This new recording of Bach's motets includes all but O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht, BWV118. That one was included amongst Bach's church cantatas by the editors of the Bach Gesellschaft and has remained an odd-man-out ever since. A pity, for although it alone amongst the motets is scored for wind instruments, it does really belong in the present context and not in that of the cantatas.
The new issue does, however, include Lobet den Herrn, BWV230 though the sleeve-note keeps deceptively quiet on the subject of its authenticity, which is by no means established. It's an attractive piece though and deserves to be included along with the others.
Convincing readings of what are amongst the most vocally demanding works of the period are few and far between; they have not by and large been satisfactorily represented in the recorded catalogue, so it was with a mixture of eagerness and trepidation that I embarked on these. My fears proved unfounded for here are performances which achieve a very high level of technical expertise matched by stylistic assurance and musical sensibility. The forces are small—too small for some tastes, perhaps—corresponding with those which we believe Bach had at his disposal in Leipzig. Instrumental support is confied to basso continuo consisting of cello, violone, organ and lute and, in this respect, differs from Nikolaus Harnoncourt's version (Telefunken EK6 35470, 5/81) in which the practice of colla parte support is widely implemented. The vocal texture consists of approximately 16 voices around ten of which are boys from the Hanover Boys' Choir and the remaining six belonging to the Hilliard Ensemble.
This Anglo-German enterprise seems to have worked particularly well in that the strand of vocal texture blend effectively. I have not always enjoyed the singing of the Hanover boys in the past—their previous recording of Bach's motets on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (1C 157 99901/2—available as an import through Conifer) was disappointing—but the freshness of sound, the lightness of articulation and the dependability of intonation are features of their technique which make a marked contribution towards the success of this issue. The Hilliard Ensemble, as we have come to expect, provide polished and thoughtful performances. Perhaps at times I felt that the music would have benefitted from a little more sparkle but that is not implying that the readings are ever dull. Quite the reverse is the case in fact, since one of the features which I enjoyed as much as any was the attention given to the texts themselves. Paul Gerhardt, the author of Furchte dich nicht, BWV228 was no Henry Vaughan but his poetry does not lack fervour and is, furthermore, of a kind which seems to have appealed to Bach; the second of the duets of the cantata Wachet auf!, BWV140, provides an interesting parallel. These artists succeed well in capturing some of the elusive textual nuances.
Fine recorded sound, fine pressings and illuminating performances, comfortably accomodated on a single record, add up to a very strong recommendation.'