For Whom the Flute Tolls: Bach at Noon, Tuesday, February 14th

Bach’s delicate gem of a cantata, No. 8, “Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben?” begins with almost-whimsical oboes ascending over pizzicato strings.  In the third bar, a lone flute begins to play a series of repeated sixteenth notes:  ti-ca-ti-ca-ti-ca-ti-ca-ti-ca-ti-ca-ti, and then, as the oboes continue their dialogue, the flute disappears back into the texture.  The oboes and strings modulate, and again, the flute chimes in again with these strange repeated notes.  As the instrumental prelude continues, the flute part takes on a more conventional (or conventional to Bach) tone, with arpeggiated runs, finishing, again, with a series of repeated sixteenth notes.  There is a pause as the choir breathes, and we hear the slightly decorated melody of the chorale upon which this cantata is based, and this time it’s the choir that sounds slightly whimsical.  But, what is the first line of text?  ”Dear God, when will I perish?”  The mood of the harmony and melody seem almost blissful, until a slight chromatic turn on the word “sterben,” or “perish.”  Mind you, it doesn’t suddenly turn sturm und drang or thunderous or any such thing – it’s just a slight shift with a subtle hint of dissonance.  English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner has said that this opening movement seems more an evocation of “the country fair” than a sermon on the inevitability of death, and, for me, it almost has a carnivalesque quality to it.  I imagine those ascending oboes, and a a slow-moving, swaying choral dance as a ride on the ferris wheel, with maybe that insistent flute representing the noises emanating from a nearby arcade.  Greg has posited that the flute represents the death bells tolling for us in the distance, though, to my 21st century ears, it sounds more like the hectoring seat belt chime in my car.  Regardless, they are tones to which we should pay heed.

Again, with Cantata No. 8, the 18th century attitude towards death is juxtaposed against our 21st century aversion.  In pondering this divide over the weekend, I encountered a bit of poetry I’d sung in college, the Death Carol from Whitman’s elegy, When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d, written soon after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  Whitman writes:

Come lovely and soothing death,
Undulate round the world, serenely arriving, arriving,
In the day, in the night, to all, to each,
Sooner or later delicate death.
For life and joy, and for objects and knowledge curious,
And for love, sweet love — but praise! praise! praise!
For the sure-enwinding arms of cool-enfolding death.

Though couched in his unique, 19th century worldview, Whitman is projecting an understanding of death that isn’t worlds apart from the theological understanding of death in Bach’s time.  Indeed, Bach wrote an aria whose first line, “Come sweetest death, come blessed rest,” seems to be cut from the same cloth as the Whitman.  Of course, Whitman’s theology was deeply informed by his affection for (if not participation in) transcendentalism, and Bach’s belongs to the Lutheran church of his time.  As such, Cantata No. 8 offers an exegetical survey of this topic that ends with the bliss of redemption and the comfort of an honored grave.  Indeed, the Bach scholar Phillip Spitta, whose romantic view of Bach’s music is perhaps unparalleled, writes that Cantata No. 8 brings us “the sound of tolling bells, the fragrance of blossoms pervade it – the sentiment of a churchyard in springtime.”

Before we journey to the churchyard in springtime, we’ll begin in the musical salon, to hear Greg Funfgeld’s performance of Bach’s fourth French Suite, in Eb Major.  Bach lived a relatively isolated life, geographically speaking, though his imagination was constantly embarking on journeys, fed by his voracious appetite for music of all styles, from as many sources as upon which he could get his hands!  A delightful suite of dances, this piece includes eight small dance movements which vary in tone and tempo.  Fiercely elegant, and full of zest, these lovely bon-bons will be a wonderful opener for the concert.  Take a moment to look at the harpsichord after the concert – it was constructed here in Bethlehem by the highly-esteemed builder, Willard Martin, whose work has earned him the status of legend in early music circles.  The weather outside may be frightful, but inside Central Moravian, all will be delightful with a wonderful performance of beautiful music.  The doors open at 11:30 am.  See you there!

