Bach wrote BWV 37 in 1724; it was his first Ascension Day Cantata in
Leipzig.  Bach's life was going very well at the time, and the cantata
displays a full joy of life.  My comparison recording comes from Volume
9 of Koopman's Bach Cantata Series on Erato; the catalog number is
3984-27315.  Koopman's vocal soloists are soprano Sibylla Rubens, alto
Bernhard Landauer, tenor Christoph Pregardien, and bass Klaus Mertens.

BWV 37 begins with a joyous chorus of strong forward momentum and galloping
pace.  The instrumental sinfonia of the chorus brings great pleasure which
only increases with the entry of the singers accompanied by obbligato
instruments.  The tempos of each version make quite a difference; Gardiner
clocks in at 2'17', Koopman at 2'40".  Every time I played Gardiner first,
Koopman would initally seem too slow, and vice versa.  Ultimately, I favor
the Gardiner for its greater excitement and galloping feature.  Also, his
faster speed does not reduce the grandeur of the music.  Both choral groups
do very well.

The second movement is a moderate-paced tenor aria conveying great
beauty and a serene satisfaction.  The instrumental beginning features a
delectable and pungent violin which provides both edge and satisfaction in
abundance.  Gardiner is leagues ahead of Koopman on this piece of music.
Gardiner's violin is perfect, and Anthony Rolfe Johnson is superb in
conveying the satisfaction and hope inherent in the music.

Koopman has "reconstructed" the violin part, and he's made a relatively
unmusical mess of it; I can't imagine what was going through his mind.
Also, Christoph Pregardien, although an excellent vocalist, doesn't come
close to Johnson's level; his deeper voice conveys little satisfaction or
anything else I could detect.

The third movement gives us a bouncy and playful Chorale for soprano and
alto.  Gardiner has the right amount of bounce and vitality; Koopman is a
little too somber for my tastes.  Also, although Koopman's Rubens is the
best of the four vocal soloists, Bernhard Landauer doesn't sound very good
and they are a poor match.  Argenta and Chance aren't much on tonal beauty,
but they blend together very well.  Although this Chorale does not approach
the mastery of the tenor aria, it has much to offer which Koopman's version
does not find.

As I was listening to the bass recitative, bass aria, and concluding
chorale, I was thinking how Bach has such a talent for writing music which
expresses so deeply his religious and spiritual beliefs and his sense of
universal order.  Klaus Mertens is the bass for Herreweghe, and he has a
strong voice, perhaps too strong in the aria.  Stephen Varcoe, of weaker
voice, is at his best in the aria and better integrated with the orchestra.
Also, Gardiner has preferable pacing.  Both versions have excellent
chorales.

Overall, Gardiner has a strong advantage over Koopman.  His vocal soloists
are quite good, and Gardiner routinely has the measure of the cantata's
musical conception.  Koopman version is not at a very high level: the alto
is weak, Pregardien is not at his best, Koopman's tempos and pacing could
have been much better, and he is overly somber for the type of music.

For BWV 128, Chance/Johnson/Varcoe are replaced by Robin Blaze,
Christoph Genz, and Rheinhard Hagen.  It's like tag-team wrestling, and
the replacements are highly worthy.  BWV 128 is a short cantata with some
very arresting music.  For me, the highlight is the duet for countertenor
and tenor; it is lovely music of depth.  Blaze is superb, and he blends
excellently with Genz.  I don't have any comparison versions, but I'm
confident that Gardiner gives a fine performance.

Don's Conclusion: This is a well-filled disc with three excellent
performances and one that's not very good (BWV 43).  The vocal soloists
are much better than I would have expected, and Gardiner delivers readings
which are typical of his style: quick/advantageous tempos, excellent
instrumental support, crisp choral forces, and an occasional lightness
which reduces the music's impact.  This may well be the best disc in
Gardiner's series to date.  I give it a strong general recommendation;
for Gardiner fans, this is an essential addition to your libraries.

Don Satz
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