The American Bach Soloists continue their survey of Bach’s Weimar cantatas with three works dating from 1714 or, in the case of No. 18, perhaps slightly earlier. Suddenly, with the arrival of Ton Koopman and Masaaki Suzuki (see above) on the Weimar pitch, competition for supremacy in performance has become rather hot. An important distinction between the American series and the other two, however, lies in Thomas’s one-to-a-part concept, instrumentally and in choral movements, in preference to a larger body of players and singers. In chamber-scale pieces such as Gleichwie der Regen there is much to be said in favour of the present approach, whereas in the darkly expressive Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, and in the resonantly occasional Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, with its chorally treated French overture, the need for a larger vocal ensemble may be felt.
That said, I find these performances among the most accomplished and affecting from these musicians so far. The instrumental playing is of a high standard as you will hear at once both in the crisply articulated and imaginatively conceived Sinfonia of No. 18, and in the well-sustained oboe obbligato of the alto aria in No. 12. This last-mentioned cantata, whose opening chorus served Bach as the basis for the “Crucifixus” of the B minor Mass, is given a sorrowfully expressive performance, effectively complementing the spirit of both text and music; only the concluding chorale sounded hurried and somewhat perfunctory.
The vocalists make an impressive showing, individually and corporately. Their joint contribution to the opening chorus of No. 61 is lucid in texture and animated in delivery. A pity then that the expressive nuances of the wonderful bass arioso are glossed over in what seemed to me a rhythmically rigid and unimaginative way. Julianne Baird brings warmth to the aria “Oeffne dich”, though her topmost notes sound uncomfortable, and the concluding “Amen” is sung with infectious vitality. Well worth considering if you like the one-to-a-part approach.'