Bach, J.S.: Alto Cantatas Vol. 1

Kielland:Cologne Co

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Cat No: 8557621

Release Date: 10 January 2005

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 747313262120

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: BACH, J.S.

Description
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)Sacred Cantatas for AltoBach's cantatas make up the greatest body of his work,if imperfectly preserved and only later successful in theeyes of posterity. A total of some two hundred cantatashave so far between confirmed, sacred as well as secularfunctional music (seemingly only three fifths of all hiscompositions in this genre), written by Bach in over fourdecades.The church cantatas are not only associated with theparticular readings for each Sunday and feast day in theestablished church calendar, but also have particularrelevance to a leading principle of Lutheran theology,the living proclamation of the Gospel. This, then, is allto do with the word of God, that it is followed and thatit raises souls up and refreshes them so that they do notbecome weary. For Luther, characteristically looking tothe simple and the young, that is the true purpose. Tothis end he writes in 1526 that one must read, sing,preach, write and write poetry, and 'if it were helpfuland necessary I would let it sound out with all the bellsand play out with all the organs and let everything thatcan sound, sound out'. Hence music had its directlegitimation in the Protestant rite and indeed in closerelationship with the central sermon. It was thenpredetermined as an effective functional art, to drive theword of God into hearts, as Luther demanded, and it didthis over the centuries in changing forms as 'floridmusic' together with the obligatory congregationalsinging. Motet forms, sacred concertos, the Protestantsong tradition and the influence of opera came togetherin text and music in some complexity, until about 1700the definitive form of what was possible was reached(Konrad K??ster). Here Bach entered with unparalleledcommand and created a universe of overwhelmingartistic diversity.This openness in the sense of a continuingindependence of musical 'church devotions' togetherwith formal traditions, as was generally perceived bycontemporaries and explored with varying degrees ofenthusiasm for experiment, is reflected also in Bach'swork indications. Given that he generally designated hischurch pieces according to the plain annual churchcalendar, he preferred to call them 'concerto'. The term'cantata' appears only seldom and is found most, notinadvertently, in the titles of his solo cantatas, forexample BWV 54, 56, 82 and 170. Although Bach heretoo anticipates in masterly fashion each form, the use ofonly a single voice part in alternating aria and recitative,the integration of concertante elements as well as theomission or mere indication of the congregationalchorus with the final chorale, relates these to the Italianchamber cantata, to which the title 'Cantata' was thengiven.The works here included mark various stages inBach's writing of cantatas. While BWV 54 comes fromthe composer's period at Weimar, BWV 170 and 169, asparts of the so-called third Leipzig cycle, belong to alater period. They have a virtuoso element in thetreatment of the organ a
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