Happy 50th! (Updated 1/11)

Congratulations to my colleagues in The Choir and Orchestra, and many thanks to everyone who turned out for our 50th Bach at Noon, this afternoon.  We had a capacity audience (standing room only!) with guests from four schools, in addition to our usual audience.  Greg was able to acknowledge two audience members, an individual in The Choir, and himself and our beloved Executive Director, Bridget George, as attendees at all 50 concerts (Greg mentioned that he even conducted one performance from a wheel chair, after a knee injury). Our colleagues in the Bach Festival Orchestra had an excellent First Brandenburg Concerto, with particular kudos to Tony Cecere and Dan Braden, who played the demanding horn parts marvelously.  Likewise, all of the sections of the orchestra distinguished themselves in Bach’s virtuosic concerto grosso.  It was great fun to sing Cantata 65, and to hear the wonderful obligato playing of oboes da caccia by Mary Watt and Nabuo Kitagawa.  Christòpheren Nomura and Robert Petillo both sang excellent recits and wonderful arias.  There was a wonderful sense of good cheer and encouragement from the audience, and just an overall sense of celebration.  Many thanks, also, to Greg Funfgeld, for his vision in conceiving this venture, and to the many individuals who worked so hard to bring it to fruition.  Here’s to 50 more, and then some!

The Morning Call already has some pictures of the afternoon up on their site.

The Los Angeles Times has a short video from the same journalist who took the photography for the slide show above about the 50th Bach at Noon up on their site.

In the News

Three quick links:

The Choir was mentioned in Ellen Hughes article recapping the year in review in the Harrisburg Patriot News as a highlight of the 2011 concert season.  We offered our Spring Concert in Harrisburg under the auspices of Market Square Concerts to a full and very welcoming audience.

Steve Siegel has a preview of Tuesday’s Bach at Noon up on the Morning Call’s site, as does Melinda Rizzo, with a preview on the Express-Times site.  We’re grateful for the media attention we receive from both papers, and, in particular, as someone who writes about our work, I always enjoy the work of both Mr. Siegel and Ms. Rizzo.

 

Celebrate: Bach at Noon, Tuesday, January 10th

I sang at the first Bach at Noon, and recall with fondness the program our conductor had devised for the afternoon: the first Brandenburg concerto, and Bach’s monumental Epiphany cantata, No. 65. I had become a fan of both of those pieces through the use of now-obsolete technology: the cassette tape. After attending my first Bach Choir concert, the summer after my eighth grade year, I insisted on getting a copy of The Choir’s then-new recording, Christmas in Leipzig (which included Cantatas 63 and 65, as well as the Sanctus from the B-Minor Mass). The tape got a lot of play on my Walkman, and in the home and car stereos of anyone who would let me play it (perhaps earlier, less successful efforts at evangelizing Bach’s music). Likewise, I began collecting other recordings of Bach’s music on cassette, including Charles Munch’s recording of the Brandenburgs with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Munch has long since fallen out of favor, but you may reasonably gather how I feel about The Bach Choir’s work (that first cassette, soon worn thin and hissy from overuse was eventually replaced by a CD of the same recording).

At that first Bach at Noon, I finally got to sing Cantata No. 65, and was the first time I heard Greg conduct the First Brandenburg. It was a fantastic afternoon – a packed house enjoyed some really beautiful music. Greg’s rapport with the audience was easy and enthusiastic, and it felt as though we were christening a new vessel at the beginning of a wonderful voyage. The seas have remained calm, and there have been copious favorable breezes in our sails, and we are now marking the occasion of our 50th Bach at Noon performance. This is an accomplishment in which all of us, performers, supporters, and audience, alike, can take a large measure of pride.

The not-insubstantial cost of offering these concerts for free to the general public has been offset by generous corporate and community donors, as well as the endowment of six of the seven concerts by individuals and groups of individuals (including past and present members of The Choir). We are able to be generous in giving away these concerts only through the generosity and vision of our wonderful supporters, and that is certainly cause for celebration!

So, on Tuesday, January 10th, beginning at noon at the Central Moravian Church, we’ll revisit our very first program, and I’d like to share a few words about the music. Dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg, the Brandenburg Concerti were presented to Johann Ludwig in 1721. Some of have speculated that the Margrave lacked the instrumental resources to have them performed, and they apparently lingered in obscurity in various collections until their modern-era discovery in 1849, whereupon they were received with the incredulity they continue to command today.

