In May of 1747, Bach was visiting Frederick II, the King of Prussia.
Frederick played a theme for Bach in C minor which the King himself
reportedly composed. After listening to Frederick play the theme, Bach
promised to compose a set of variations on the theme for Frederick; it's
good to keep Frederick happy. So, Bach did his composing and the results
were sent to Berlin from Leipzig. Unfortunately, these results were sent
in random order. Hence, there has always been quite a bit of debate and
research as to the correct order of the Musical Offering BWV 1079.
It's reasonable to say that Bach's Musical Offering consists of 16
movements, assuming that each movement of the trio sonata is counted as 1.
But what order to use? There are two Ricercari, and noted scholar Ursula
Kirkendale reconstructed the work by breaking it down into two sections
with each Ricercar introducing a section. I like this reconstruction and
will review the Musical Offering using its order.
The following recordings are provided for your consideration:
Arte Resoluta - Arion 68526 (2000) - Renata Spotti on violin, Ben Sansom on
violin & viola, Lorenzo Brondetta on flauto traverso, Giovanna Barbati on
cello, and Fabio Bonizzoni on harpsichord & organ.
Gustav Leonhardt, Director - Pro Arte 009 (1974) - Sigiswald Kuijken & Marie
Leonhardt on violin, Wieland Kuijken on viola da gamba, Barthold Kuijken on
flauto traverso, and Robert Kohnen & Gustav Leonhardt on harpsichord.
Harmonia Mundi 2951260 (1987) - John Holloway on violin, Jaap ter Linden on
cello, Janet See on flauto traverso, and Davitt Moroney & Martha Cook on
harpsichord.
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77307 (1994) - Sigiswald Kuijken on violin, Wieland
Kuijken on viola da gamba, Barthold Kuijken on flauto traverso, and Robert
Kohnen on harpsichord.
Ensemble Sonnerie - Virgin 45139 (1994) - Monica Huggett on violin, Sarah
Cunningham on viola da gamba, Pavlo Beznosiuk on violin & viola, Wilbert
Hazelzet on flute, Paul Goodwin on various oboes, Frances Eustace on
bassoon, and Gary Cooper on harpsichord.
Music from Aston Magna, Daniel Stepner Directing - Centaur 2295 (1995) -
Daniel Stepner & Linda Quan on violins & violas, Laura Jeppesen on viola
da gamba, Christopher Krueger on baroque flute, and John Gibbons on
fortepiano.
Hanssler 92133 (1999) - Gottfried von der Goltz & Martin Jopp on violin,
Ekkehard Weber on viola da gamba, Karl Kaiser on flute, and Michael
Behringer on harpsichord and fortepiano.
Tatiana Nikolayeva - Hyperion 66631/2 (1992) - The two Ricercari coupled
with Art of Fugue and the Four Duets.
Florilegium - Channel Classics 14598 (2000) - Ricercar A 6 & trio sonata
from Musical Offering coupled with Trio Sonatas BWV 1037 thru 1039 - Rachel
Podger on violin and viola, Lucy Russell on violin, Daniel Yeadon on cello
and viola da gamba, Ashley Solomon on flute and recorder, Andrew Crawford
on flute, and Neal Peres da Costa on harpsichord and organ. Trio Sonatas
constitute the remainder of the disc's playing time.
The above recordings are essentially complete except for Nikolayeva and
Florilegium. I am including these two for performances I have thought
very highly of in the past and definitely want to listen to again.
The Ricercar A 3 has fugal passages which are built on improvisatory lines
alternating with virtuoso passages. At one point, the two halves of the
theme are playing at the same time. It's all tightly organized and a
marvel to investigate and even more astounding as to its supreme level
of musical invention.
All reviewed versions use a solo instrument. Aston Magna's John Gibbons
and Hanssler's Michael Behringer play fortepiano and give fine performances
of urgency and quickness. Gary Cooper for Ensemble Sonnerie is rather
surface-bound. Harmonia Mundi's Davitt Moroney is fast and sometimes
sounds rushed; I must admit that he conveys a highly improvisatory
atmosphere.
Arte Resoluta's Fabio Bonizzoni, Pro Arte's Gustav Leonhardt, DHM's Robert
Kohnen, and Tatiana Nikolayeva deliver outstanding readings. Bonizzoni's
performance has urgency written all over it, Leonhardt provides the
inevitability which makes him such a masterful Bach artist, Kohnen gives a
fabulous legato-based interpretation, and Nikolayeva is very slow with
wonderful lyricism. Each of these four performances recognizes that
there's a great deal of poetry in the Ricercar A 3.
Next is the Perpetual Canon also referrred to as the Narratio Brevis.
The function of this Canon is to provide a brief synopsis of the materials
forming the basis of the Musical Offering. The Canon's first part is
in crotchets while the second and contrasting part depends on quavers,
semi-quavers, etc. It's a short piece lasting from 1 to 2 minutes.
