Bach, J S: Cantata BWV78 'Jesu der du meine Seele'

Founded by Masaaki Suzuki in 1990, the Bach Collegium Japan began its landmark series of Bach's cantatas in 1995. In order to celebrate the ensemble's 20th anniversary – and indeed the 15th anniversary of the start of the cantata cycle – Suzuki has now devised a compilation of some of his personal favourites among the choral movements from the cantatas. The programme of the disc follows the Lutheran liturgical calendar, beginning with Advent and ending with the Feast of the Reformation, a feast which commemorates the day (31st October 1517) on which Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, the spark that would set off the Reformation in Germany. This disc thus traverses the full range of events and emotions that constitute the church year, from the joyous expectancy of Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, by way of the Passion of Christ, to Bach's elaboration on Martin Luther's own hymn Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. In his own comments to the ample selection, Masaaki Suzuki gives his reasons for choosing these particular movements, and also offers two further favourites 'beyond the church year'. These are both pieces which in different ways transcend the boundaries of calendars, churches, religions and even nations: Bach's universally loved setting of Jesus bleibet meine Freude, and Dona Nobis Pacem, the heartfelt prayer for peace for the world from the B minor Mass.

The Bach Players centre this programme on the chaconne: you will hear how Henry Purcell and J.S. Bach join hands in this much-loved dance form of the 17th and 18th centuries. Of the few works of Philipp Heinrich Erlebach that survive, they perform a suite that concludes with a chaconne. The two Bach cantatas are contrasting: BWV150 is said to be Bach’s earliest surviving cantata, BWV78 was composed in Leipzig at the height of his career. There’s something about the openness of sound, the sheer quality of music-making and the sense of connection between performers and composers that makes this a very special recording. Its contents explore the world of the Baroque chaconne, a secular dance form that became a staple of music for the concert room and chapel. The challenge of creating a piece above a repeated bass line certainly appealed to Bach, Purcell and the little-known Erlebach, each on inspired, inventive form in the works offered here. The Bach Players, a London-based collective formed in 1996, reach the music’s emotional heart with tremendous conviction.

“If the idea of composing above a repeated bass line sounds like a recipe for boredom, cast your ears towards Bach’s cantata no.78, ‘Jesu, der du meine Seele’ and its delicious duet for soprano and alto, which is vivaciously performed on this recording by Rachel Elliott and Clare Wilkinson. Purcell’s endlessly inventive genius and technical mastery merge beautifully in his Chacony to create an intoxicating musical mix. The Bach Players catch the work’s elegiac grandeur, slowly developing its expressive intensity with each repetition of the English composer’s eight-bar bass.” Classic FM , January 2010 *****

Françoise Lasserre founded Akadêmia in 1986 after a major musical experience with Philippe Herreweghe. Her journey started with Bach family, Palestrina, Schütz, and at Zig-Zag Territoires Monteverdi (Selva Morale e spirituale et Il combattimento) et récemment Stefano Landi (La Morte d’Orfeo). Two decades later, she returns to Johann Sebastian Bach with the Cantatas.

For this disc, I looked for other affinities which were guided neither by liturgical connections nor by the choice of identical instrumentation in all the cantatas or the use of rare instruments. I took as my starting point the Cantata BWV 12, which I am very fond of, and so the theme of the chaconne emerged quite naturally. It so happens that Bach wrote several cantatas based on ostinatos. I therefore selected three cantatas which make particularly elaborate and remarkable use of this form.

This album fuels a special aura, of piety, purity with a clever choice of soloists V. Winter, D.Guillon, M. Beekman, B. Arnould.

The 2011 10-CD bargain boxes from harmonia mundi from the hm gold collection. We know from experience that these will sell out quickly: incredible price, limited edition, while stocks last.

Featuring the following discs, originally released between 1983 & 1999:

HMC901270 BACH Trauerode / Herreweghe

HMC901592/93 BRAHMS Secular Choral / RIAS

HMC901551 KRENEK Lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae / RIAS

HMC901247/48 MONTEVERDI / Vespro

HMU907397 BIBER Missa Christi Resurgentis / Manze

HMC901292 FAURE Requiem / Herreweghe

HMC901858/59 MAHLER Symphony no.8 / Nagano