The first concerto, which we will hear on Tuesday, begins with a jaunty allegro, with two french horns dialoguing with different instruments in the Baroque orchestra, including violins and oboe. It’s somewhat amusing to imagine the interloping natural horns making their raucous presence felt within the context of their slightly more refined instrumental colleagues. Bach puts all of the instruments through their paces, and follows this with a very complex and florid adagio. Over slightly unsettled harmony, Bach demonstrates his skill at orchestration, with the different instrumental groups in a very compelling dialogue. As that movement resolves, another jaunty allegro continues with the horns trading melodic passages with the string and winds sections including a violin and oboe soloists. There is something fiercely brilliant in how individual instrumentalists are called upon to spring forth from the texture to solo, and then to return among their colleagues for ensemble playing. The music sounds entirely natural, even inexorable, and yet it must have been fiendishly difficult to conceive so lush an instrumental texture from a blank slate (not to mention the difficulty in playing it!). The concerto concludes with a number of short dance movements, showcasing different instruments in varying combinations. This is exceptionally elegant music, and the perfect way to prepare our ears for Cantata 65.

Composed for the Feast of the Epiphany (which commemorates the arrival of the Magi), this piece begins with a magnificent evocation of the journey of the Magi. The music feels in three, perhaps evoking the three Magi, and also has a lilting quality that seems extremely “camelesque” to my ears. One can distinctly feel the peculiar gate of a camel in this music, which is also a rather intricate choral fugue. Bach’s librettist quotes Isaiah in the first movement, “They will all come out of Sheba to bring gifts of gold and incense…” On the words “alle kommen” meaning all will come, Bach crafts long melismatic passages, with many notes to one syllable of text, as if to underline how far they “all will come.” The orchestration is rich with two horns, flutes, and strings.

Following the opening chorus, we hear a chorale which quotes the Isaiah text found in the opening chorus, but adds myrrh to the list of gifts brought to Christ by his visitors from Sheba. Following this, we hear a beautiful baritone recitative (sung on Tuesday by the amazing Christòpheren Nomura), in which the singer brings Isaiah’s prophecy into the present day, and, in a compelling bit of text, offers his heart to the infant redeemer. Next, an aria for baritone, in which the singer reflects on the inadequacy of worldly gifts (“gold from Ophir is too meager”), and bids listeners to give their hearts to Christ at the dawn of the New Year. This admonition is accompanied by almost jazzy oboes da caccia, which have a slightly more rustic sound then the more refined oboe d’amore. Their very rusticity gives this aria an exotic air, transporting listeners (through Bach’s fertile imagination) to the Middle East of biblical times. Next, another recitative, this time by tenor (sung by the accomplished Robert Petillo), the librettist uses gold, myrrh, and incense as metaphors for faith, prayer, and patience, and alludes to God’s favor and love, as well as the heavenly reward, as far more desirable gifts. This is followed by a virtuoso tenor aria, accompanied by the full orchestra, including flutes and horns, which acts as a kind of prayer of dedication (while taking all of their performers through their paces, including some blazingly melismatic singing by the tenor on the text “All that I am… shall be dedicated to God’s service”). I’m eager to hear how Robert will bring this beautiful music to life. The cantata (and concert) will conclude with another chorale, which also is a kind of dedicatory prayer.

As anyone who’s attended a Bach at Noon is sure to have noticed, our organization is extremely gratified to offer this music to the public – to bring before listeners the music of one of Western civilization’s sharpest minds – in an atmosphere of enthusiastic and loving discovery. At a personal level, I find it an utter delight to take part in the sharing of music that I’d encountered with wonder as a child, and continue to find so nourishing and rewarding to perform. Join us on Tuesday afternoon and experience what’s so very special about Bach at Noon as we celebrate our 50th performance in this wonderful series.

Christmas Concerts Wrap-Up (Updated 12/13)

Photo from the Tenor Section by Lynn Ditty

The 2011 Bach Choir Christmas Concerts are now a fond memory for listeners and singers, alike!  Congratulations and thanks are due to many members of our organization:  from the administrative staff, who did a brilliant job (as always) with ticketing, marketing, and the myriad of unsung, behind-the-scenes work, to our fearless leader, Greg Funfgeld, for his wonderful work in conceiving and preparing all of the musicians for a very stimulating program, to my colleagues in The Choir and Orchestra for their hard work in learning the challenging music in new styles, and, finally, to everyone who came out to hear this glorious music.   The Bethlehem concert was sold-out, and we had a fine showing in Allentown.  Lots of moments stand out in my memory – from Charlotte Mattax-Mersch’s zesty and elegant renditions of nöels in the Charpentier, to the trio of women (including Choir member, Beth Gardner) offering lovely singing in the same.  Cantata No. 40 had two bravura arias, and Ben Butterfield and Joshua Copeland triumphed over the challenges beautifully.  Our colleagues in the orchestra had to master the notes inégales in the Charpentier, and they did a magnificent job of capturing the improvisatory spirit of French Baroque music.  What delightful concerts!

