Baroque Arias – Bach and Matthias Goerne (and Barbara Bonney)

I know secular "christmas" is over, but it's still Christmastide in my world. And who has time to look at/listen to Christmas programming before Christmas, anyway? 

This whole program of Baroque (and one Mozart) music (from 1999) is wonderful. Ms. Bonney and Herr Goerne each have a few solo arias and one sweet duet, plus there's some nice orchestral and brass music—none of it blatantly, commercially Christmas-y. Because I love Matthias Goerne singing Bach, I would like to draw your particular attention to Herr Goerne’s rendition of this aria from Bach's Christmas Oratorio:

 

Großer Herr, o starker König,

Liebster Heiland, o wie wenig 

Achtest du der Erden Pracht! 

Der die ganze Welt erhält, 

Ihre Pracht und Zier erschaffen, 

Muss in harten Krippen schlafen.

Great Lord, O mighty king,

dearest saviour, O how little

you regard earthly splendour

He who maintains the whole world 

and created its glory and adornment

must sleep in a hard crib.

Here are some other seasonal posts from the past.

Luca Pisaroni: Opera Nerd (Interview on Singing Bach & Handel & Mozart &...)

Mr. Pisaroni discusses how Bach fits into his career, as a performer of both concert and opera repertoire. This interview was conducted by Stepan Atamian at WKCR on December 22, 2014. Thanks, Stepan, for this great interview. Luca also talks about Handel, and Mozart; singing his first role at the Met; why he went back to Buenos Aries to study voice after he'd already made his professional debut in Europe; the difference between singing opera and oratorios; and why he makes and effort to attend opera and concert performances of his colleagues.

So, Luca, we've got some Handel, but let's hear more Bach from you!

Two-Countertenor Tuesday – Purcell's Sound the Trumpet

I used to have the old David Munrow-led recording of Purcell's birthday odes—on the Seraphim label, I think! It’s still available from Virgin Veritas.

Anyway, this little duet always makes me smile. There are other recordings, both more and less successful in my mind. No matter how marvelous the current French and German countertenors are, to me this music calls for Brits! Michael Chance and James Bowman just have this in their blood (and voices); and they even impart a bit of (very reserved) British humour to this happy music. 

Speaking of Paul Esswood*, here is a Bach duet (audio only) with Austrian tenor Kurt Equiluz—both Bach specialists who were featured on tons of recordings, especially under the direction Harnoncourt and Leonhardt.

*I guess I wasn't speaking of Paul Esswood, but when I think of important British countertenors of the recent past, he always comes to mind.  

Gratuitous Good Friday – Magdalena Kožená Sings Bach

The Monteverdi program with MK that I posted the other day is quite recent. Here is some vintage Magdalena (Amazon says it was issued in 2004, but a reviewer comments that it was recorded in 1999). This aria from Bach's St. Matthew Passion is from one of Ms. Kožená's first commercial recordings. I find her performance—and that of the un-credited solo violinist—almost unbearably moving.

Erbarme dich, mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen! Schaue hier, Herz und Auge weint vor dir bitterlich. Erbarme dich, mein Gott.

Have mercy, my God, for the sake of my tears! See here, before you heart and eyes weep bitterly. Have mercy, my God.

Miah Persson and Lisa Della Casa on Ö1 Radio (but not together!)

Sunday was a great day to listen to Austria's Ö1 Radio! From the Mozartwoche 2014:

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu with: 

Miah Persson, Soprano; Maximilian Schmitt, Tenor; Michael Nagy, Bass; the RIAS Kammerchor; Berlin Freiburger Barockorchester; directed by René Jacobs.

And from the archives, on Apropos Musik: Die Arabellissima: an hour-long tribute to Lisa Della Casa featuring music by Mozart, R. Strauss, Wagner, and Lehár.

These two programs are available in archive for about 5 more days. Meanwhile, there are more gems coming from the Mozartwoche, including, on February 16, a concert of excerpts from both Gluck's and Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito featuring Malin Hartelius and...some other singers (who cares who else is there?)

Here is a listing of all of the Mozartwoche concerts scheduled this month on Ö1 Radio.

Gratuitous Friday – Angelika Kirchschlager Sings Bach

The other day I found a recording of Bach’s B-Minor Mass conducted by Seji Ozawa. I almost just kept moving, because Ozawa is not one of the first 30 conductors of whom I would think, “Wow, I bet his Bach is awesome!” 

However, I noticed who was singing the Alto solos, so I hesitated, and listened. Here is what I heard. 

Amazon says this recording is from 2011, but it was originally released in 2002 (and that Philips logo on the cover is a clue that it’s not brand new.) 

