This program of favorites included Wachet auf and Ein feste Burg, and revealed many fresh details through the use of period instruments, which by now have become familiar to many listeners not raised hearing them in concert. For example, the piccolo violin, the three different oboes, and the Baroque flute seem so essential today to the character of this music that I wonder how we ever did without them.
Except for the final choruses, three of which were sung by the “congregation” (read: the audience), all the choral parts were sung by the soloists, one voice to a part. This did away with the need for a conductor, and only in the final choruses were any visible cues given. Surprisingly, this entailed no sacrifice of clarity or precision. I should mention the crucial role of the organ/continuo, played by Corey Jamason just as J.S. Bach would have done, enabling the instrumentalists to play with complete freedom of expression.
In the opening movement of the beloved Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A mighty fortress is our God), the composer expresses his profound love for Martin Luther, in music possessed of tremendous conviction. I found there was no loss of power when sung by a small number of voices. Only missing was the sound of the timpani, which were omitted, possibly so as not to overwhelm the smaller vocal forces. The aria “Komm in mein Herzens-Haus” (Come into my heart’s house) was irresistibly sung by soprano Yulia Van Doren.
My favorite movement of this work, and perhaps even of all the cantatas (at least, the ones that I know), is “Wie selig sind” (How blessed are those who hold God in their voices). Alto Jennifer Lane and tenor Jeffrey Thomas (ABS’ music director), accompanied by the oboe da caccia of John Abberger, performed this movement splendidly, capturing, as only music can, the bliss of the soul’s having found its true voice.
Sensuality Awakened
The justly famous “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (Awake, the voice beckons) was given an enchanting reading, highlighted by the combined talents of soprano Van Doren and baritone William Sharp. They were assisted by the brilliant oboist Debra Nagy, and by violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock in two gorgeous duets that express the love Christ has for the souls of his followers. Each ensemble showed complete command of all the nuance and color required in every texture, from the most simple and direct to the most florid. The intertwining of voices, interestingly, was of a sensuality that might have shocked listeners in Bach’s day.
“Ich habe genug” (It is enough), one of the true “solo” cantatas, requires only a single baritone voice. On this evening it belonged to Sharp, who portrayed the soul’s satisfaction at having completed its earthly sojourn. The strings’ murmuring and the plaintive oboe solo that begins the work enveloped Sharp’s singing in one of Bach’s most comforting embraces, displaying the soloist’s richly hued voice to full effect (or “affect,” in the Baroque sense, meaning “expressive character”). The mood, one replete with bittersweet longing, was sustained from first note to last with a tone that combined joy with renunciation, pointing to the final aria, “Ich freue mich auf meinen Tod” (I rejoice at my death), which concluded on a note of liberation.
The fourth Cantata, Jesu, der du meine Seele, is especially well-known to those Berkeley residents who listen to Mary Berg’s radio program on KPFA Sunday mornings. The Duet, as it is affectionately called, with the lyric “we hasten with weak but diligent steps,” concludes every program and is known, by heart, by many of us who listen in as we hasten on our way to church gigs. This Cantata’s jaunty rhythm and catchy tune was delightfully sung, in canon, by Van Doren and Lane, abetted by bassist Steven Lehning and the rock-solid Jamason. It found me singing along under my breath, tapping my toes, and looking forward to future installments of the American Bach Soloists cycle of Bach Cantatas.