If you were unable to attend, or you did, and would like a replay, listen to WWFM on Friday, December 23rd, beginning at 8 pm, for a broadcast, which will include an interview with Greg (for which he had to drive to Trenton today – no rest for the weary!).

The Choir is now on hiatus until January.  We’ll hit the ground running for our 50th (!) Bach at Noon on Tuesday, January 10th, beginning at noon at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem.  We’re repeating the program from the first Bach at Noon – Bach’s wonderful Epiphany Cantata No. 65 (which splendidly evokes the journey of the Magi with some really wonderful camel-based text-painting), and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1.  It’s going to be a wonderful celebration.

It’s been an amazing fall:  we began with The Choir’s performances in the September 11th remembrances at Trinity Wall Street and St. Paul’s Chapel on September 9th, and offered some of that repertoire in Bethlehem at this year’s first Bach at Noon.  Charlotte Mattax-Moersch offered three Bach harpsichord concertos over the three Bach at Noon concerts.  We had a triumphant gala in October, with Hilary Hahn playing a stunning concert, and the generous patrons of The Choir far surpassing our fundraising goals.  In the midst of all of this, The Choir released a new CD, our Songs of Hope recording, and editing was completed on what is certain to be a very special release this spring:  Bach’s monumental St. John Passion, and we prepared for our wonderful Christmas Concerts.  Whew!

This feast of inestimable riches continues this winter and spring:  from exuberant and celebratory Bach at Noon concerts, to our annual Family Concert (this year with dancers from around the Valley), a spring concert of Brahms’ transcendant Ein Deutsches Requiem, and the Festival in May, a lot of gorgeous music is on tap for the Bach Choir Family!  Stay tuned for more information – and remember to like us on Facebook to receive periodic updates and to receive word whenever I’ve posted here.

Update, December 13th:  Steve Siegel has a glowing review on the Morning Call’s music blog.

A Little More Home News

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Members of the Bach Choir family enjoyed a lovely open house at the Bachhaus last evening.  Members of the Bethlehem Garden Club had decked the ‘haus beautifully for the season, and attendees were able to enjoy some delicious nibbles and musical offerings by Maddie Link, the daughter of our Development Officer, Kathy Link, on the harp.  I’ve long since promised readers of the blog a tour of the ‘haus, and hope to make good on that soon.

While we enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere, music, and cheer of the open house, we thought of our colleagues, Greg Funfgeld and Tom Goeman, who are in Montreal at the studio of Tonmeister Martha De Francisco, working on the final editing of our third Analekta release, last May’s recording of the St. John Passion.  This is painstaking work, with hours of critical listening to short clips to achieve the right balances, and to select the very best takes of each moment of the piece.  I had the privilege of listening to the first edit on two long trips to and from North Carolina over the Thanksgiving holiday.  The recording is extraordinary – Martha’s legwork in the editing studio was beyond masterful, and I’m certain that everyone involved will be extremely proud of the final product.  Obviously, I’m biased, but I think this is truly one for the ages!  The recording is set to be released in March, and members of the Bach Choir family (particularly those who were able to hear Charles Daniels’ revelatory performance as evangelist at the first weekend of the Festival this past May) will want to own a copy.  Stay tuned for more St. John news!

Finally, there’s still time to get your tickets for the 2011 Christmas Concerts.  The Bethlehem concert was, at last telling, almost sold out, but there are still plenty of seats available in Allentown, where you may hear the choir in the crystal clear environs of the First Presbyterian Church.  I’m going to be giving an interview on WDIY this coming Friday at 10, and we’ll preview some of the music and talk about the compositions. You can also read some thoughts about each of the pieces by scrolling down below.  You can order your tickets online here, you can call the Bach Choir office at 610 866 4382, or, if you’re downtown, you can visit the Bachhaus during office hours and visit with our fantastic staff!

