Capriccio seem to be gradually expanding their 1985 tercentenary Bach Edition. This new release contains three of Bach's solo cantatas. The earliest of them, Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut (No. 199) was first sung in Weimar in 1714 but revived at Leipzig in 1723. For the revival Bach made adjustments, the most important of them being the substitution of a violoncello piccolo for viola as obbligato instrument in the beautiful solo voice hymn, ''Ich, dein betrubtes Kind''. The penitential text is by the Darmstadt poet, Creorg Christian Lehms and Bach seems to have responded to his work vith notable fervour both in this cantata and in the only other one by him which he set (Widerstehe doch der Sunde, No. 54) for each is a masterpiece.
The two other cantatas here, Ich armer Mensch (No. 55) and Ich bin vergnugt (No. 84) date from 1726 and 1727 respectively. Like Cantata No. 199, the theme of Ich armer Mensch is one of guilt whereas Picander's text for Cantata No. 84 dwells on the Christian's happiness with his lot. The strongest performance comes from Peter Schreier who sings Bach's only cantata for solo tenor with superb artistry. The music is severe and makes such demands on the vocalist that the piece is infrequently performed. Schreier makes it all sound comparatively effortless and succeeds where many others fail in making something intelligible of the exacting opening aria. He sets a brisker tempo there than most, yet avoids diminishing the effect of the chromaticisms. In the second aria more simply scored than the first, Schreier vividly conveys the urgency of the sinner's appeal for mercy.
Cantatas Nos. 84 and 199 are for soprano solo. Venceslava Hruba-Freiberger has an attractive voice and a fairly secure technique but she is not always helped by the instrumental support which seems to pay little attention to what she is attempting to convey. Sadly, the least successful number is also musically one of the most captivating. It's the hymn with obbligato violoncello piccolo in No. 199. Here the soprano sings Johann Heermann's chorale melody ''Wo soll ich fliehen hin'' accompanied by energetic figures on the violoncello piccolo with organ continuo, but the organ is distantly focused while the stringed instrument is artificially close. Neither player seems to consider himself accountable to the other and the sound of each is indifferent. Bach's earlier scoring for viola seems to me a happier one, anyway. But still, that apart, there is much to enjoy in this new release. The Leipzig University Choir have little enough to do two short chorale verses, in fact—but does it well and there are some fine contributions from the flute and oboe players.
Ardent followers of the Telefunken Bach Cantata series may not be persuaded to try these performances, but I certainly prefer Schreier's tempo to that of Kurt Equiluz in the opening aria of No. 55 and hope that when it appears, Harnoncourt or Leonhardt, whichever of the two, will have chosen the Weimar version of No. 199.'