J. S. Bach – Cantatas BWV 4 & 134 – Hans-Joachim Rotzsch

Construction of the Cantata is exceptional in details and in formal idea. Bach has retained strophic form of Luther’s choral. He set the seven choral verses as seven parts of cantata, and the whole cycle is preceded by Sinfonia – short, 16 bars orchestral introduction. Consecutive verses has been set as the cycle of variations on main theme. Bach and giving every versus its own form and character corresponding with the text. At the end of every versus Bach placed Halleluyah passage according to Luther’s chant. Composing this cantata Johann Sebastian Bach used variational form basing on theme of Martin Luter’s chorale for Easter. 

The melody has in fact much longer history. In oldest known version it is wide recognized sequenze for Easter Sunday Catholic liturgy Victimae paschali laudes and is mostly attributed to monk, poet and composer Wipo of Burgundy, but sometimes also to other authors, Notker Balbulus, Adam of St. Victor and even king of France, Robert II. Martin Luter modifying this popular melody wrote his own choral  in seven verses. This chant was adopted by Johann Walter ans in 1524 published in Wittembergish Geistlich Gesangbuch. Many Reformations composers wrote artistic versions of this Easter choral. Best known are cantatas by Johann Herman Schein, Andreas Hammerschmidt, Johann Pachelbel and Johann Sebastian Bach. Choral preludes to Christ lag in Todesbanden were almost mandatory.

J. S. Bach – Cantates BWV 4 & 134 – Hans Joachim Rotzsch

Among many Bach’s cantata recordings these personally connected to the places and memorabilia of Johann Sebastian Bach look more reliably. The 1981 recording was made by East Germany label Eterna Edition in cooperation with Ariola Eurodisc and is straingtforwardly linked with great history of music. Cantata Christ lag in Todesbanden was most probably composed in 1707 and later in Leipzig Bach copied voices for performance in Leipzig in 1724. This performance was repeated in 1725. On opposite side of the album publisher placed Cantate for third day of Easter Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß BWV 134. This cantata was written for Thomanerchor and performed in Leipzig in 1924.

Recorded in Studio-Paul-Gerhardt-Kirche in 1981 performance was based on musicians form Lepizig, Neues Bachisches Collegium musicum zu Leipzig (selected musicians of famous Gewandhausorchester) and Thomanerchor Leipzig. This performance was conducted by Hans-Joachim Rotzsch, in 1972-1991 fifteenth chormaster on the post of Thomaskantor after Johann Sebastian Bach. In performance of Cantata Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiß BWV 134 participated vocalists Ortrun Wenkel – alto and Peter Schreier – tenor, these times best voices of the country, though not from Leipzig.

Mozart – Requiem – Nikolaus Harnoncourt

After last two centuries of historical and musicological research problem of authorship of Mazart’s missa pro defunctis is still vivid question. Sometimes it looks like the authorship issues were not as much interesting alone as connected to this research question of composers intentions. And this could be the crucial question for almost every artistic event. In this special case intentions are meaningful for investigating what parts are real Mozart’s and what are only styling. Romantic legends say about poisoning composer and creating in last minutes work becoming his artistic testimony. The effect were dozens of solemn, heavy mourning interpretations of always the same Süssmayr’s version. Just like Mozart wasn’t the one who decided about the style of classical era. In last decades of twentieth century raised the whole movement for creating new vision of final Mozart’s oeuvre, by correcting evident mistakes, by playing it on instruments from Mozart’s time or just by interpreting the work more classical than romantic way.

Mozart – Requiem – Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1982)

Important recording of the Requiem was made by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his orchestra Concentus musicus Wien for Telefunken in 1982. This great rendition was founded on the traditional basis of well known Mozart’s Requiem structure with additions by Franz Xaver Süssmayr but in new and improved instrumentation  by Franz Beyer. Great sound of the orchestra and again Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor are playing the main narrative role. Choir have the full spectrum of dynamics and articulation and its sound is perfectly set in meaningful interpretation. Soloists, Rachel Yakar, Ortrun Wenkel, Kurt Equiluz and Robert Hall are relatively less independent than in other recordings, treated rather as a chamber continuation of the choir part. Anyway these four great voices with this unbelievably precise performance are demarcating new standards of vocal expression. Partly it is also effect of improved sound of instrumental parts. Softly and deeply, tragic consciousness of inevitable death is coming to be listener’s intimate experience. Under Harnoncourt’s baton Requiem is closer to the performing style of Coronation Mass than to many other renditions of this work. When this comes out of knowledge about the style and artistic technology, musicians can follow text as it was open space for many possibilities. But only talented musicians can follow the Mozart’s music in such narrative manner. And maybe this is what makes Harnoncourt’s recording so much exceptional.