, all day Kerala J. Snyder (Eastman School of Music) marked the end of founding con- George B. Stauffer (Rutgers University) ductor Richard Coffey’s forty- and all night, to share our love for Jeanne R. Swack (University of Wisconsin) our art form and sow the seeds Melvin Unger (Riemenschneider Bach Institute) year tenure with CONCORA. Allan Vogel (Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra) for future generations of classical Christoph Wolff (Harvard University) music lovers. We are currently recruiting musicians, organizers, Editorial Board Daniel R. Melamed (Indiana University), General and venues for performances–so- Editor los, ensembles, flashmobs, mara- Stephen A. Crist, President Announcements: Ellen Exner, Editor, Bach Notes thons and other creative scenari- Matthew Dirst (University of Houston) os are all envisioned! Bach in the Lynn Edwards Butler (Vancouver, BC) Daniel Stepner and the Aston Subways is a community focused, Mary J. Greer (Cambridge, MA) Magna Foundation are pleased Robin A. Leaver (Yale University) 100% volunteer driven, grass- Andrew Talle (Peabody Conservatory & The Johns to announce a one-week work- roots organization–we encourage Hopkins University) shop for amateur, professional, Ruth Tatlow (Danderyd, Sweden) everyone to get involved in pro- and student musicians (and their Christoph Wolff (Harvard University) moting this unique global event. Steven Zohn (Temple University) significant others), focused on Help us fill the world with Bach! J. S. Bach’s Musical Offering, to Membership Information For more information as well take place in Leipzig, Germany Founded in 1972 as a chapter of the Neue as videos and media cover- Bach-Gesellschaft, the American Bach Society between January 4 and 11, 2015. age of previous BitS Days, see is dedicated to promoting the study and per- Four professional musicians, all formance of the music of Johann Sebastian www.bachinthesubways.com. veterans of the Aston Magna Fes- Bach. Annual dues are $50 ($25 for students). Membership information and application mate- tival, will lead coaching sessions rials are available online at the website listed and perform a concert of music below. Interested persons may also contact by C. P. E. and J. S. Bach, includ- Reginald L. Sanders, Kenyon College Music Department, Storer Hall, Gambier, OH 43022, ing the complete Musical Offering. USA, or [email protected]. Participants will perform in ® 2014 by The American Bach Society an informal concert at week’s All rights reserved end. Lectures and organized Please visit the ABS website outings will contextualize this www.americanbachsociety.org remarkable work, as well as for concert and festival listings Bach’s legendary career. We hope you will be interested and/

No. 21 BACH • NOTES