April 30: Cantatas (Münchener Bach Orchester; Karl Richter, conductor)
The virtue of consistency.
Imagine the scene in the rehearsal studio in 1983 as The Police gathered to workshop their final album, “Synchronicity.”
Sting has brought in a few new songs: “Every Breath You Take,” “King of Pain,” “Wrapped around Your Finger.” His blood is flowing strong — he knows he’s at the peak of his powers, with a sense that his new tunes are going to conquer the world.
Drummer Stewart Copeland pitches in a fun Cold War-themed ditty called “Miss Gradenko.” Thanks for that, Stew.
Then guitarist Andy Summers offers up an Eastern-inflected blues. Sting and Stew agreed to record it. It’s called, “Mother.” Do you know it? If yes, you don’t have to click the play button below. If you don’t, you are not ready for this:
Good lord.
This album sold 8 million copies. How many times did people walk from their couch to their record player just to skip, “Mother”? Maybe we should credit Andy for inducing some exercise during the Cola Wars.
I keep waiting in vain for Bach to faceplant as I work my way through his catalog. I mean, it’s silly, of course not — 18th century composers weren’t “trying crazy new stuff” in the way their 20th century successors did. The level of Bach’s consistency is absurd, and his least compelling music remains pleasant with many interesting moments. The quality of his output ranges from “fine” to “literally the best music ever written.”
Bach and his peer composers were incrementalists who worked within fairly rigid compositional, rhythmic, and harmonic structures. And Bach didn’t have exposure to the breadth of music as Summers did centuries later. This means Bach was unable to include a muezzin song in his compositions, nor attempt screamo vocals, nor publicly denounce his schöne Mutter in song.
Bach couldn’t have had a “Mother.” His being landlocked and without electricity is surely one key to his consistent genius.
And yet we’re left to wonder: What would Bach’s “Mother” have sounded like?
While you chew on that, I report that I’ve listened to this seven-hour collection of Cantatas by Karl Richter conducting the Münchener Bach-Orchester (Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube). These works were written by Bach for Ascension Day, Whitsun, and Trinity. Richter’s favorite singers Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and Edith Mathis are all featured, to our benefit. These pieces were recorded between 1961 and 1975. (Richter died of a heart attack in 1981 at 54.)
This post covers Cantatas BWV 10, 11, 24, 30, 34, 39, 44, 68, 76, 93, 135, and 175.
There are many worthwhile moments — highlights below — but there were also many points where I did not connect. Many of these were during up-tempo numbers with trumpets and large choruses. If you’re into that stuff, there’s plenty to find in this collection. (When I want up tempo intense fun, I typically put on with early 1960s Coltrane.)
Bliss out with alto Anna Reynolds in the sixth movement of BWV 39:
I love these little recitative interludes where Peter Schreier has spare backing — he’s perfect in the second movement of the Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11), especially in the ending cadence:
In the next movement, Fischer-Dieskau goes for emotional depth:
The duet in the fifth movement of BWV 10 vacillates between major and minor, very sophisticated stuff. (Schreier and Reynolds singing):
A dramatic chord; check the fourth beat of the penultimate bar of the second movement of BWV 76 (0:19). (Schreier, tenor):
I don’t speak German but here I caught DFD singing about the 'antichrist’ and attempting to frighten, trigger warning (BWV 44, fifth movement).
The Antichrist seeks,
that great monster,
with sword and fire
to persecute the members of Christ
since their teachings are contrary to him:
Count your paces to open BWV 24, JSB is trying to trip you up a bit — this is great. Look how there’s a group of six C’s to start, and then a group of seven B flats, leading to a bit of an off kilter feel to a pleasant opening.
The meandering tenor melody in the second movement of BWV 135, very odd, I like it (Schreier again):
Schreier sings most beautifully at the top of his range, as in the third movement of BWV 93:
Maybe this blast of notes at 0:11 is as close as we’ll get to Bach’s “Mother” (BWV 93, fifth movement, Schreier for the last time today):
Bonus Bach:
Guitar hero Ben Monder noodles around on a Bach Chorale. This music does not arrange easily for guitar — watch his fingers stretch and mini-barre. What a wizard. All thanks to the YouTube algo that recalls how I often search for “Bach” and “Ben Monder” separately.
Joined your series a couple of months late, but spent the last two evenings catching up to the latest post. Along the way I've bookmarked a half dozen new artists to explore in more depth when I have the time. Vikingur, Schreier (never explored Bach's choral pieces, so this will be new), Martha Argerich, and more. Thanks so much for this!
Evan, I'm following along with each post and enjoying it. Thanks for all the work. I feel like I'm slightly too much of an amateur to appreciate it fully, wondering if you have any recommendations for someone just getting into classical to build foundation? You may already have post somewhere explaining that, so link is fine. Thank you.