Hello All,
Of the eighty or so concerts of J.E. Gardiner's Bach Cantata Pilgrimage my wife and I could attend nine; one more is coming Dec. 10 in L'uneburg, North Germany. We were owerwhelmed by almost all of them. The climaxes thus far were: Cantatas for St. Michaels day on selfsame day in Bremen, and Reformation cantatas on Reformation Day (Oct. 31) in the Schlosskirche Wittenberg, Luther's church from where the Reformation started.
Best imaginable period instrumentalists, a choir with well-trained young singers, four per part (six sopranos), among the alti three male, one female. The soloists nearly always also joining the choir in the corner movements, even if the soloists were hired from without for the occasion. The soloists were fine musicians, but (with exceptions) a notch below star level (no harm in that). But watch out for the coming soprano for antient music: Joanne Lunn. (If only she would stop making a face like a stage-Bernadette.)
Gardiner does some sensible rearrangements of instruments for the different cantatas, places important, e.g. c.f. instruments in the front row, e.g. the double bass and a bass trombone in 'Ein feste Burg'
When there are only three cantatas per concert there is always a filler added: A Brandenburg cto, a motet. Between the reformation cantatas they sung the best-ever-heard performance of 'Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied', with two/three singers per part, not the smallest pitch and rhythm problem, intense, electrifying. Is the music performed as Bach heard it? Clearly and definitely not; maybe as He heard it in His happiest dreams. The idea that He might listen to Gardiner's band from somewhere could turn me religious again.
So let me suggest to the music-loving inhabitants of the state New York and surrounding states to run for tickets of the last three concerts of the pilgrimage in New York City, Nea Eburacense Civitas, as it is referred-to on the floor of St. Peter's, Rome. (Potent sponsors must have lured them over.) See:
http://www.monteverdi.co.uk/bach.shtml
St Bartholomew's Church, New York, USA
Monday 25 December- 17.00
91 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ 110 Unser Mund sei voll Lachens 40 Dazu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes 121 Christum wir sollen loben schon
Tenor: James Gilchrist Bass: Peter Harvey
Wednesday 27 December - 19.00
151 Süßer Trost, mein Jesus kömmt 133 Ich freue mich in dir 57 Selig ist der Mann 64 Sehet, welche eine Liebe hat
Tenor: James Gilchrist Bass: Peter Harvey
Sunday 31 December - 19.00
152 Tritt auf die Claubensbahn 122 Das neugeborne Kindelein 28 Gottlob! Nun geht das jahr zu Ende 190 Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied
Alto: Daniel Taylor Tenor: James Gilchrist Bass: Peter Harvey
Box Office: Ticketmaster Tel:+1 (0)212 307 40100 / +1 (0)212 307 7171
www.ticketmaster.com
How visible are the concerts there; posters, ads? Still selling or sold out? If some have religious inhibitions to enter a church of a different creed (whose church is St. B. anyhow?) or a Christian church at all, overcome them. If tickets are expensive, plunder your savings accounts, give them to each other as Christmas presents. Lay up for yourselves treasures where neither moth nor dust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
hanns krehbiel
