Jan Willem de Vriend - Bach: Christmas Oratorio (2007) [DSD64]

  • 01 Sep, 06:52
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Artist:
Title: Bach: Christmas Oratorio
Year Of Release: 2007
Label: Challenge Classics
Genre: Classical
Quality: DSD64 (*.dsf)
Total Time: 2:18:39
Total Size: 5.49 GB
WebSite:

Tracklist:

Disc 1

Part I 'Christmas Day':
01] I. Chorus - Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage
02] II. Recitative (Evangelist) - Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit
03] III. Recitative (Alto) - Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam
04] IV. Aria (Alto) - Bereite dich, Zion
05] V. Chorale - Wie soll ich dich empfangen
06] VI. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn
07] VII. Chorale & Recitative (Soprano, Bass) - Er ist auf Erden kommen arm
08] VIII. Aria (Bass) - Großer Herr, o starker König
09] IX. Chorale - Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein

Part II 'Boxing Day':
10] X. Sinfonia
11] XI. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
12] XII. Chorale - Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht
13] XIII. Recitative (Evangelist, the Angel) - Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen
14] XIV. Recitative (Bass) - Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen
15] XV. Aria (Tenor) - Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet
16] XVI. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und das habt zum Zeichen
17] XVII. Chorale - Schaut hin, dort liegt im finstern Stall
18] XVIII. Recitative (Bass) - So geht denn hin, ihr Hirten, geht
19] XIX. Aria (Alto) - Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh
20] XX. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel
21] XXI. Chorus - Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe
22] XXII. Recitative (Bass) - So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und singet
23] XXIII. Chorale - Wir singen dir in deinem Heer

Part III 'Third Day of Christmas':
24] XXIV. Chorus - Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen
25] XXV. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel fuhren
26] XXVI. Chorus - Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem
27] XXVII. Recitative (Bass) - Er hat sein Volk getröst'
28] XXVIII. Chorale - Dies hat er alles uns getan
29] XXIX. Duet (Soprano, Bass) - Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen
30] XXX. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und sie kamen eilend
31] XXXI. Aria (Alto) - Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder
32] XXXII. Recitative (Alto) - Ja, ja, mein Herz soll es bewahren
33] XXXIII. Chorale - Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren
34] XXXIV. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um
35] XXXV. Chorale - Seid froh dieweil
36] XXXVb. Chorus - Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen

Disc 2

Part IV 'New Year's Day':
01] XXXVI. Chorus - Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben
02] XXXVII. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und da acht Tage um waren
03] XXXVIII. Recitative (Bass) & Duet (Soprano, Bass) - Immanuel, o süßes Wort!
04] XXXIX. Aria (Soprano & Echo-soprano) - Flößt, mein Heiland, flößt, dein Namen
05] XL. Recitative & Chorale (Bass, Soprano) - Wohlan dein Name soll allein
06] XLI. Aria (Tenor) - Ich will nur dir zu Ehren leben
07] XLII. Chorale - Jesus richte mein Beginnen

Part V 'Sunday after New Year’s Day':
08] XLIII. Chorus - Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen
09] XLIV. Recitative (Evangelist) - Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem
10] XLV. Chorus & Recitative (Alto) - Wo ist der neugeborne König der Jüden?
11] XLVI. Chorale - Dein Glanz all Finsternis verzehrt
12] XLVII. Aria (Bass) - Erleucht auch meine finstre Sinnen
13] XLVIII. Recitative (Evangelist) - Da das der König Herodes hörte
14] XLIX. Recitative (Alto) - Warum wollt ihr erschrekken?
15] L. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und ließ versammlen alle Hohepriester
16] LI. Terzetto (Soprano, Alto & Tenor) - Ach, wenn wird die Zeit erscheinen?
17] LII. Recitative (Alto) - Mein Liebster herrschet schon
18] LIII. Chorale - Zwar ist solche Herzensstube

Part VI 'Epiphany':
19] LIV. Chorus - Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben
20] LV. Recitative (Evangelist) - Da berief Herodes die Weisen heimlich
21] LVI. Recitative (Soprano) - Du Falscher, suche nur den Herrn zu fällen
22] LVII. Aria (Soprano) - Nur ein Wink von seinen Händen
23] LVIII. Recitative (Evangelist) - Als sie nun den König gehöret hatten
24] LIX. Chorale - Ich steh an deiner Krippen hier
25] LX. Recitative (Evangelist) - Und Gott befahl ihnen im Traum
26] LXI. Recitative (Tenor) - So geht! Genug, mein Schatz geht nicht von hier
27] LXII. Aria (Tenor) - Nun mögt ihr stolzen Feinde schrekken
28] LXIII. Recitative (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) - Was will der Höllen Schrekken nun
29] LXIV. Chorale - Nun seid ihr wohl gerochen

It may seem strange to begin a CD review by discussing the documentation but it’s right to do so on this occasion since the presentation of this set is such an outstanding feature. The discs are housed in a hardback book that measures approximately 6.25 inches by 8.5 inches. The book itself runs to seventy-six pages and in addition to the full text and English translation you get a lengthy and interesting interview with the conductor, a detailed note about the music and an even more substantial essay discussing the work in the context of the Lutheran liturgy. This excellent documentation is enhanced by the inclusion of a number of mother-and-child photographs, in black-and-white, by photographer Eddy Posthuma de Boer. I’m also happy to report that the typeface is clear and easy to read, which is not something that one can take for granted these days. The only defect was the absence of a track listing, which I suspect was a printing flaw in my review copy.

