Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Jauchzet & lobet
Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele (BWV 69a)
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (BWV 230)
Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen (BWV 51)
Johann Sebastian Bach/Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt (BW Anh 160/TWV 8,10 & 1,1066)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren (BWV 137)
Ensemble BachWerkVokal Salzburg/Gordon Safari
rec. 2023, Thomaskirche, Leipzig
Texts included, no translations
Reviewed as a digital download
MDG 923 23156 SACD [65]

As the name of the Ensemble BachWerkVokal indicates, the sacred oeuvre of Johann Sebastian Bach is its core business. It was founded in 2015 and has released three discs, all of which include at least one work by Bach. The present disc is entirely devoted to him and its content is strongly coherent, as summed up by its title: “Jauchzet & lobet” – Praise & cheer. Two cantatas are intended for the same Sunday, one cantata is one of Bach’s most famous, and a fourth piece is one of the six motets that are frequently performed and recorded. In addition, we get a piece which raises some questions and has been put into the appendix of the Schmieder catalogue for a reason.

The programme opens and closes with cantatas for the 12th Sunday after Trinity. The Gospel of that day was from Mark 7, which tells about the healing of a deaf-mute. The scoring of these cantatas is nearly the same: four voices (solo and tutti), three trumpets, timpani, oboes, strings and basso continuo. The only difference is the number of oboes: BWV 69a has three, BWV 137 two.

Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele (BWV 69a) was performed on 15 August 1723; Bach reused and revised it later several times. It opens with a chorus on a verse from Psalm 103. At its centre is a double fugue, whose subjects are exposed one after the other and then combined. The cantata has two arias, for tenor and bass respectively, and both in triple time. The tenor aria has a pastoral character, and the soloist is accompanied by recorder and oboe da caccia. It is an expression of thanks for God’s “marvellous deeds”, a clear reference to the Gospel of the day. The oboist switches to the oboe d’amore in the bass aria, which has no da capo. The text, which is a prayer for God’s help, refers to cross-bearing and suffering, which is reason to use chromaticism. The cantata ends with the opening stanza of the well-known hymn Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan.

The disc ends with the second cantata for the 12th Sunday after Trinity, Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren (BWV 137). Although it is a chorale cantata, it is not part of Bach’s annual cycle of chorale cantatas. It was first performed on 19 August 1725. It is based on the hymn by Joachim Neander (1680). Its structure is different from the chorale cantatas of the previous year. In those the first and last stanza are kept intact, in the form of a chorus and a chorale setting respectively, whereas the other stanzas are reworked to recitatives and arias. This cantata is of a type known as cantata per omnes versus, which means that the text of the hymn is used unaltered in all sections; the melody is not necessarily used in each section though. The first stanza is set as a chorus, which is a concerto of various instrumental groups: trumpets/timpani, oboes, strings. The second stanza is an aria for alto with obbligato violin. Bach later reworked it as a chorale arrangement and included it in his Schübler Choräle with the title Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter. The third stanza is a quartet for soprano, bass, two oboes and basso continuo. The text refers to adversity, which is depicted by chromaticism. The fourth stanza is an aria for tenor and basso continuo, in which the trumpet plays the chorale melody. The cantata closes with the fifth stanza, which is a simple chorale harmonization.

Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen (BWV 51) probably dates from 1730 and is one of Bach’s most unusual and most virtuosic cantatas. It is in praise of God, which is the reason it contains a virtuosic trumpet part. Like the use of three trumpets in the two other cantatas, this refers to the ceremonial function of the trumpet, which in the baroque era was especially used for music in praise of God and of kings and queens, his representatives on earth. There can be hardly any doubt that the trumpet part was played by Gottfried Reiche, the virtuoso trumpeter who had become senior Stadtmusicus in Leipzig in 1719. For him Bach has written several trumpet parts in his cantatas, which are testimonies of his great skills. It is much more difficult to say with any certainty who has performed the equally demanding soprano part. Bach always used trebles in his church cantatas, but it is also possible that he now and then made use of adult male sopranos, singing with their natural voice. This cantata also may have been sung out of any liturgical context. It is for the 15th Sunday after Trinity but Bach added in ogni tempo, meaning that it can be sung at every occasion. Whoever may have sung it, he (she?) must have been a virtuosic singer with a wide range.

Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden is one of Bach’s motets, but it is one whose authenticity has been the subject of debate among scholars and performers. Several conductors decided not to include it in their recording of Bach’s motets. It has been suggested that it may be the reworking of an unknown piece by Bach, or Bach’s reworking of a piece by another composer. The text is Psalm 117, whose two sections Bach has set as fugues.

Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt is a pasticcio. It has been put into the appendix of the catalogue of Bach’s works, as its authenticity is questionable. The first section should be Bach’s reworking of a piece by Telemann, but the original has not been found. That is different with the third section: it is a chorus for eight voices from Telemann’s cantata Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich (TWV 1,1066). It was not added by Bach, but rather by his successor as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, Johann Gottlieb Harrer. Only the second section is authentic Bach: ‘Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren’ is a reworking of the chorale setting ‘Nun lob, mein Seel den Herren’ from the cantata Gottlob! Nun geht das Jahr zu Ende (BWV 28).

When I reviewed the first disc on this site, I was generally happy with what I heard, although there were a few issues. However, I was impressed by the second disc, whose subject was “Jesu, meine Freude”. The selection of pieces – Bach, Doles, Krebs and Telemann – was interesting, and the performances admirable. I am happy to say that the latter is also the case here. This is definitely one of the best Bach recordings I have heard lately.

This is very much a collective effort. The ensemble includes thirteen singers (3/4/3/3), who also perform the solo parts. Each of them does so brilliantly. I have to mention here Electra Lochhead, who is the soloists in Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen. What a great voice she has, and how well she sings this demanding piece. The opening aria and the closing “Alleluja” require perfect breath control, especially if they are taken at such a swift tempo as here. Ms Lochhead even manages to add dynamic accents, making a clear distinction between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ notes. That is one of the positive features of this recording. These performances are truly rhetorical and speechlike. This is the way I like Bach to be performed. The ensemble is immaculate. What is a matter of debate is the addition of ornamentation in the da capos; there are different opinions on this. I prefer modesty here; Bach has written so many notes that more may not be needed. I have not noted anything here that seems exaggerated, except at the end of the opening aria in BWV 51, which I did not like. Notable, too, is the lack of pauses at the fermatas in the chorales. I prefer short pauses where the text requires it. Otherwise I am very happy with the way the chorales are sung; it is often a problem in recordings of Bach’s cantatas, so this is a nice exception. That may have to do with the German background of Gordon Safari.

It is regrettable that the booklet omits translations of the lyrics, but as all these works are by Bach, it is not hard to find them on the internet. I urge any lover of Bach’s music to add this disc to his/her collection. You will be richly rewarded.

Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen

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