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Bach-Archiv Leipzig, CD JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH 1685_1750 Süßer Trost, mein Jesus kömmt, BWV 151 Et Äna SüßerTrost. mein Jesus kömmt 8.37 dz Becitativo Erfreuedich, mein Herz 1.29 ffl3 Aria ln Jesu Demut kann ich Trost 6.41 E+ Recitativo Du teuerer Gottessohn 1.19 trs Choral Heut schleußter wieder auf die Tür 1.02 Heather Harper soprano . Helen Watts contralto Peter Pears tenor . John Shirley-Ouirk baritone Wandsworth School Boys' Choir @ 1968 BBC Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben, BWV 102 ErsterTeil trt Chor Herr,deine Augen sehen nachdem Glauben 6.37 Ez Recitativo Wo ist das Ebenbild 1.23 Es Aria Weh der Seele 5.45 tr+ Arioso Verachtestdu den Reichtumseiner Gnade 3.24 Zweiter Teil @s Aria Erschreckedoch. du allzusichre Seeler 4.55 Eo Recitativo Beim Warten ist Gefahr 1.31 UA/ Choral Heut lebst du, heut bekehre dich 2.48 Janet Baker mezzo-soprano. Peter Pears tenor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau baritone Aldeburgh Festival Singers @ 1965 BBC HENRYPURCELL 1659-1 695 Celebratethis Festival Birthdayode for OueenMary '1693 @ Symphony 2.O7 Canzona E Celebratethis festival 1.35 @ Britainnow thy caresbeguile 1.56 @ Celebratethis festival 0.44 tr 'l'lssacred, bid the trumpetcease 0.50 @ Letsullen discord smile 3.22 @ Crownthe altar,deck the shrine 3.01 @ Expectedspring at lastis come 1.46 tr Aprilwhotill now has mourn'd 2.21 @ Departingthus, you'll hear him say 1.39 tr Happyrealm beyond expressing 3.26 @ Whilefor a righteouscause he arms 3.39 tr Return,fond Muse,the thoughtsof war 3.42 tr Kindlytreat Maria'sday 3.08 HeatherHarper soprano 'Josephine Veaseymezzo.soprano James Bowman countertenor. PeterPears tenor John Shirley-Ouirkbaritone Ambrosian Singers @1967 BBC EnglishGhamber Orchestra BENJAMINBRITTEN @ Britten conductsBach and Purcell PhilipReed Thepresent disc unites two composers Bach:Cantata No.151 whosemusic meant a greatdealto Britten. Theperformance of CantataNo.151, Hisinterest in performingBach stemmed in composedfor the thirdday of Christmas,is partfrom Pears'sactivity as a Bachsinger of takenfrom a concertgiven at St Andrew's, tremendousskill and authority. During the Holborn,in December1968. We encounter 1950sthe tenoremerged as oneof the someof Britten'sfavourite performers - mostdistinguished and distinctive Bach HeatherHarper, Helen Watts (according to interpreters,especially renowned in the role the programme,replacing an indisposed of the Evangelistin bothPassions. At the JanetBaker), Peter Pears, John Shirley- invitationof the eminentBachian Karl Ouirkand the EnglishChamber Orchestra Richter,he performedfor someyears at the - on thisoccasion joined by the annualBachwoche at Ansbach,one of the WandsworthSchool Boys' Choir whom veryfew non-Germansingers to do so. Brittendid muchto encourageand who Thisexperience - Brittenattended as an becamenotable interoreters of hismusic audiencemember one year - playeda duringthis period. majorrole in hisand Britten's decision to ln theopening 1218lullaby, Harper's establishtheir own highlysuccessful Bach beautyof toneand breath control is weekendsat LongMelford, Suffolk, where matchedby RichardAdeney's exceptionally theyexplored Bach's rich repertory and liquidflute-playing. There is a Romantic, developedtheir own ideason Bach almostother-worldly, quality to Britten's interpretation.The cantatas recorded here approachto thismovement, not only areparticularly welcome as Britten,a throughhis generously paced tempo but committedBachian, made only two alsoby hissubtle use of rubatoand commercialrecordings of Bach'smusic: dynamiccontrol. The clarity of articulationof the BrandenburgConcertos in 1968,and the aria'smiddle section makes for the theSt John Passion in 1971.with Pears strongestpossible contrast. Helen Watts's as Evangelist. warmalto and Peter Graeme's oboe d'amorematch up to the violinand viola sectionsplaying in unisonin the central aria. Pears'srecitative, in whichhe is sensitively partneredby BernardRichards (cello)and PhilipLedger (harpsichord),reveals, in its singer of the front rank. In her accompanied few bars, his complete understandingof recitative,Britten encouragesher delivery how to make recitativetell - how, as Janet of the text by moving the tempo on Bakeronce recalledPears telling her, "the (marked"Urgent" in his score)andusing words could be even more effective when editorialdynamics to contributeto the placedproperly on the beat as Bach had overallmood. To Pearsfalls probablythe written". The closing choraleevinces most technicallydifficult ariaof the work, Britten's musicalapproach to these but he makes a virtue of the taxing, hymns, with a broad tempo, extended wide-rangingmelismas on the word fermatasand a generousrallentando "Erschrecke" to convey exactlythe word's in the finalbar. meaning- "be fearful". A