Kevin Mallon - Christmas Cantatas - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The cantata Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36, was written for the first Sunday of Advent 1731 and is an arrangement of a secular birthday cantata of 1725, with an original text by Christian Friedrich Henrici, known as Picander, adapted by him or by Bach. The extant sources offer two versions, the earlier copied by Bach's pupil Johann Philipp Kirnberger and here recorded. The cantata is scored for oboe d'amore, strings and continuo, with four voices, all used in the opening movement. Here the voices often enter in imitation one of the other, while the instruments provide an introduction and a series of ritornello passages in which the oboe and violin are prominent. The second movement, Die Liebe zieht, is set for tenor with oboe d'amore obbligato and continuo in the form of a B minor da capo aria, the first of the three sections repeated to frame a central section in a contrasted key. The D major bass aria, Sei mir willkommen, is set with strings and continuo and the following A major da capo soprano aria, Auch mit gedämpften, schwachen Stimmen, has a solo violin obbligato in 12/8 metre. The cantata ends with the chorale verse Wie bin ich doch so herzlich froh. Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn, BWV 132, is an earlier work, written during Bach's period of service in Weimar for the fourth Sunday in Advent in 1715. It is scored for oboe, strings and continuo, with four voices and consists of three arias, separated by two recitatives. The text is by Salomo Franck, employed at the Weimar court as a librarian and secretary. The lively opening A major da capo aria, Bereitet die Wege, is for soprano and in Italian style. A tenor recitative leads to the E major bass aria Wer bist du, with obbligato solo cello. There is a change of mood in the following alto recitative, which leads to a B minor alto aria, Christi Glieder, ach bedenket, with an elaborate solo violin obblig