Bach Cantatas, BWV 179, 199 & 113 / Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir

Rating:
Summary: A must for Bachians
Review: Gardiner's Bach Pilgrimage was one of the most affectionate example of devotion to the music of the German composer. The idea was to perform every one of his cantatas in concerts held in different churches around the world - from Milan to NY, but mainly in England and Germany. In this DVD, not only we follow the musicians through some of these places and listen what they have to say about Bach but also have a look at some rehearsals and performances. It is a pity that we have so few excerpts of such wonderful performances of beautiful music. It is particularly sad in the case of Claron McFadden and Dietrich Henschel (above all), who offer beautiful examples of singing of the higher level. It is also endearing to see the sensational Monteverdi Choir and the nicest English Baroque Soloists (here "visited" by soloists such as the excellent oboist Marcel Ponseele) being "tuned" to the optimal expressive level by John Eliot Gardiner, who has an expansive and emotional approach to this repertoire.
This DVD is also graced by the complete recording of one of these concerts. The cantatas presented in this event are exquisite and receive surpassing performances. In the case of Mein Herz schwimmt in Blut, maybe the definitive one, since Magdalena Kozena displays one of the most beautiful examples of Bach singing I have ever heard - the tone is exquisite and the interpretation couldn't be more sensitive. Mark Padmore deserves also special reference for his utterly stylish and graceful singing.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific documentary and performances
Review: This DVD contains concert performances of the three Bach cantatas and a documentary about the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000. I found the documentary (about an hour in length) the most fascinating part of the DVD. The documentary has excerpts of rehearsals and actual performances of various cantatas, interviews with John Eliot Gardiner and other performers, and scenes of various churches and towns the Pilgrimage visited. The documentary includes the visits to Weimar, Leipzig, Hamburg, Eisenach, Arnstadt, Blythburgh, Kirkwall, Iona (still photos only for some reason), St. David's in Wales, Cologne, and New York, with most of the German locations having some connection with Bach's life.

I found the concert performances of the three full cantatas (from the concerts at St. David's) very powerful and moving. An earlier reviewer takes great exception to Magdalena Kozená's performance. Personally, I did not see or hear some of the difficulties complained of. She is certainly operatic in her approach, but has a beautiful voice, and, in my non-professional opinion, gives a fine performance.

I would highly recommend the DVD to Bach lovers, and I expect the DVD would make converts of many who weren't Bach lovers before.

Rating:
Summary: One masterful genius salutes another
Review: This DVD is worth every cent of its price if you were to only purchase it for the three cantatas that are performed here in their entirety. The "gimmick" of Sir John Eliot Gardiner's pilgrimage tour was to perform every one of Bach's surviving cantatas (some 200 of the 500-plus composed) on the Sunday or church fesitval for which it was composed, and in a sacred setting (often a church where Bach himself had performed it). The three cantatas performed here (Nos. 179, 199, and 113) were written for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, a Sunday that seems given to reflection on the typically Lutheran theme of Christian sin and inadequacy (Gardiner wisely concludes the program with No. 113, the cheeriest of the three). Performed at St. David's in Wales, the cathedral's beautifully rugged interior provides a visually appealing and accoustically perfect setting for Bach's music. Watching the soloists made me aware of just how dramatic a form the cantata is in Bach's hands. Czech soprano Magdalena Kozena's face is especially expressive. She is totally connected to her text and music; there is no coy raising of the eyebrows or pointless tilting of the head that flaw the performances of many opera divas and singers of art song. This is a music with a purpose, and its message is delivered faithfully, forcibly, and clearly. Although every soloist in this concert is wonderful, I was especially fascinated by William Towers. I have never heard a male alto before and enjoyed the rich and grounded quality of Towers's voice (something I find lacking in countertenors). If, after watching this performance, you agree with me that it is awe-inspiring, you can buy the audio CD as well (Universal Music Co., Archiv Production: 463 591-2).