oair of choral movements frames the Bach: Cantata No.102 sequenceof arias.Britten marked the This cantataformed the openingwork in a extensiveopening movement "quick & concert of choral music conducted by stern". Although it's not especiallyfast, the Britten at BlythburghChurch as part of the movement is imbued with characterful 1965 Aldeburgh Festival,a Festivalwhich dynamic markingsand livelyarticulation. At was notablefor the involvementof the the first chorus entry Britten'sindication in great German baritoneDietrich Fischer- his scoreof "righteousindignation" is Dieskauwho was there to give the certainlyrealised. In the closingchorale the premiere of Britten's new song cycle Songs cumulativeeffect of Britten'stemoo and and Proverbs of William B/ake. Fischer- editorialdynamics (especiallyin the second Dieskau'stwo contributionsto Cantata verse)is both dramaticand extrefnely No.102 revealhis considerableauthority in beautiful. this music; his single recitativeis inflected with a Liedersinger's innate understanding Purcell: Gelebrate this Festival of text and line, while in his aria Britten's Britten'sinterest in Purcellburgeoned in the fluent tempo and interplaybetween early 1940s when he beganto make his staccatoand legato phrasingcontinually first keyboardrealisations of his songs. lt engage our interest. was chiefly through Purcell'sexample that Janet Baker'seloquent partnershipwith he came more fully to understandeffective oboist Peter Graeme in the aria "Weh der setting of English,the first fruits of which Seele" unequivocally- and most movingly can be discernedin the ouasi-Purcellian - demonstratesher orowess as a Bach verse anthem, Rejoice in the Lamb, and the Serenade for tenor, horn and stnngs, both appealingfinal number is at one with comoosed in 1943.To mark the 250th Britten'sdeliberate tempo. Shirley-Quirk's anniversaryof Purcell'sdeath in 1945 two solo contributionsare both wonderfullv Brittenwrote severalworks inspiredby characterised:in the martial"While for a Purcell: The Young Person's Guide to the righteouscause he arms" he enjoys an Orchestra,using the Rondeaufrom Purcell's exemplarypartnership with Jones's gutsy Abdelazan the Second String Ouartet trumpeting and he joyouslyconveys Britten's (whose finale is a "Chacony"); and The Holy springytempo for "Expectedspring". Sonnets of John Donne. This performancealso preservesthe This performance of Celebrate this London debut of the twenty-five-year-old Festivalwasgiven on 2 March 1967 at the countertenorJames Bowman and marks inauguralpublic concert of the Oueen his first associationwith Britten.To ElizabethHall in London.In his programme Bowman falls the lion'sshare of solo note Donald Mitchell wrote that "the music numbers;with his sensitivephrasing and offers so much in the way of beauty,charm expressive,highly individualtimbre, it is not and splendour"and its celebratoryqualities hard to understandwhy Britten so admired and royalassociations made it an entirely this musician.Britten makes a virtueof fitting work for the occasion.The burden of Purcell'srepetitive bass in Bowman's first the ode falls not to the chorus but to the solo,and in the succeeding"l enw not the five vocal soloists.Whereas mezzo-soprano pride of May" the countertenornegotiates JosephineVeasey was not a Britten regular, with aplomb the low tessitura(Purcell wrote Heather Harper,Peter Pearsand John it originallyfor a tenor).The trio, prefacedby Shirley-Ouirkwere all well schooledunder oboes and bassoon.unites Bowman with Britten'sbaton. Pears'scredentials as a Pearsand Shirley-Ouirk.But it is perhapsin Purcellianwere thoroughlyestablished by the solemn "Return,fond Muse" that 1967 and his modest contributionin the Bowman fully revealsthe depth of his vocal openingtrio convincinglydemonstrates his colouringand individuality. unerringintelligence and abilityto colour One shouldnot leavethis absorbing text; PhilipJones's trumpet-playingis performancewithout drawing attentionto equallybrilliant in this number.Heather the EnglishChamber Orchestra, and in Harper'sformidable technique is in particularits distinguishedwind players,all evidenceas she negotiatesthe extended of whom had won Britten'strust and melismasof "Let sullendiscord smile" respectduring their many appearances and her carefor text and meaninoin the together at Aldeburghand elsewhere. Philip Jones's trumpet-playing has already been 1984 to 1996. He is currently Head of noted; but one should not overlook the Publicationsat English National Opera. His flautists Richard Adeney and Norman publications on Britten include a handbook Knight, the oboists Peter Graeme and fo Billy Budd (with Mervyn Cooke); Edward Selwyn, the continuo cello of Keith contributions to volumes on Gloriana,Peter Harveyand the delightfulorgan playingof Grimes andWar Requiem;and On Mahler Ralph
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