Cantate Label - Bach Cantatas - General Discussions

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Cantate Label
Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works
General Discussions

Old Recordings of Cantatas on Vanguard

Aryeh Oron wrote (October 22, 1999):
I have some old LP's of Bach Cantatas released by Vanguard label in the 70's. In those days all the new heroes of Bach Cantatas (Harnoncourt/Leonhardt, Rilling, Koopman, Suzuki, Gardiner, Herreweghe, etc.) were not on the map. Ramin's recordings were only a legend, because they were not available. And the only way to hear some of the cantatas (except the very expensive Karl Richter on Archiv) were mostly mediocre recordings from minor labels like Vanguard and some few others. Does anybody know if any of them have been released in CD form?

Here is the list of the Vanguard LP's:

VSD-71193 Cantatas 80+11 - Johannes Somary
SRV-243SD Cantatas 95+33 - Hans Heintze
SRV-241SD Cantatas 117+93 - Ludwig Doorman
SRV-219SD Cantatas 80+104 - Andre Vandernoor
SRV-226SD Cantatas 46+65 - Helmut Kahlhöfer
SRV-230SD Cantatas 100+175 - Heintz Wunderlich
SRV-251SD Cantatas BWV 36+64 - Wilhelm Ehmann
SRV-231SD Cantatas 207a+214 - Helmut Kahlhöfer
BGS-5005 Cantata 50+Magnificat - Felix Prohaska
SRV-225SD Cantatas 182+4 - Wilhelm Ehmann (I have special sentiment for this one, because this is the first Bach Cantata record I have ever heard, back in the early 70's).

Wim Huisjes wrote (October 24, 1999):
Ah, well sounding names, still very much alive in my LP collection. Unfortunately I've only been able to find one from your list on CD (in a sales bin near the cash register):

Vanguard Classics 08 5023 71: Magnificat (BWV 243) + BWV 50 & BWV 70 (Prohaska conducting).

It's Volume 10 in a series called Musica Sacra, so I assume there's more. On the back of the CD it says: "Vanguard Classics: A division of Arcade Entertainment Holdings", The Netherlands. A while back I've been searching the net for a Website, but came up with nothing (well I did find a few P.D.Q. Bach CD's, also on Vanguard, but another company?)

Can anybody enlighten us?

A few others I found (not on your list, all on Vanguard Classics):

08 9180 72: BWV 140, BWV 4, BWV 78, BWV 106 (2 CD's, Prohaska)
08 9094 72: BWV 170, BWV 53, BWV 54, BWV 169, Bach & Händel aria's (Maureen Forrester with I Solisti di Zagreb, Antonio Janigro conducting)

Most of the LP's from your list originate from the German label CANTATE (later released on Soli Deo Gloria). AFAIK only the Somary and Prohaska ones are Vanguard originals. The CANTATE ones were also available in the US (early seventies) from the Musical Heritage Society.

CANTATE has released a few Ehmann recordings on CD (a fine one with Buxtehude cantatas), but unfortunately no Bach works. Other CANTATE recordings have shown up on MUSICAPHON (a.o. the first Rilling cycle of secular cantatas). Maybe more will come?

Recently I saw an announcement that Vanguard Classics is going to release a 4-CD set with Bach cantatas, contents unspecified.

All of it not of much help, but if anybody knows more: please let us know! Most of these recordings (& a lot more, not on your list) are definitely NOT mediocre.

Cantatas on Cantate label

Aryeh Oron wrote (October 29, 1999):
I have many LP's of Bach Cantatas, which were manufactured by the German label Cantate in the 50's and the 60's. Some of them on the original Label. Others were printed by labels like MHS, Vanguard and Nonesuch. Cantate label was re-launched couple of years ago together with Musicaphon and they even have a Web Site: http://www.cantate.de/

So far they have reissued on CD only couple of the first Secular Cantatas cycle recorded by Rilling in the 1960's and issued in the US in the 1970's by Nonesuch. The Ramin's Cantatas (also originated from Cantate) were reissued on CD by Berlin Classics (only BWV 78, which I have on LP, is missing). Does anybody know if they have any plans to reissue on CD their rich vault of Cantatas? They have, to my humble opinion, historical importance to our understanding of the development of the interpretation of the cantatas in the Modern Era.

I thought that the event of 250 years to Bach's death will encourage them to do a project of reissuing on CD all the Bach Cantatas which have been issued by Cantate label over the years. I could an even dream on a Box Set. I wrote to them couple of times, but have got no answer. Maybe somebody in this group knows.

Wim Huisjes wrote (October 29, 1999):

CANTATE & MUSICAPHON operate a bit mysterious: interesting re-releases (LP to CD) have shown up, but disappeared again in no time. But I'm dreaming with you...

Aryeh Oron wrote (October 22, 1999):
(To Cantate label) I have many Bach Cantatas issued by Cantate label on LP many years ago. What are your plans regarding reissues of Bach Cantatas from Cantate label on CD? Do you have a distributor in Israel?

