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Cantata BWV 88
Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden
Discussions - Part 2 |
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Continue from Part 1 |
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Discussions in the Week of October 8, 2007 (2nd round) |
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Douglas Cowling wrote (October 31, 2007):
Week of Oct 28, 2007: Cantata 88, ³Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden²
Week of Oct 28, 2007
Cantata 88, ³Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden²
Performances:
1st performance: July 21, 1726 - Leipzig
5th Sunday after Trinity
Libretto:
Jeremiah 16: 16 (Mvt. 1)
Jeremiah 5: 10 (Mvt. 4)
Georg Neumark (Mvt. 7)
Anon (Mvt. 2, Mvt. 3, Mvt. 5, Mvt. 6) [Neumann suggests Christiane Mariane von Ziegler], [Walther Blankenburg suggested Christoph Helm]
Texts & Translations: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV88.htm
Readings:
Trinity Sunday:
Epistle: Epistle: 1 Peter 3: 8-15
Gospel: Luke 5: 1-11
Texts of readings: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Read/Trinity5.htm
Other Cantatas written for Trinity 5
BWV 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten (Leipzig, 1724)
Introduction to Lutheran Church Year: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/LCY/index.htm
Movements:
Mvt. 1: Aria - Bass
³Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden²
Instruments: 2 Cor, 2 Oda, Tle, 2 Vn, Va, Bc
Mvt. 2: Recitative - Tenor
³Wie leichtlich könnte doch der Höchste uns entbehren²
Instruments: Bc
Mvt. 3: Aria Tenor
³Nein, Gott ist allezeit geflissen²
Instruments: 2 Oda, 2 Vn, Va, Bc
Mvt. 4: Recitative & Arioso Tenor and Bass
³Jesus sprach zu Simon²
Instruments: 2 Vn, Va, Bc
Mvt. 5: Aria - duet
³Beruft Gott selbst, so muss der Segen²
Instruments: 2 Oda, 2 Vn, Va, Bc
Mvt. 6 Recitative - Soprano
³Was kann dich denn in deinem Wandel schrecken²
Intrumentents: Bc
Mvt. 7 Choral
³Sing, bet und get auf Gottes Wegen²
Instruments: 2 Oda, Tle, 2 Vn, Va, Bc
Chorale Melodies:
³Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten²
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/CM/Wer-nur-den-lieben-Gott.htm
Piano Vocal Score: (free PDF download)
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV88.htm
<http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV146.htm>
Recordings: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV88.htm#RC
Music (free streaming download): http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Mus/BWV88-Mus.htm
Commentaries:
Crouch: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/bachjs/cantatas/088.html
AMG: http://wm06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=42:4291~T1
Previous Discussion: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Guide/BWV88-Guide.htm |
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Neil Halliday wrote (November 1, 2007):
The orchestration of the opening movement, with woodwinds doubling strings, is very rich, and in addition (in the animated second part) we have colourful writing in the separate parts for two horns.
The flowing, graceful 6/8 time of the first section contrasts with the strong 2/2 rhythm of the second section.
In the first section, the opening pedal point has the rhythm of the pedal point at the opening of the SMP (BWV 244). Later on, the voice - in a charming long melisma on "(aus)send(den)" - adopts a wave-like figure in flowing 1/16th notes that is presented earlier in the instrumental parts. This melisma contrasts with the one in 1/8th notes on "fischen", while the orchestra now has the lengthy wave-like 1/16th note figure.
In the second section, the rhythm of which features a lively, syncopated interplay between the voice and the different instrumental groups, the music becomes gloriously exultant on the phrase "on the mountains, on the hills, and in the hollows". [The second orchestral ritornello reminds me, I think, of music in the Sammy Davis jn. number "The Rhythm of Life" from the 60's film "Sweet Charity"]. This bit is, ofcourse, based on a segment of the cycle of fifths.
There appear to be only four commercial recordings. Rilling [1] and Koopman [5] are most satisfactory, IMO; The former is slower and 'romantic' (but there is some microphonal distortion of Schöne's voice), Koopman is quicker (a bit too fast?) yet flowing and polished (judging by the BCW sample). In contrast, Leonhardt's performance [2] of the first section is disjointed, and Leusink's [4] is somewhat unpolished.