Frau Kirchschalger also released a solo album of Bach Arias that same year for Sony, which includes my new favorite Bach aria, “Schlummert ein” and this gem from the St. Matthew Passsion: “Erbarme dich.” 

Sunday Brunch – Matthias Goerne Sings Bach

I always think of Matthias Goerne as brooding, intense, and borderline psychotic (similar to, but not to be confused with Christian Gerhaher: brooding, intense, and borderline depressive.) 

It’s partly his über-intense eyes; and, in fact, Matthias Goerne plays brooding, intense, and borderline psychotic very very well (his Wozzeck is a good example.) But he has a softer side, too, as heard here. 

Recently, I was looking for something online (I don’t remember what anymore) and, as so often happens on the interwebz, I more or less randomly came across this circa 2000 disc of Matthias Goerne singing Bach Cantatas. All eleven Amazon reader reviews gave this recording five stars! Now I know why, and so will you, when you hear him sing the second aria from Bach’s ubiquitous solo cantata, Ich habe genug (BWV 82). 

I’ve been trying to find words to describe his singing here. First of all, Bach's genius shines brightly in his setting of this text—it's a lullaby, and yet it's so much more. 

Gratuitous Malin Hartelius Post – Jauchzet Gott... (J.S. Bach)

Malin Hartelius is a wonderful soprano I found out about by reading Earworm Opera. Earworm commented that Frau Hartelius' name drew many a searcher to her blog. (I got there by searching Dorothea Röschmann!) 

So far I've never heard Malin Hartelius make an unattractive sound. Sir John Eliot Gardiner likes her singing, too. He brought her on for his Bach Cantata pilgrimage, and gave her the honor of singing the solo cantata no. 51 Jauchzet Gott in alle Landen! 

Well, he didn't give it to her, she deserves it!  Anyway, here is the opening volley, for virtuoso soprano and trumpet. 

Sunday Brunch – Auger and von Otter Sing Bach

Helmut Rilling's recording of Bach's B-minor Mass is a good representation of the state of  the modern-instrument/HIP hybrid of the 80s (We can tell it's the 80s from ASvO's haircut, and because Arlene Auger is still singing.) I think if you search diligently, you can find the entire mass on YT, in bits and pieces. This is sublime music making.

Sunday Brunch – Dorothea Röschmann Sings Bach

Bach B-minor Mass: Laudamus Te  

Alan Gilbert, New York Philharmonic

March 2013

It's interesting to note that DR started out singing early music. These days, her voice is not what I would usually expect or prefer in Bach. Her voice has become darker, fuller, and more vibrato-y. (Also, Maestro Gilbert seems to have more influence over his ripieno strings than his soloist. The solo violinist gives us Bach via Mendelssohn. Not wrong per se, just different.)

On the other hand, DR's singing is never less than musical, thoughtful, and artistic(al). What a joyful performance! 

Laudamus te – Soprano II

Laudamus te,  benedicimus te, Adoramus te,  glorificamus te.

We praise You, we bless You, We worship You, we glorify You.

Complete Recording Here

Dorothea Röschmann … Soprano

Anne Sofie von Otter … Mezzo Soprano

Steve Davislim … Tenor

Eric Owens … Bass

New York Choral Artists, Joseph Flummerfelt, Director

New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert

Holy Saturday – Bach's Saint Matthew Passion from Munich

This performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion is available for viewing (and listening) on Arte Live for about 45 more days. The Evangelist, tenor Julian Prégardien has a notable pedigree: he's the son of tenor Christoph Prégardien. He has inherited his father's clear light voice and sensitivity to the sung texts; he's an engaging and effective narrator. Bass Karl-Magnus Fredriksson sings the role of Jesus, and he sounds appropriately full-voiced and Christ-like. About the only think I would recommend to enhance their performances is complete memorization of their roles.

Bach Marathon for Easter Monday – John Eliot Gardiner

Thanks to Intermezzo for alerting us to Sir John Eliot Gardiner's 9-hour Bach Marathon from the Royal Albert Hall on Monday April 1. You can purchase an all-day standing room ticket for £10. It sounds exhausting and wonderful. 

For those of us who can't be in London next Monday, BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting the entire programme. 

Gratuitous Friday – Joyce DiDonato Sings Bach

Joyce DiDonato is way too busy and way too famous to be playing the role of Soprano II in Bach’s B-minor Mass these days. What a loss to Bach and the world of choral music! Her 2006 performance from Notre Dame in Paris gives us yet another reason to love her.

Gratuitous Friday – Malin Hartelius – Bach Cantata #78

OK, this isn't opera (and it's not really a real video) but it is marvelous music. Malin Hartelius is joined by countertenor Robin Tyson in this exquisite duet from Bach's cantata number 78, under the direction of Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

Happy Friday!