Heinichen and Telemann: Early Cantatas

This is.wonderful disc. Don't let the “early” bit put you off: there is such joy and sorrow here, such craftsmanship. And the conjoining of Heinichen and Telemann results in the dream team you never knew you needed!

"Der Herr ist bote" is the cantata by Johann David Heinichen (his Dresden Vespers was previously covered here on Classical Explorer). The piece is astonishing in is emotion, and this is a fine account, the choir (Ensemble Polyharmonique) and ensemble (the memorbly-nmeed [oh!] Orkiestra) in perfect accord:

Jaewoon Chung is the soprano soloist in “Lass dis Tränen” (Let the tears), all of drooping gestures in the melodic lines signifying the tears themselves:

Eyal Streett is the superb Baroque bassoonist in the aria, “Jesus, Der den Stich erlitten” (Jesus, who suffered the wound); Cornelius Uhle the bass soloist, Heinichen aligning solo and obbligato in register. A shame it's so short: this is a lovely aria:

It is Alexander Schneder himself who is alto soloist in the next are (“Tod und Teufel Sind gebunden”; Death and Devil are bound); it feels less confident, though; the tenor aria, “Nimm bekrönter Überwinder” (Take, crowned conqueror) finds Johannes Gaubitz more confident.

The bassoon obbligato returns for the most astonishing movement, setting of the sixth strophe from Johann Franck's Jesu, meine Freude, “Weicht ihr Trauergeister” (Yield, mournful spirits). This is truly beautiful, every gesture perfectly placed:

Heinichen and Telemann are an ideal coupling. When we hear the opening strains of the Sinfonia to Telemann's cantata, “Meines Bleibens ist nicht hier” (I shall not keep here; with the astonishing catalogue number TWV 1:1101, so the one thousand one hundred and first coast in the first volume of Telemann's catalogue!), we hear the alignment; and how it moves into the first (alto) aria. The cantata is for Easter Monday.

I still find Schneider's voice a little unmemorable here; this movement is followed by a long recitative and two arias (all alto). Telemann's writing, though, is unforgettable in “Ich wandre fort” (I go forth to my rest), the staccato background to the legato voice. The text talks of moving forwards to the grave, leading to who much be one of Telemann's blackest receives, “Ach, wäre doch mein Abschied vor der Tür” (Oh, if only my departure wee night, is the translation in the booklet).

The short cantata Ach Herr, straf mich nicht (TWV 7:3, Oh Lord, rebuke me not). This is a very different piece: four soloists (“chorus”) and string ensemble with continuo. The eight-minute opening “Sonata & Coro” is a virtuoso piece of writing in terms of interlocking/overlapping lines. All four soloists are used: Chung, Schneider, Gaubitz, and Uhle. And how Chung sustains her high notes, without vibrato, so beautifully:

The end of that track ends with the word “plötzlich” (suddenly): let them (mine enemies) return and be ashamed suddenly) which leads to a beautiful setting of the Doxology (Glory be to the father ...).

Finally, the 1284th cantata in the first volume of the Telemann catalogue, “Sei getreu bis an den Tod” (Be faithful unto Death). Surely Telemann wrote few more beautiful choruses the the opening movement here; and it has a lovely fugue contained within it, too:

Chung shines in the soprano and basso continuo aria, “Schnade Welt, lass ab zu reisen” (Disdainful world, stop tempting / My breast with vain desires):

It is the fine chorus the is so lovely, with its extended, beautifully performed instrumental opening ([oh!] Orkiestra showing such excellence in their interweaving of lines), and then the extraordinary choral contribution, as meaningful and profound, surely, as anything from Bach's pen. The soloists work well as a group here, too:

The whole recording took place in Magdeburg, Germany, significant as the city houses the Zentrum für Telemann-Pflege und -Forschung, which, among other activities including a concerts series, hosts its own Telemann Festival.

This ravishing disc is available on Amazon here.