2011 Christmas Concerts (Part Four)

Each of the first three pieces for our 2011 Christmas Concerts are magnificent evocations of the programatic aims of their composers.  In Cantata No. 40, we experience, in sound, the battle between the faithful and the devil in the context of the Second Day of Christmas, which is the feast day of the martyr, St. Stephen.  In Charpentier’s Midnight Mass, we hear the carols contemporaneous to his time recast as movements of a Mass intended for use at a midnight liturgy on Christmas Eve.  Poulenc’s Four Motets for the Time of Christmas offer vivid impressions of the ancient Latin texts they set.  In the final piece on the program (before the audience carols), Part III of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, we join Luke’s narrative of the adoration of the Shepherds, with musical and poetic commentary by Bach and his librettist.

The piece begins with jubilant fanfares from trumpets and timpani, followed with a contrapuntal entrance of the choir, beginning with tenors, in a hymn of praise thanking God for the sure and secure salvation offered to believers through the incarnation.

A recitative follows,  as the tenor, acting as evangelist or storyteller, rejoins the narrative from Luke.  Having just been visited by the angels announcing Christ’s birth, the shepherds exhort one another to travel to Bethlehem.  Bach makes this fleet-footed journey manifest with a delightfully zesty turba chorus (the choir becomes, musically, a host of shepherds).  Upon hearing this music, one imagines a swiftly moving company of individuals, making their quick journey to Bethlehem, to give homage to their Savior.

In a recitative accompanied by continuo instruments and flutes, the bass then comments on Jesus’ arrival, and encourages the shepherds on their way.  Bach leaves the intimacy of the scene to comment with a chorale by Martin Luther for the next movement, the text of which offers an eloquent summary of the reason for the shepherds excitement and thanksgiving for God’s mercy, ending with the words Kyrieleis’, “Lord have mercy!”

Bach continues the reflection on the mercy of God in a charming duet for bass and soprano, accompanied by oboes and continuo, observing that God’s mercy comforts and sets free the faithful.  Bach’s soprano and bass duets are often his most playful, and this one is no exception – the oboes and later the singers move in parallel motion, often with slurred figures, evoking an ebullient dance.

Another recitative brings us back to Luke, with the adoration of the shepherds, concluding with Mary pondering in her heart all that was said about her infant son.  After the recit, we hear a beautiful, slightly melancholy aria for alto with violin obbligato.  The alto pleads to have the sense of wonder and the comfort of salvation kept in heart of the faithful forever.  This aria seems to convey a wealth of emotions beyond the simple prayer offered in the text.

In a recitative, the alto next endeavors to cherish the present time to eternal bliss as the signs witnessed by the shepherds, a theme picked up by the choir in a chorale that follows.  Next, the evangelist rejoins the Luke gospel as the shepherds depart praising God for all they’d seen.

The choir offers another chorale this exhorting the listeners to be glad in the events of the incarnation.  This is another harmonization of a chorale heard in Cantata No. 40 at the beginning of the program – Bach’s harmonizations of the Lutheran chorales are infamous for the genius of his craftsmanship and harmonic sophistication (and occasionally objects of confusion for the congregations who had to sing them).  In this case, you’ll hear two slightly different takes on the same melody, one at the beginning of the program and one  at the end.

The piece then concludes with a repeat of the opening chorus, with its festive trumpets and timpani, 3/4 dance, and rapturous singing, a most fitting way to segue to the singing of Christmas carols which which we will bring the evening to a close.

We’re very excited to be offering this program to audiences in Bethlehem and Allentown. We’ve also recently learned that the Bethlehem concert will be recorded for broadcast closer to Christmas.  I will certainly post the details as they are finalized.  I’m also going to join Wally Vinovskis in the studio at WDIY on Friday, December 9th to listen to some of the repertoire and discuss the program. I’ll also link to the previews of the concert in the local press.  The holiday season is often a time of arch-busyness and stress, and this program stands as a wonderful antidote to all of the trials of this time of year.  Treat yourself and someone you love to a wonderful and wonder-filled afternoon/evening of glorious music!  Tickets are available at The Choir’s website, or by calling 610 866 4382.