R. Kahleyss from Cantate · Musicaphon Records wrote (November 23, 1999):
(To Aryeh Oron) Thank you very much for your interest in CANTATE records. On my other label MUSICAPHON some of the mundane cantatas, performed by Helmuth Rilling, are re-released on CD in the meantime. Regarding the sacred cantatas there are no plans to reissue in the next future as looking forward to the "Bach-Year 2000" there will be so many new releases on the market that it will make no much sense to come out with old recordings at that time. Possibly you had already a look at my Website http://www.cantate.de where you may find further information. At the moment I have no distributor in Israel.

Wilhelm Ehmann - Bach Cantatas

Aryeh Oron wrote:
I have 4 LP's with Wilhelm Ehmann performing Bach Cantatas:

1. BWV 4 + BWV 182 - on Vanguard
2. BWV 36 + BWV 64 - on Vanguard
3. BWV 49 + BWV 84 - on Nonesuch (issued also by Musical Heritage Society)
4. BWV 37 +BWV 76 - on SDG

The German Cantate label originally recorded all these recordings. I have many other LP's of Bach Cantatas, which were manufactured by the German label Cantate in the 1950's and the 1960's. Some of them I have on the original label. Others were printed in the USA during the 1970's by labels like MHS, Vanguard and Nonesuch. Cantate label was re-launched couple of years ago together with Musicaphon and they even have a Web Site http://www.cantate.de/

So far they have reissued on CD only couple of the first Secular Cantatas cycle recorded by Rilling in the 1960's and issued in the US in the 1970's by Nonesuch. The Ramin's Cantatas (also originated from Cantate) were reissued on CD by Berlin Classics (only BWV 78, which I have on LP, is missing). AFAIK, none of the others was re-issued on CD so far. IMHO, they have historical importance to our understanding of the development of the interpretation of the cantatas in the Modern Era.

Regarding their musical contents, some of them are Bach renderings of very high quality, although they are of course non-HIP. When I have the opportunity to review these recordings in the weekly cantata discussions, I do it gladly, because more than once I found those old recordings very satisfactory, even when compared to more recent recordings. Two of the Ehmann recordings were reviewed in the discussions about BWV 4 (look at http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV4.htm
and BWV 182 (look at http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV182.htm).
Next week I shall have the opportunity to review the Ehmann's recording of BWV 76. Sorry, but BWV 49 & BWV 84 are not planned to be discussed in our group in year 2000. But I hope that both will be discussed next year, because both are charming small jewels. BWV 84 is a solo cantata for soprano, where BWV 49 is also a solo cantata - this time a duet for soprano and bass. For a full list of cantatas according to 'Order of Discussion', please look at the following Web page: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Order.htm.

I thought that the event of 250 years to Bach's death will encourage Cantate label to do a project of re-issuing on CD all the Bach Cantatas which have been originally recorded by them over the years. I could an even dream on a Box Set. I wrote to them couple of times, and their answer was:
"Thank you very much for your interest in CANTATE records. On my other label MUSICAPHON some of the mundane cantatas, performed by Helmuth Rilling, are re-released on CD in the meantime. Regarding the sacred cantatas there are no plans to re-issue in the next future as looking forward to the "Bach-Year 2000" there will be so many new releases on the market that it will make no much sense to come out with old recordings at that time…"

And about Wilhelm Ehmann, who proved to be a fine Bach conductor in all his cantatas recording, I know nothing. The linear notes to all of his recordings that I have, do not say anything about him. The only piece of information I have is that he also recorded some vocal works by other composers, like Schütz.

Enjoy and, of course, you are also invited to contribute to our weekly cantata discussions.

Subject:Wilhelm Ehmann

Seth Lachterman wrote (August 29, 2023):
[To Aryeh Oron] I have been in the Bach Space for fifty-five years. I have greatly admired your website although I don’t believe I’ve contributed nor joined.

I just noticed your comment on how you cherished Ehmann’s S.4 & 182.

That too was the first cantata album I had, and I still have it, and still love it. For me it is the benchmark for others. The Gerhard Herz book (Norton) highlighted the many subtle interpretive nuances imparted by Ehmann consistent with the Herz edition.

In the 1960s I attended an Ehmann concert of Bach and Schütz. It was supernal. I met all of the “Kantorien” performers, got signatures, and had some great conversations. Ehmann himself, I suspect, didn’t speak English and just nodded his red-flushed face.

Of course, in those years, it hadn’t been disclosed that he had been a Nazi and studied with Heidegger.
Years after that, I had a conversation with Joshua Rifkin reminiscing how great a choral conductor he was. I think Rifkin shrank from Ehmann when he found out this secret.

Ehmann’s son, Heinrich, who was a composer, created some memorial works, seemingly in atonement, for the Holocaust.

By his spiritually infused performances of Bach and Shútz, Ehmann, in my reckoning, was forgiven.

So, you might be interested you weren’t alone when you enjoyed that great performance.

Keep up the great work on this magnificent research edifice you’ve given us.

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