Arte Resoluta prefers the 2 minute performance, but I can't agree. Their
reading is so serious and dour at this slow tempo; further, using a cello
instead of the harpsichord obviously enhances the negativity. Aston Magna
replaces a cello with the viola da gamba; seriousness is not less strong
than with Arte Resoluta. However, this ensemble takes a quick pace and is
much more enjoyable. Also fast, the Hanssler version uses the harpsichord
instead of a stringed instrument and is much brighter in mood than either
Aston Magna or Arte Resoluta; it's the perfect contrast with Aston Magna.
The Harmonia Mundi version takes a different tack and presents two
harpsichords. Moroney and Cook are of average tempo, quite serious,
and very lyrical with an urgency which is always lurking at center stage.
Ensemble Sonnerie isn't content with two or three instruments; they
employ six including the bassoon and oboe but no harpsichord. Also, the
preformance exceeds 2 minutes. Is it dour? Does it drag? Not at all. The
piece begins with just the oboe da caccia giving a little introduction;
it's a stunning entrance. The remainder of the performance is rhythmically
alert and incisive. Leonhardt's reading includes the harpsichord but is
still mighty serious and effective. The DHM issue employs violin, flute,
and viola da gamba in a relatively quick and appropriately melancholy
reading. Of the seven versions, only Arte Resoluta fails to satisfy.
After additional listenings, my favorite readings come from Ensemble
Sonnerie (serious & diverse), the Hanssler issue (alert & optimistic),
and the two-harpsichord version from Harmonia Mundi (serious & urgent).
Now we have a series of five Canons sometimes known as Narratio Longa.
Each Canon presents a different idea that corresponds to one of the five
elements of oratory; I never thought I'd have to ponder oratory when
listening to music, but live and learn. The first of these canons is
called the Crab Canon. It's for two voices with one taking the forward
route and the other beginning at the end and going backwards. It's
considered to elicit the imagery of a crab moving from side to side,
and its bouncing rhythm adds to the effect.
Ensemble Sonnerie does the Crab Canon proud. Using violin, oboe, bassoon,
and viola da gamba, their performance is delightfully alert, diverse, and
perfectly executed. Aston Magna finishes off the Canon in well under a
minute, using just two violins. It is quick and fairly exciting, but it's
also over immediately and gives little opportunity for the listener to
investigate its structure. Arte Resoluta also employs only the two
violins, but their performance has more substance than Aston Magna.
More important, they invest the piece with a haunting quality that's
irresistable. For DHM, Robert Kohnen takes center stage with a harpsichord
solo that's urgent and lyrical. There is little bounce or imagery of a
crab, but the performance wins my heart regardless.
Harmonia Mundi's Davitt Moroney has solo honors in the Crab Canon and
sounds so different from Kohnen; he's much quicker with plenty of bounce
and rhythmic alertness. A different set of instruments comes from the
Hanssler issue - violin & harpsichord; it's effective, but I don't feel
it's one of the best combinations. Leonhardt's crab may not be very
exuberant but it's certainly a determined little critter; I love this
harpsichord performance.
Overall, I find that the Crab Canon is excellently served by Leonhardt,
Moroney, Arte Resoluta, and Ensemble Sonnerie. The DHM and Hanssler issues
are fine listening experiences, but Aston Magna just zooms by too fast.
The second in the series of five Canons is the 'Canon for two violins in
unison'. Dialogue is the foundation for this Canon, going from strong
personality to a pleading one. The Hanssler issue uses two violins and
viola da gamba; the performance is outstanding as full conversation is
conveyed as well as great urgency provided by the violins. Harmonia Mundi
employs violin and harpsichord in a slow reading which does drag a little.
Arte Resoluta has two violins and cello; the performance is quick but made
too heavy by the cello which I found aggravating. Aston Magna presents
two violins and viola da gamba in a quick performance, but not rushed as
is their Crab Canon. It's very good and rather similar to the Hanssler
reading; however, the Hanssler's violins are more deliciously piercing.
Leonhardt's interpretation with violins and harpsichord is also very good
and at the level of Aston Magna.
Ensemble Sonnerie continues its instrumental diversity with the violins,
harpsichord, and flute. The credits say that it's a bassoon, but I hear a
flute. As for the performance, it's a fine one but I don't think the flute
adds much to the proceedings. Another good reading comes from the DHM
issue using violin and harpsichord; unlike with the Harmonia Mundi version,
the performance is quick and bouyant. So the Hanssler version is my
favorite with Arte Resoluta and Harmonia Mundi holding up the rear.
The third Canon in the series is the 'Canon in contrary motion'. One of
its basic features is the surface element of simplicity. Arte Resoluta
uses violin, viola, and flute. It's a nice reading but somewhat dour.
