Leipzig Cantatas, that's the subtitle of this CD release with Philippe Herreweghe. More specifically, these are four cantatas from Bach's very first season as cantor in Leipzig. Sometime in the spring of 1723, Bach arrived in town with his family. On the first Sunday after Trinity (second Sunday after Pentecost), Bach experienced his baptism of fire with the cantata Die Elenden sollen essen (not on
… the CD). This particular Sunday (which fell on May 30 that year) thus marked the beginning of Bach's first Leipzig annual cycle. Perhaps it is due to Herreweghe's temperament, but the music on the CD is predominantly contemplative in character. In this phase of Bach's composing, the opening chorus is often based on a Bible text. So we do not yet hear the monumental chorale arrangements with which the cantatas of Bach's second year cycle opened as standard. Nevertheless, in the painful opening chorus of Ich elender Mensch BWV.48 a church song is also quoted (the chorale Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut), but then purely instrumentally. (HJ)more
