Bach, J S: Cantata BWV203 'Amore traditore'

Selected from the award-winning cycle of recordings of the complete cantatas of J. S. Bach the secular pieces featured on this album represent works composed at very different stages in his career and also performed in different venues. The Italian chamber cantata “Amore traditore” BWV 203 was written when he served as capellmeister to the prince of Anhalt-Köthen from 1717 to 1723, whereas the other two works originated in Bach’s Leipzig period. The so-called ‘coffee cantata’ BWV 211 belongs to the repertoire Bach wrote for his Collegium Musicum, when Bach organised concerts that took place weekly at the Zimmermann Coffee House and outdoor Coffee Garden. The so-called ‘peasant cantata’ BWV 212 is the last secular cantata known to have been composed by Bach. Dating from 1742, it was commissioned for a celebratory occasion at a country estate outside of the city of Leipzig. The idea behind the work is a serenade offered by the peasant folks greeting their master, the new occupant of the mansion.

The cantatas in this selection, which have been taken from Ton Koopman’s award-winning series of Bach recordings, feature a single bass voice alongside the choral ensemble. The solo cantata “Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen” BWV 56 was first performed on 27 October 1726, the 19th Sunday after Trinity. The author of the text is unknown, but he was apparently inspired by Erdmann Neumeister‘s “Ich will den Kreuzweg gerne gehen” from the latter’s cantata text collection of 1711.

“Ich habe genung” BWV 82 was composed for the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary on 2 February 1727. The author of the text is also onknown. The cantata “Der Friede sei mit dir” BWV 158 survives with designations for two liturgical occasions (Purification/Third Day of Easter) in a manuscript copied by a reliable scribe shortly after Bach‘s death. The origins of the work are therefore uncertain, but

most likely it represents an expansion of a solo cantata originally written (like BWV 82) for the Marian Feast of Purification on 2 February. “Amore traditore” BWV 203, in the typical format (aria-recitative-

aria) of the Italian secular solo cantata, is based on an anonymous text that was also set by the Neapolitan composer Nicola Fago.

Between 1999 and 2006, the legendary baroque music specialist Ton Koopman brought together a stunning array of singers to record the complete cantatas of J S Bach alongside his own Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir. Released originally mostly in 3CD sets, this wonderful cycle is now being made available by Challenge Classics in its entirety. The 67 separate CDs have now been gathered together in a box with a booklet that includes a complete tracklisting and information about each recording.

Along the way these releases were acclaimed throughout the world, and received many major music prizes, including a BBC Music Magazine Award in 2006 for Volume 22 (CC72222). Featured soloists include most of the great modern day interpreters of the music of Bach’s time.