The Pilgrimage documentary was difficult to loacate on the DVD. But DO make the effort to find it. Watching it, you'll gain an appreciation of the magnitude of the project (mission, really) that the Montiverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists committed themselves to--to perform all the Cantatas (67 concerts in total) throughout Europe and concluding with a Christmas concert in New York City during the millennial year. Even the artists interviewed who don't identify themselves as Christians describe the concert tour as a profound religious and spiritual experience. If you like this documentary, you'll also enjoy Image Entertainment's DVD "In Rehearsal with John Eliot Gardiner," a taping of Gardiner's rehearsal session for Cantata No. 63, also from the 2000 Pilgrimage Year.

The DVD comes with an attractive 30-page booklet (English/French/German) of essays and librettos. Another nice touch is the on-screen captions; you never have to look away to figure out what is being said.

Rating:
Summary: One masterful genius salutes another
Review: This DVD is worth every cent of its price if you were to only purchase it for the three cantatas that are performed here in their entirety. The "gimmick" of Sir John Eliot Gardiner's pilgrimage tour was to perform every one of Bach's surviving cantatas (some 200 of the 500-plus composed) on the Sunday or church fesitval for which it was composed, and in a sacred setting (often a church where Bach himself had performed it). The three cantatas performed here (Nos. 179, 199, and 113) were written for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, a Sunday that seems given to reflection on the typically Lutheran theme of Christian sin and inadequacy (Gardiner wisely concludes the program with No. 113, the cheeriest of the three). Performed at St. David's in Wales, the cathedral's beautifully rugged interior provides a visually appealing and accoustically perfect setting for Bach's music. Watching the soloists made me aware of just how dramatic a form the cantata is in Bach's hands. Czech soprano Magdalena Kozena's face is especially expressive. She is totally connected to her text and music; there is no coy raising of the eyebrows or pointless tilting of the head that flaw the performances of many opera divas and singers of art song. This is a music with a purpose, and its message is delivered faithfully, forcibly, and clearly. Although every soloist in this concert is wonderful, I was especially fascinated by William Towers. I have never heard a male alto before and enjoyed the rich and grounded quality of Towers's voice (something I find lacking in countertenors). If, after watching this performance, you agree with me that it is awe-inspiring, you can buy the audio CD as well (Universal Music Co., Archiv Production: 463 591-2).

The Pilgrimage documentary was difficult to loacate on the DVD. But DO make the effort to find it. Watching it, you'll gain an appreciation of the magnitude of the project (mission, really) that the Montiverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists committed themselves to--to perform all the Cantatas (67 concerts in total) throughout Europe and concluding with a Christmas concert in New York City during the millennial year. Even the artists interviewed who don't identify themselves as Christians describe the concert tour as a profound religious and spiritual experience. If you like this documentary, you'll also enjoy Image Entertainment's DVD "In Rehearsal with John Eliot Gardiner," a taping of Gardiner's rehearsal session for Cantata No. 63, also from the 2000 Pilgrimage Year.

The DVD comes with an attractive 30-page booklet (English/French/German) of essays and librettos. Another nice touch is the on-screen captions; you never have to look away to figure out what is being said.

