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바흐: 세속 칸타타: 레오폴드 전하 BWV 173a
비 종교적 (세속) 인 칸타타로 독일 안할트-쾨텐의 레오폴드 왕자의 생일 축하곡(1722). 레오폴드 왕자의 생일 축하곡은 이전에 1718년 12월 10일 BWV 66a 가 발표되었으나 남아있지 않다. 바흐는 바이마르 궁정에서 1714년 3월 이래 많은 칸타타를 작곡하였는데, 바이마르궁정은 루터파를 신봉하여 매우 경건했다.
궁정악장이었던 드레제 J.S. Drese가 죽었을 때(1716.12), 바흐는 궁정악장의 자리를 이어받지 못하자 불만을 나타내기 위하여 일종의 현장 스트라이크를 일으켜서 다른 일자리를 찾게 되었다. 때마침 안할트 쾨텐 후작인 레오폴트로부터 초빙 교섭이 있자 군주인 바이마르공에게 쾨텐에 갈 의사를 비추자, 바이마르공은 사임을 강요하는 완고한 청원을 이유로 바흐를 금고형에 처해버린다. 하지만 바흐는 1717년 쾨텐에 부임했다.
쾨텐의 궁정은 개혁파(칼뱅파)에 속해 있었던 관계로, 바흐는 오르간을 연주할 필요도 교회 칸타타를 작곡할 필요도 없었다. 쾨텐의 레오폴드공은 기악에 강한 흥미를 느껴 새로운 궁정악장인 바흐에게 기악 작품을 많이 기대하고 있었다. 그 결과 브란덴부르크 협주곡, 무반주 바이올린을 위한 소나타와 파르티타, 무반주 첼로를 위한 모음곡, 비올라 다 감바 또는 플루트, 바이올린과 오블리가토 쳄발로 또는 통주저음을 위한 소나타, 평균율 클라비어곡집(1722), 총 30곡의 인벤션과 신포니아(1723), 푸가풍의 반음계의 환상곡(1720), 빌헬름 프리데만 바흐를 위한 클라비어 소곡집, 안나 막달레나를 위한 클라비어 소곡집(1722)등이 잇달아 작곡되었다. (출처:칸타빌레자료실).
Bach Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a (Serenata)
Although two of the works on this disc were composed for weddings, they are completely different in character. Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten is a charming and gracious garland of recitatives and arias for soprano solo in which Spring, Flora, Apollo and Amor are all invoked in a blessing of the newly wedded couple and their union.
The Quodlibet (Latin for 'what pleases') on the other hand, is an altogether unceremonious composition which was probably intended for a private function in Bach's own circle or … Show entire textfamily. All we have is a fragment of the work – in Bach's own hand – and the beginning and ending of the piece, including the title page, are missing.
It is therefore not even certain that it is Bach's own work, but may have been a collaboration between several of the wedding guests. Compositions of this kind belong to a tradition which combines quotations from songs, toasts, market traders' calls, proverbs and puns, and were especially popular at weddings – where they frequently got out of hand!
The third disc in Bach Collegium Japan's series of secular cantatas also includes a birthday cantata composed in the honour of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen, Bach's employer during years 1717–23. Durchlauchtster Leopold ('Most illustrious Leopold') celebrates the 'propitious day' while extolling the ruler's 'excellent attributes' and 'princely renown'.
Two duets in minuet form lend the work the character of a courtly serenade, which didn't stop Bach from reusing it, with a new text, as a church cantata a few years later. The name of the recipient of Schwingt freudig euch empor, another congratulatory cantata, is no longer known, but the text tells us that he was a teacher of high standing and of an advanced age.
Once again Bach, who must have been attached to the work, reused it as a church cantata, but also, with the new title Steigt freudig in die Luft, as a birthday tribute to Charlotte Friederike of Anhalt-Köthen, the wife of Prince Leopold.
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a
Most illustrious Leopold
During the years 1717−23, when Bach was Hofkapellmeister in the service of Prince Leopold von Anhalt-Köthen (1694−1728), his duties included providing congratulatory cantatas each New Year's Day and on the Prince's birthday, 10th December. Durchlaucht ster Leopold is one of these birthday can tatas.
The identity of the librettist remains unknown, but in his text the people of Anhalt and Köthen pay homage to their Prince with the solicitude typical of the era. In this context, the two singers may be interpreted as allegorical figures, the soprano perhaps as an embodiment of providence, the bass as an allegory of renown.
Despite the limited instrumental and vocal forces, Bach succeeded in setting the multi-faceted text to music of great variety. It starts with an accompagnato for the soprano, addressing the Prince by name; at the end, the Prince's title 'Durchlauchtster' ('Most illustrious') is effectively ornamented with a brilliant coloratura. The soprano sings of a golden age under the Prince's rule in a lively aria with a rhythmically concise theme. The bass joins in too, praising 'Leopold's excellent attributes'; the words 'machen uns itzt viel zu tun' ('give us now much to do') are re flected in the bustling activity in the accompanying string parts.
The most remarkable movement in the cantata is the three-strophe duet for soprano and bass 'Unter seinem Purpursaum' (fourth movement). It is marked Al tempo di minuetto, and is indeed a genuine minuet that could be danced to. The three strophes are written as a set of varia tions, the key signatures rising stepwise according to the circle of fifths in each verse while at the same time the music becomes in creasingly condensed. The first strophe begins in G major; the minuet melody is given to the solo bass, accompanied by the strings. In the second strophe, in D major, the soprano takes up the melody, and flutes are added to the orchestra. In the third strophe, in A major, the orch estra is augmented by a richly figured violin part; both vocal soloists take part, the bass once again with the minuet melody and the soprano with a free accom pani ment.