The Hanssler issue, with same instrumentation as Arte Resoluta, is more
vibrant and strongly projected; I think that's advantageous. The DHM
version has Barthold Kuijken on flute and Robert Kohnen on harpsichord
doing the honors; this version is as dour as Arte Resoluta. It's back to
flute and strings with Aston Magna; the strings are incisive and a joy to
listen to. Overall, the performance is just as lively as the Hanssler and
has those wonderful strings to make it a splendid version. Leonhardt uses
flute and harpsichord in a fine reading which avoids sounding stale or
dour.
The Harmonia Mundi version with two harpsichords is great for digging into
the architecture and fully up to the standards of Aston Magna. Ensemble
Sonnerie's six instruments certainly provide a lively Canon although I
think the mix of instruments is not the best for this piece. My two
favorite versions have to be the Harmonia Mundi's two-harpsichord
performance and Aston Magna.
The fourth Canon in the series is the 'Canon in augmentation and contrary
motion'. I've been using "dour" quite a bit, and it applies well to Aston
Magna; the group uses strings and fortepiano. I don't find the fortepiano
to do anything but drag the performance further into a slow-motion and too
heavy reading. Similar comments apply to Arte Resoluta which employs
violins and cello. It's just strings for the Leonhardt version which is
much more incisive and demonstrative than Aston Magna. Those fine virtues
on display in the Leonhardt are magnified in the DHM version for violin and
harpsichord; the violin rings out strongly and beautifully. The Hanssler
is also on violin and harpsichord. Although the violin is not as strong
as in the DHM performance, it is more expressive and best brings out the
beauty and longing in the music. This is a wonderful interpretation.
Harmonia Mundi continues with the two harpsichord regimen, but this
time there's no magic coming from Moroney and Cook; the reading is
rather severe. Ensemble Sonnerie again uses six instruments in a slow
performance; the instrumentation is a good match here. Ultimately, I
find the Hanssler version easily being the finest of the group.
The last Canon in the series is the 'modulating Canon'. Arte Resoluta
employs violin, viola, and cello. It's a very dark and mysterious reading.
Hanssler offers violins and harpsichord in a slower performance than Arte
Resoluta which is equally incisive. Aston Magna goes with strings only
and they are deliciously pungent and expressive. In a slow reading,
Leonhardt's harpsichord and violin version is very dignified and noble but
somewhat compressed and polite; it needs more spunk. It's Moroney and Cook
again for Harmonia Mundi and they hit on all cylinders with an inevitable
quality; the reading has great beauty and depth. The DHM version uses
violin and harpsichord in a slow performance matching the quality of
Moroney and Cook. Sigiswald Kuijken's violin playing is stunning and
more incisive than any other version. Ensemble Sonnerie bests it previous
instrumental diversity by using nine instruments. Every instrument can
well be tracked as to its activities and connections to the other
instruments; the group opens up this Canon more than the other versions
and joins Moroney/Cook and the DHM version as the most rewarding.
Closing out the first section is the three-part Canonic Fugue which has
an uplifiting quality greater than in the previous Canons. Arte Resoluta
on violin, flute, and cello does deliver the optimism but they are rather
subtle about it. The Hanssler issue replaces the cello with viola da
Gamba; the performance is quicker and more positive than Arte Resoluta
but displays less depth. Ensemble Sonnerie gears down with just four
instruments (violin, flute, viola da gamba, and harpsichord). It starts
off great with a solo harpsichord, but the flute is too far forward for
my tastes and eventually becomes tiresome. Aston Magna's violin and
fortepiano version leaves me flat; it sounds a little like a run-through.
The DHM performance is on flute and harpsichord with both instruments in
fine proportion to one another. The reading is very expressive and as good
as the Arte Resoluta. Leonhardt's performance on violin and harpsichord
conveys little optimism. More two harpsichord music from Moroney and Cook
is enjoyable but sounds somewhat rushed.
Update: What most strkes me from listening to the reviewed recordings
is the extent of differentiation in instrumentation. This along with the
generally high quality of performances means that there should be a good
version for all tastes. Currently, I have the DHM issue with three Kuijken
brothers and Robert Kohnen with a very small advantage over the other
versions which are all close behind except for Aston Magna which has been
rather dour on occasion. Ensemble Sonnerie is shaping up as an excellent
version for those who favor instrumental variety, and the Harmonia Mundi
recording looks great for those preferring a prevalence of harpsichord
performances. The Hanssler issue is also looking mighty fine, particularly
in the Canons. Arte Resoluta was excellent in Ricercar A 3 but took a
downward slide in the Canons.
In Part 2, Florilegium will finally come to the table with the Ricercar
A 6 and the Trio Sonata; Nikolayeva also provides the Ricercar A 6.
Concerning my personal preferences, I see the Musical Offering creating
the danger that the performers will emphasize its melancholy nature to the
detriment of the other facets of the work. Mostly, that hasn't happened in
the review process; only Aston Magna and Arte Resoluta have veered in that
direction occasionally.
Don Satz
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