Rating:
Summary: Self-indulgent and confused performance of BWV 199
Review: This is a video diary of the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, in itself an interesting document of an important event that should attract many lovers of Bach's music. However, I would like to focus here on Magdalena Kozena's performance of BWV 199 which was the main reason for my giving this document only 2 stars. I couldn't disagree more with the previous reviews about the quality of this performance. Kozena has a beautiful voice but she shows little understanding of the texts she sings. I am not quite sure if she distorts the text consciously, following her 'own' interpretation or simply doesn't understand the language. The latter is in evidence too often to dismiss it as occasional lapses of memory (she follows a printed source anyway) - she misinterprets single words and whole sentences singing them as the mood takes her and it seems to take her to her favorite whispers and sighs more often than it should. Listen and look how she sings "O hated night of sin! You, you alone have caused me such distress" in an almost erotic way. "Du, du ALLEIN" is whispered as if she has mistaken the cantata for a Liebeslied. The recitative - full of imagery invoking the emotional torment of the sinner, is sung in a lovely voice fit for a romantic song. In the middle section of the first aria things really begin to get out of control. What is the wild outburst of joy at the words "My heart is now a well of tears, my eyes are boiling springs. Ah God, who will ever content Thee?"? In "Tief gebueckt...." she turns the repetition into an expression of bliss even if the following brief recitative gives the lie to her interpretation; in the chorale she sends us a smile after the words " I, Thy afflicted child, cast all my sins ... which terrify me" (singing the word 'schrecken' -terrify- as if it meant delight). At this point - and earlier, when after having cried a plea for mercy, Kozena tries to 'bribe' the God with a coquettish smirk (27'12''), I couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Not everything is bad - there are many touching moments (e.g. Gardiner singing along "Habe doch Geduld...") - but there isn't much logic in this performance. Kozena sings everything in a uniform, almost jolly mood implied also by her facial grimaces that hint at bliss rather than torment. No wonder the last aria, intended as a joyous culmination doesn't sound particularly joyous, for the same mood ruled over the first 20 or so minutes of the singing. It is only the tempo that has changed here, there is no contrast between the pain of the penitence and the joy of forgiveness. I don't know how this turns out on the CD, but on the DVD the visual layer of the performance simply distorts the cantata's meaning. Visually it is dramatic in its own way, but it has more to do with Kozena's smirks, rolling her eyes and making cute faces than with the drama behind the text. It is not fair to comment on visual aspects of a singer's performance, some grimaces are simply impossible to avoid (take Bartoli), they are by-products of the physical act of singing as well as conscious elements of the 'facial acting', but Kozena's facial acting seems studied - you are constantly aware of how 'rehearsed' many of her grimaces are and how much effort went into this performance. And yet the effect is often inappropriate or downright comical.

I know that this rather scrupulous analysis of Kozena's performance may be out of proportion but I simply can't understand how a faulty interpretation can be applauded as exemplary singing of Bach which is about humble adherence to text. By no means does this humble adherence to text have to mean blandness or lack of character - listen to BWV 199 sung by such great Bach singers as Elly Ameling or Arleen Auger to see what a right combination of individuality and humility can create.

One doesn't have to be religious to be able to sing a religious text convincingly, especially one as simple as this, where the words speak for themselves. It is of course impossible to expect today's singers (or, for that matter, most of us who listen to Bach's music) to identify with the texts or with Bach's religiosity but in a project like this, with decidedly sacred overtones (as emphasized by the Prince of Wales in his speech recorded on this DVD) and the performances placed in a special liturgical context, coherent interpretations are not too much to ask for. One can argue with some of Gardiner's choices but generally his interpretations of Bach's vocal music are straightforward as attested by the rest of the material on this DVD or on the CDs. If you watched the "In Rehearsal with JEG" DVD, you could see how meticulous Gardiner is in his approach to Bach's music and texts and how often he asks native speakers of German for linguistic advice (even if his own German sounds fine). Kozena needs guidance very badly (even in such simple matters as German pronunciation) and it is a mystery to me why she was left here to her own devices. Look how much more subordinate and controlled she is in her appearances in BWV 179 & 113 where she has to cooperate with other singers (excellent Mark Padmore and Stephan Loges).

I wouldn't have bothered writing this review if a performer of a lesser stature (and on a less important occasion) was involved here but Kozena is being promoted heavily as a star of ancient music and a Bach specialist. If you want to SEE what great Bach singing is about, 5 minutes with Sara Mingardo in the "In rehearsal with JEG" (track 7) will tell you more about it than hours with Magdalena Kozena. But if all you care about is 'beautiful singing' then this is the right singer for you.