Bach's Coffee Cantata BWV 211 & Peasant Cantata BWV 212 are secular and
very light.  The librettos are innocuous and sometimes silly; however,
there's a playfulness and joy of life which redeem them.  Bach's music
is often glorious and well brings out the play and joy.

In the Coffee Cantata, we have a father very upset that his daughter
craves coffee for its caffeine.  He's determined to rid her of the habit.
Dad, knowing what he controls, lists off a series of deprivations his
daughter will be subjected to if she doesn't stop drinking.  To each she
responds that she will gladly accept the deprivations in order to keep
drinking her beloved coffee.  But when he mentions the withdrawl of a
marriage offer, she tells him she would rather have a husband than coffee.
Picander's libretto ends at this point, but Bach adds a recitative and trio
where the daughter tells us that her marriage contract will include her
right to drink coffee at any time she likes.  It's all done in fun, and a
good performance reflects it.  Even the story-line has a universal appeal
in that the confict is between parents who see their offspring going off
in undesired directions and the offspring who have no intention of giving
in to authority.

The Peasant Cantata is all about good times.  Two young adults are very hot
for one another but find plenty of time to honor and spoof their masters;
they also love to drink alcoholic beverages.  This is definitely a
stress-free and fun-loving cantata.

Given the similarities of the two cantatas, they are often found together
on record.  That's the programming that Jeanne Lamon and Tafelmusic use
on their recent disc for Analekta.  The vocal soloists are soprano Suzie
LeBlanc, tenor Nils Brown, and baritone Brett Polegato.  The catalong
number is FL 2 3136.

For comparison, I used Christopher Hogwood's recording of both works on a
Decca CD.  Hogwood has the excellent fortune to team with Emma Kirby and
tenor Rogers Covey-Crump; both are exceptional.  Kirby's white voice is
tailor-made for the music.  She brings youthfulness and lightness to the
point of perfection.  The bass David Thomas is not as enticing, but he is
certainly enjoyable.  Hogwood directs excellently with crisp and idiomatic
performances from the Academy Of Ancient Music.

Reviews I have read of the Tafelmusik recording have been rather unkind,
noting that neither Tafelmusik nor the vocal soloists display sufficient
charm and joy for the high-spirited moods of the music.  I can't deny that
Hogwood's vocalists are better than Tafelmusik's.  Suzie LeBlanc can't
match Emma Kirby for youth or high-spirits, and tenor Nils Brown pales
next to Rogers Covey-Crump.  However, Brett Polegato is very good in the
baritone role.  Tafelmusik does present a darker atmosphere than Hogwood,
and I'm sure that the reviews have considered that a negative.

Still, there is one area where Tafelmusik is even better than Hogwood;
there's a rhythmic bounce and vitality in the Tafelmusik performances
which is irresistable.  Just listen to the ending duet of the Peasant
Cantata to hear that rhythmic vitality which propels the Tafelmusik
reading past Hogwood's.  Also, the strings are outstanding and quite
prominent.  Overall, I have to prefer the Hogwood disc, but Tafelmusik
brings some special qualities to the works which make their recording
easy to recommend.  As for the darker readings, my musical preferences
don't recognize that aspect as a major detriment.

Don's Conclusions:  Although not an essential acquisition, Tafelmusik
is very enjoyable; in my view, any deficit in joy from the performers is
well compensated by the infectious pacing and rhythm provided by Jeanne
Lamon.  Additional listenings only serve to enhance my admiration for
Lamon's direction and decision-making.  The final verdict is a strong
recommendation tempered with a little caution concerning the vocalists
Suzie LeBlanc and Nils Brown.  I'll be keeping this Tafelmusik CD in my
'frequent play' stacks since it offers highly pleasureable elements not
found in other recordings I have heard.  The cover art is attractive and
liner notes acceptable.  If my tastes tend to mesh with yours, you can
safely purchase the disc and expect many hours of enjoyment.

Don Satz
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