This is the second disc of Bach cantatas from Jeffrey Thomas and the American Bach Soloists; the earlier one, containing four cantatas for solo voice, I reviewed in December 1992. That was an enjoyable issue notwithstanding a few weaknesses, and the new disc is comfortably its equal. Ich steh mit einem Fuss im Grabe (''I stand with one foot in the grave'') is, as its title suggests a profoundly elegiac piece belonging to the late 1720s. Its wonderfully expressive opening sinfonia for oboe and strings is well-known in its version for harpsichord and strings in the Concerto in F minor (BWV1056); but the remainder of the Cantata, though comparatively unfamiliar, is hardly of a lesser expressive intensity, a feature which does not pass unnoticed by these sensitive artists. Although none of the soloists—countertenor, tenor and bass—is entirely secure, I very much like the effect they are striving to achieve and the performance by and large is affecting.
The second cantata in the programme, No. 198, is the marginally earlier elegy which Bach performed in 1727 at the memorial service for Christiane Eberhardine, Queen of Poland, Electoral Princess of Saxony and wife of Augustus the Strong. She was not only a staunch Protestant but a lover of music so it is hardly surprising that Bach produced a score of distinction in her memory. The unusual scoring consists of pairs of flutes, oboes d'amore, bass viols, lutes—the work is unique among Bach's cantatas in its specific scoring for lutes—strings and continuo. The text of the Trauer-Ode was provided by the German Enlightenment poet Gottsched. Singers and instrumentalists give an enchanting account of this music; the contralto Judith Malafronte is outstanding as are the contributions of the first oboe player and the two bass viol players. Thomas judges the tempos well, is less inclined than John Eliot Gardiner (Archiv) to pace the music excessively fast, and gives eloquent shape to each section of the work.
The third cantata here belongs to the 1724-25 chorale cantata cycle. Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben? begins with one of Bach's most extraordinary poetic fantasies in which he evokes the death knell of the human soul's mortal span. The composer's free-ranging imagination, which penetrates both vocal and instrumental parts is a source of wonder. I did not feel altogether happy with Thomas's tempos here. The opening chorus, brisker than Joshua Rifkin's (L'Oiseau-Lyre), poses problems for the instrumentalists whose predicament sounds decidedly precarious in one or two instances; and the concluding chorale moves at a pace which precludes even a nominal gravitas. But this is a disc which is hugely enjoyable all the same and in the main, successful. Thomas himself is an eloquent tenor soloist whose singing at its best is stylish and sensitive to the text. Judith Nelson and Julianne Baird are both on strong form though Steven Rickards is less secure. James Weaver gives a fine, articulate performance of his virtuoso aria, ''Doch weichet'' (No. 8), and is admirably supported here by flute and strings; and William Sharp is lyrical in his arioso though inclined to live up to his name in the semplice sections in No. 198.
In summary, this is one of the most stimulating Bach cantata discs to have come my way in recent times. It is not without its weak moments but the many instances of sensitive singing and playing more than outweigh them. Lutes are incorporated in the continuo in each of the cantatas. There is no evidence that Bach himself would have done so but nothing to argue conclusively that he did not. As I remarked in my review of the earlier disc by this group I am decidedly in favour. Bach's predecessor at Leipzig used them and it is difficult to imagine why Bach might not have called upon them if they were available. Strongly recommended. More please!'