Happily, this release doesn’t just stand or fall by the documentation for the performance is of a comparable excellence. Jan Willem de Vriend tells us that he and Combattimento Consort Amsterdam have performed the complete Christmas Oratorio almost every year for the last decade – it’s unclear if Capella Amsterdam, a professional choir, has taken part in all these performances – and certainly there does seem to be a unity of purpose and a sense of teamwork about this recording. I’ve listened to it several times now and I’m struck by its freshness and by the pervading feeing of joy about it. There seems to be a sense of rightness, and the interpretation seems well settled, though never routine. In the course of a performance lasting over two hours one is almost bound to disagree with certain aspects but I have to say that such occasions were few and far between. I thought that the tempo for the opening chorus of the Third cantata, ‘Herrscher des Himmels’, was a bit brisk – though the performers can certainly cope with the pace – but for the most part I felt that de Vriend’s choice of speeds was consistently judicious..

Things get off to the best possible start with a jubilant, festive traversal of the very first chorus, ‘Jauchzet, frohlocket’. The trumpets ring out tellingly, every instrumental and vocal strand is clear, including a nicely judged bass line, and the choir excels. The thirty-two singers – eight to a part, with female altos - sound fresh and eager and both singers and players invest the rhythms with great vitality. By sheer coincidence on the morning that I began to type up this review I caught the opening chorus from Harnoncourt’s new recording. I suspect he is using a larger choir and orchestra but what struck me was how deliberate and emphatic it all sounded. The bass line was heavy, the timpani boomed and the tempo lacked any lift or sense of urgency. The BBC Radio 3 presenter described it as "measured" but I think I’d have said "ponderous". There’s none of that in this Dutch performance and the first chorus proves to be a harbinger of what is to come.

The choral singing consistently gives great pleasure. The chorales are uniformly satisfying. Elsewhere, the chorus ’Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe’ (Cantata II) has an infectious eagerness and they produce a lovely warm sound in ‘Falt mit Danken’ (Cantata IV). They’re bustlingly exultant in ‘Ehre sei dir,Gott, gesungen’ (Cantata V) and launch the sixth cantata joyously.

The orchestral contribution is no less fine. The sinfonia that opens Cantata II lilts irresistibly and the rich sound that the pair of natural horns adds to the mix in the opening chorus of Cantata IV is hugely enjoyable. The obbligato playing is uniformly excellent – sample, for instance, the natural trumpet in the bass aria in Cantata I or the expressive violin in the alto aria ‘Schliesse, mein Herze’(Cantata III).

There is a strong team of soloists. The tenor, Jörg Dürmüller, who I can’t recall hearing previously, impresses as the narrator. He has a fine clarity of delivery and his voice, which is essentially quite a light one, is produced easily, especially at the top. He may lack the sweetness of Anthony Rolfe-Johnson (for John Eliot Gardiner) or the sense of engagement of the incomparable Helmut Krebs (for Fritz Werner) but he’s still a very involving narrator. He and de Vriend pace the recitatives admirably and you feel drawn into the narrative by Dürmüller. He also sings his demanding arias very well.

Detlef Roth is a very satisfying bass. His voice has presence but is also sufficiently agile so that he gives a fine account of that noble aria ‘Grosser Herr’ (Cantata I). He also produces smooth tone for ‘Erleucht auch meine finstre Sinne’ (Cantata V). The soprano has the least to do among the soloists but I enjoyed the singing of Malin Hartelius. In particular I relished the light, silvery tone that she deploys in ‘Flösst, mein Heiland’ (Cantata IV). Her account of this aria is full of charm and I love the way she conveys wide-eyed eagerness when singing the simple but key word "Ja".

Her fellow Swede, the alto Kristina Hammarström, makes a very positive impression. To her fall some of the choicest arias in the whole work and she’s fully equal to their challenges. She’s suitably alert in ‘Bereite dich, Zion’ (Cantata I) and then in the next cantata she delivers ‘Schlafe, mein Liebster’ with warm affection.

As I’ve already indicated, Jan Willem de Vriend directs the proceedings judiciously. He displays evident understanding and affection for the music and leads what I find to be a consistently satisfying and invigorating account of this wonderful music. Since the performance is also captured in excellent sound that is clear yet atmospheric this set earns a very strong recommendation on every count. I’ve enjoyed this recording of Christmas Oratorio enormously and I hope it will brighten your Christmas celebrations also. ~ John Quinn, MusicWeb-International