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Reviewer: James
A. Altena With only a few exceptions, most of the limited attention devoted on CD to Johann Kuhnau (1660–1722), Bach’s immediate predecessor as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, heretofore has been to his keyboard works. Back in 35:1 I reviewed a previous CPO release of soprano cantatas by Kuhnau and his onetime teacher in Dresden, the Italian émigré Vincenzo Albrici (1631–1696), and in 22:4 J. F. Weber reviewed a Hyperion disc by Robert King and the King’s Consort of Kuhnau’s cantatas, which overlaps with this new release in only one item (the brief Tristis est anima mea). A couple of other cantatas have appeared in isolation as fillers on CDs devoted to Bach. It is therefore with considerable anticipation that one sees the cover of the booklet for this disc captioned with “Complete Sacred Works I.” Certainly this is a project long overdue, and few other concerns are as well suited as CPO to address the need. As I rehearsed the essential biographical details for Kuhnau in my previous review, I will pass over those here. Suffice it to say that until recently time has not been kind to his reputation. The standard portrait of him, created by his onetime pupils Telemann, Heinichen, and Fasch in the course of a power struggle between him and them for control of Leipzig’s public musical life, has been of a rigidly conservative, dogmatic, pedantic Kapellmeister opposed to all innovation, particularly that from Italian sources. Yet one only need hear a few minutes of Kuhnau’s music to realize the utter falsity of this charge; his church cantatas, praised during his lifetime as exemplary models of the genre, are positively replete with stylistic devices lifted from the far side of the Alps. While not the last word in imagination or innovation, they certainly are not dull note-spinning either, but well crafted, expressive, and engaging. This first installment presents six of the only 30 or so of Kuhnau’s many sacred compositions that are known to have survived to the present. (The booklet notes state that for the cantata Welt adieu, ich bin dein müde, the first soprano, second soprano, and alto parts have been reconstructed by tenor David Erler.) Given my enthusiasm for the project in principle, I wish I could give this initial entry an unconditional endorsement, but alas I have some caveats. Everything is played and sung with spirit, and the instrumental accompaniment by camerata lipsiensis (with the now usual but asinine affectation of no initial capital letters in the name) and the conducting by Gregor Meyer are excellent. However, the members of the sextet Opella Musica represent a reversion back to the bad old days of 20 or so years ago, when pre-Classical period performance groups were rather indifferent to the actual quality of voices so long as certain scholarly stylistic requirements were met. Thus the various singers here have somewhat whitish, chalky, gritty, or otherwise less than pleasant-sounding vocal instruments. I don’t wish to push this point too hard here; I’ve heard much worse, and this is acceptable, not irritating; but compared to the excellent standards which so many artists have now attained in this repertoire, this can only be deemed second-rate singing. As usual, CPO provides all one could desire in the way of booklet notes, bios of the artists, complete translated texts, and clear, well balanced recorded sound. If you are interested in the series, then by all means acquire this disc; but if you want a sampler instead, get the aforementioned CPO or Hyperion CDs. Recommended, but with a reservation as noted. | |
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