JS BACH CANTATAS CD1: David Thomas – bass, Emma Kirkby – soprano Taverner Players Andrew Parrott CD2: Diana – Jennifer Smith (soprano) Pales – Emma Kirkby (soprano) Endymion – Simon Davies (tenor) Pan – Michael George (bass) The Parley of Instruments Peter Holman / Roy Goodman Hyperion Helios CDD22041 Ich habe genug – BWV 82; Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten – BWV 202; Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd! – BWV 208; Recorded 1981/1985; TPT: 87’26

Hyperion’s recent re-release of three Bach Cantatas, recorded in the 1980s, is something of a surprise. Since the advent of period-instrument performance a marked improvement in the quality of playing has taken place, so it therefore seems curious that two CDs of “experimental” recording in the field of early music have now been re-released, especially after the enormous volume of expert and accomplished recording of much of this repertoire. Andrew Parrott directs the Taverner Players in Cantata 82, Ich habe genug, and in the “Wedding Cantata” BWV 202 Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, with soloists David Thomas and Emma Kirkby. These works are quite simply astonishingly beautiful, benefiting from an enlightened chamber performance, which suits their intimate nature. Indeed, Parrott is notable for pioneering the ‘one-to-a-part’ approach for much of the early repertoire and this must have seemed radical in the early 80s. It would be unusual today to perform these chamber works in any other way. Unfortunately, the beauty of the intimate writing in these cantatas is sometimes betrayed by bad intonation; the sound of the solo oboe is not inherently lovely and Thomas’ voice is sadly unrefined. However, the performance has a lively and exciting finish, so characteristic of Parrott’s interpretations. Emma Kirkby’s performance is dramatic and vivid, though her voice sounds feeble in comparison to the enormity of Thomas’ rendition of the preceding cantata.

These works are quite simply astonishingly beautiful, benefiting from an enlightened chamber performance which suits their intimate nature.

Performed by Peter Holman’s group The Parley of Instruments, with Roy Goodman, the recording of Cantata 208 is fresh and interesting. As in Parrott’s recording, it suffers from a lack of good intonation, but overall the performance is expressive and lively. Notably, Michael George is wonderful as Pan and the continuo playing is inventive and dance-like. This secular cantata, Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd! is a delightful evocation of pastoral landscape, featuring a whole array of mythical characters, hunting and calling motifs on the horns, rich evocative scoring for the oboes and oboe da caccia (instruments long associated with pastoral settings). The recording of the piece is a reconstruction of a ‘possible’ performance at Weissenfels in 1713, which involves a significant departure from the autograph score that was prepared for a later performance at Weimar. Similar to Parrott’s scholarly practice, the musicians here decide to play one to a part, with the two choruses taken by the four soloists. Most notably, the cantata here is prefaced by the first movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No 1 in its earlier version (BWV 1046a) and is closed by the Minuet of the same. Peter Holman says in his notes that this is typical practice and the concerto is highly suitable since it is “scored for the right instruments, comes from the right part of Bach’s career, and is in an appropriate hunting style.” Certainly, the outer instrumental additions provide welcome and dance-like entertainment. The choruses are indeed well balanced with the instrumental ensemble, and benefit from the enlightened scoring.

To commend the discs, the choice of repertoire is superb. These three cantatas are surely amongst Bach’s finest, though the occasional moments of bad intonation and ensemble are worrying. If anything, the discs provide an insight into performance practice twenty years ago. Yet there is as much to commend in the playing and singing as there is to criticise in its imperfections.

Michael Nathan