Another duet in minuet form concludes this birthday cantata. These two dance movements give the work the character of a courtly serenade, and it is therefore slightly surprising that Bach had no qualms about reusing such clearly secular music – slightly shortened, with its last movement now set for four vocal parts, and with a new sacred text – as a church cantata for Whit Monday in Leipzig (Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173).
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The Bach Collegium Japan was founded in 1990 by Masaaki Suzuki, who remains its music director, with the aim of introducing Japanese audi ences to period instrument performances of great works from the baroque period. The BCJ comprises both orchestra and chorus, and its major activities in clude an annual concert series of J. S. Bach's can tatas and a number of instru mental programmes. Since 1995 the BCJ has acquired a for midable rep uta tion through its rec ordings of Bach's church can tatas. In 2000, the 250th anni versary year of Bach's death, the BCJ extended its activities to the inter national music scene with appearances at major festivals in cities such as Santiago de Compostela, Tel Aviv, Leipzig and Melbourne. A high ly success ful North Ame rican tour in 2003, including a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, has been fol lowed by appear ances at the Ansbach Bachwoche and Schles wig-Holstein Music Fes tival in Germany as well as at the BBC Proms in London, and in the autumn of 2008 a high-profile European tour took the BCJ to Madrid, Paris, Brussels and Berlin.
Besides the much acclaimed record ings of cantatas, releases by the ensemble include per formances of a number of large-scale works by Bach, such as the St John Pas sion and the Christmas Oratorio. In 2008 the recording of the B minor Mass was shortlisted for a Gramophone Award and received the prestigious French award Diapason d'Or de l'Année. Two years later the same distinction was awarded to the BCJ's recording of Bach's Motets, which also received a BBC Music Magazine Award and the 'Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik', as well as a listing in the 2011 Penguin Guide to the 1000 Finest Classical Recordings. Other highly acclaimed BCJ recordings include Monteverdi's Vespers and Han del's Messiah.
Since founding the Bach Collegium Japan in 1990, Masaaki Suzuki has become established as a leading authority on the works of Bach. He has remained the ensemble's music director ever since, taking the BCJ to major venues and festivals in Europe and the USA and building up an out standing reputation for truthful per for mances of expres sive refine ment. He is now regularly in vited to work with renowned European period ensembles, such as Collegium Vocale Gent and the Frei burger Barock orches ter, as well as with moderninstrument orchestras in repertoire as diverse as Britten, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart and Stra vin sky. Suzuki's impressive discography on the BIS label, featuring Bach's complete works for harpsichord and performances of Bach's cantatas and other choral works with the BCJ, has brought him many critical plaudits – The Times (UK) has written: 'it would take an iron bar not to be moved by his crispness, sobriety and spiritual vigour'.
Masaaki Suzuki combines his conducting career with his work as organist and harpsichord ist. Born in Kobe, he graduated from Tokyo Na tional Univer sity of Fine Arts and Music and went on to study the harpsichord and organ at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Am sterdam under Ton Koopman and Piet Kee. Founder and head of the early music department, he taught at the Tokyo University of the Arts and Kobe Shoin Women's University until March 2010, and is visiting professor at Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Masaaki Suzuki is the recipient of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and of the 2012 Bach Medal, awarded by the city of Leipzig.
Joanne Lunn, soprano, studied at the Royal College of Music in London where she was awarded the prestigious Tagore Gold Medal. She performs both in opera and in concert and has appeared with orchestras such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Les Musiciens du Louvre and the Academy of Ancient Music. Conductors she has worked with include Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Marc Minkowski and Nicholas Kraemer. She has appeared at the BBC Proms and the Handel Festivals in Göttingen and Halle. Joanne Lunn features as a soloist on numerous CD recordings.
The countertenor Hiroya Aoki holds a master's degree in early music from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and in sacred music from the Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima. Among his teachers have been Hitoshi Suzuki, Sadao Udagawa, Max van Egmond, Yukari Nonoshita and Robin Blaze. He is a member of various ensembles, including the Bach Collegium Japan, with which he has appeared as soloist both in Japan and abroad. Hiroya Aoki is also active as a chorus-master.
Makoto Sakurada, tenor, completed his M.A. degree at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and has also studied with Gianni Fabbrini, William Matteuzzi and Gloria Banditelli. He is very active as a soloist in oratorio performances, especially in music from the baroque era. Since 1995 he has appeared regularly with Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan. He has also worked with such artists as Jordi Savall, Philippe Herreweghe and Sigiswald Kuijken. He appears regularly in opera and was awarded second prize at the Bruges International Early Music Competition in 2002.
Roderick Williams, baritone, encompasses a wide repertoire, from baroque to contemporary music, in the opera house, on the concert platform and in recital. He has enjoyed close relationships with Opera North and Scottish Opera and has worked with orchestras throughout Europe, including the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and all the BBC orchestras in the UK. His recital appear ances have taken him to London's Wigmore Hall, the Musikverein in Vienna and many European festivals. He is also a composer and has had works premièred at the Wigmore and Barbican Halls, the Purcell Room and live on national radio. |
