Bach, J S: Cantata BWV23 'Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn'

“…each of these cantatas… contain strikingly expressive music of deep personal commitment and affecting poignancy. Phillippe Herreweghe and his accomplished band get their measure admirably, with eloquent phrasing, fervent declamation and appropriate gravitas. Choosing between the several fine performance currently available is difficult but, in one respect, at least, Herreweghe's recording reigns supreme. It is, for me, the oboe playing of Marcel Ponseele which tips the scales in favour of the newcomer.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2009 ****

“What can you say except that Philippe Herreweghe and his Collegium Vocale Gent are the defining interpreters of Bach's vocal and choral works for our time? This is not just a function of skillful exploitation of modern recording techniques or judicious application of recent scholarship, but largely owes to a particular quality of sound and a unique interpretive sensibility that pervades each performance, informed by this conductor and ensemble's nearly 40-year collaboration focused predominantly on Bach.” Classics Today 10/10

“This is, above all, a highly atmospheric programme, often overwhelming in content. Herr Jesu Christ wahr' Mensch und Gott (BWV127) is another corker: the opening chorus sublime in its incandescent contrapuntal mastery and then the main aria, "Die Seele ruht", whose funeral bells (through recorders and pizzicato) are beautifully portrayed in Dorothee Mield's brittle but awestruck delivery.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2009

“'Jesu, deine Passion' represents one of Collegium Vocale Gent's most outstanding Bach projects for quite a while. Not least the power of the Quinquagesima (the start of the fasting before Easter) message – the preparation and prescience for all things 'Passion' – gathers Herreweghe into a contemplative world in which he feels most responsive.
The four works here are all masterpieces (sure, No 22 was probably composed in a hurry as a pre-Sermon accompaniment to No 23 as the dual audition pieces for Leipzig), rich in imagery and beguiling in the pure intricacy and invention of Bach's emotional world. Where does one begin? Du wahrer Gott is, at last, establishing itself as one of Bach's most profoundly crafted creations; Herreweghe asserts his luminous a cappella principles with an almost galant turn.
Elsewhere we hear Peter Kooy, mostly in good voice. Es ist vollbracht from No 159 is a restrained affair but effective nonetheless, especially with the exquisite oboe-playing of Marcel Ponseele. This aria would grace the St MatthewPassion with its Picander-esque sensibility (not least the setting of the words 'Welt, gute Nacht!', redolent of 'Mache dich').
This is, above all, a highly atmospheric programme, often overwhelming in content. HerrJesu Christ, wahr' Mensch und Gott (No 127) is another corker: the opening chorus sublime in its incandescent contrapuntal mastery and then the main aria, 'Die Seele ruht', whose funeral bells (through recorders and pizzicato) are beautifully portrayed in Dorothee Mield's brittle but awestruck delivery.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“…a profoundly impressive achievement…liberating performances inhabiting a language of elevated perception and intimacy...Rarely can a single-voiced chorus have sounded so warm and integrated...Sigiswald Kuijken is gently ploughing his own furrow in a mini-series with modest forces and intimate conceits. The performances here of Cantatas BWV1, 18 and 23 are extraordinarily refined, coherent and perceptive. This is Bach stripped bare, but rapt.” Gramophone Magazine, August 2008

“The sonority of the early BWV 18 is inspired - initially four violas and continuo, with flutes added a decade later. The dark timbre is lightened by authentic high pitch, in a gloriously enveloping SACD acoustic; the opening concerto-like sinfonia is captivating. Soloists are admirable throughout.” BBC Music Magazine, January 2009 ****

“Perhaps most appealing in Gardiner's direction is the unfailing delight he takes in refreshing Bach's dance rhythms without ever trivialising textural content.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2006 *****

“This eclectic selection covers works for Quinquagesima, the Annunciation, Palm Sunday and Oculi (the third Sunday in Lent) in arguably the least even of the seven releases so far. Yet there are significant contributions smattered throughout, not least Nathalie Stutzmann's purpleclad Widerstehe (No 54). This true contralto imparts a captivating resilience in the face of sin's devious tricks.
Inspired by the chamber-like ecclesiastical works of Bach's Weimar period, the reduced string ensemble lends a similar intimacy to No 182, though both works suffer from some scrappy playing that clearly could not be rectified simply by dropping in 'patches' from before or after.
Stutzmann, however, projects just the right sense of involvement without forcing the issue.
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (No 1) is the major work here – a masterpiece of understated majesty and gentle celebration (for the Annunciation) where Bach appears to alight on the morning star as a direct resonance of Epiphany; such musical connections within the cantata oeuvre, throughout the church calendar, provide listeners with endless sources of fascination.
Gardiner's performance is more an example of a splendid occasion captured rather than a notable addition to a distinguished discography.
Cantatas Nos 22 and 23 were Bach's first to have been performed at Leipzig, audition pieces for the post of Thomascantor before his eventual appointment. Both were performed in the same service on the morning of February 7, 1723. Given the Lenten context, Bach hardly had a chance to flex his muscles in opulent displays of orchestration but he makes up for this with two pieces of subtle stylistic range.
Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe (No 22) is strikingly prescient of Passion narrative as Christ prepares for his death with melismas of distilled sadness and acceptance of destiny.
Peter Harvey's is an affecting performance, as is the incrementally impressive Du wahrerGott (No 23), of which Gardiner completely has the measure.
One special movement to bottle? 'Es ist vollbracht' from No 159 – arguably even better than the setting of the words at the end of the St JohnPassion. Heartfelt singing from Harvey is adorned by playing from oboist Marcel Ponseele which is as exquisite as you'll ever hear.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“One special movement to bottle? 'Es ist vollbracht' from BWV159 - arguably even better than the setting of the words at the end of the St John Passion. Heartfelt singing from Harvey is adorned by playing from oboist Marcel Ponseele which is an exquisite as you'll ever hear.” Gramophone Magazine, May 2006

“This eighth volume of Bach Collegium Japan's Bach cantata series bridges the period between Bach's departure from Cöthen and his arrival at Leipzig, early in 1723. Du wahrer Gott und DavidsSohn (No 23) was mainly written at Cöthen, while Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe (No 22) must have been composed almost immediately on Bach's reaching Leipzig. The remaining cantata, Die Elenden sollen essen is on an altogether grander scale, in two parts, each of seven movements.
The performances maintain the high standards of singing, playing and scholarship set by the previous issues in this series. There are little insecurities here and there – the oboes, which play a prominent role in each of the three pieces, aren't always perfectly in agreement over tuning – but the careful thought given to the words, their significance and declamation, and the skill with which they're enlivened by the realisation of Bach's expressive musical vocabulary, remain immensely satisfying. The disciplined, perceptively phrased and beautifully sustained singing of the two choral numbers of No 23 illuminate the words at every turn, savouring the seemingly infinite expressive nuances of the music. As for No 75, we can only imagine the astonishment with which Leipzig ears must have attuned to its music. In this absolutely superb piece Bach entertains us with a breathtaking stylistic diversity.
Polyphony, fugue, chorale fantasia, da capo aria, instrumental sinfonia, varied recitative, wonderful oboe writing and a rhythmic richesse all contribute to the special distinction both of this cantata and No 76.
Lose no time in becoming acquainted with this one. It reaches, you might say, those parts that other performances do not.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010