Leusink [4] makes a reasonable attempt in the accompaniment for the secco recitative (Mvt. 2).
The tenor aria (Mvt. 3) is unusual in that the 'ritornello' - richly orchestrated - appears at the end of the movement. Rilling [1] is fine though Kraus' voice does have a hard-edged vibrato at times. Leonhardt's [2] continuo accompaniment is disjointed.
Listen to the 'reverence' that Rilling [1] brings to the short opening section for tenor and strings ("Jesus sprach zu Simon") in the following movement. Leusink [4] and Leonhardt [2] dash through it carelessly. Koopman [5] is much better than these two.
But Rilling [1] is unsatifactory in the arioso proper (for bass and continuo) (Mvt. 4) with somewhat tedious, heavy continuo strings. Leonhardt [2] brings considerable musicality to this arioso with a charming organ realisation, lively cello, fine singing and relaxed tempo. Koopman [5] has his (to my ears) disjointed/'dainty', 'rattly' organ realisation.
The SA duet (Mvt. 5) has charming intertwining vocal and instrumental lines that are spoilt by the heavy vibratos of Rilling's singers [1]; the period performances are better for their 'cleaner' singing (ie, less vibrato), though Leonhart's performance is rather fast (IMO).
In the final chorale (Mvt. 7), Leonhardt [2] has his (IMO) annoying stress on, and separation of, each quarter note. Koopman [5] is polished but sounds rushed, IMO. |
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Julian Mincham wrote (November 1, 2007):
[To Neil Halliday] The more fully orchestrated version of the ritornello at the end is unusual because of the addition of extra instruments but not because it only appears at the end. Bach omits it at the beginning because the aria responds immediately to a question put at the end of the previous recit.
Bach does extend and fiddle with the ritornelli at the end on odd occasions. One such is the sop aria of BWV 49---very odd proportions all round and the ritornello, when it cat the end of the A section and again forthe da capo repeat, is almost twice as long as the original ritornello. |
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Neil Halliday wrote (November 1, 2007):
Julian Mincham wrote:
>The more fully orchestrated version of the ritornello at the end is unusual because of the addition of extra instruments but not because it only appears at the end. Bach omits it at the beginning because the aria responds immediately to a question put at the end of the previous recit.<
Thanks, Julian, for pointing this out - and citing BWV 49/4 as another example with an extended ritornello at the end (although I believe all three ritornellos you refer to in 49/4 are the same length, namely, 12 bars).
I remembered another aria in which the voice, as in BWV 88/3, begins straight away without ritornello, namely BWV 73/4, where we have a similar situation to BWV 88/3 (the tenor aria in this week's cantata) with the text continuing straight from the previous recitative into the following aria. (BTW, Robertson considers BWV 73/4 to be "one of the most beautiful and deeply felt arias for bass"; listening to Rilling's version [1], I can only totally agree with him).
In BWV 88, the tenor recitative ends on a B major chord (after a descending chromatic bass line in the previous two bars), which leads nicely into the E minor key of the aria. The oboe has an elaborated form of the melody fist given out by the tenor voice; and the phrase on "yes, yes, when we have strayed" is given an appropriately
syncopated setting. |
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Julian Mincham wrote (November 1, 2007):
[To Neil Halliday] Aplogies in my rush this morning i gave the wrong cantata number. I meant to say BWV 47 NOT BWV 49 (thanks for pointing this out so tactfully!)
BWV 47/2 sop aria.
The proportions of this aria are rather odd. The first section is 126 bars long, including the da capo, 252 bars, the middle section less than forty. Though it is not uncommon for Bach to subdivide his movements so that greater time and space is devoted to the more important aspects of the message, this is a remarkable difference.
The construction of the instrumental ritornello also invites comment. Stated at the beginning of the movement it lasts 18 bars. When closing the first section, and indeed the movement, Bach extends it to almost twice its original length, a total of 34 bars. |
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