J. S. Bach - Motet "Der Geist Hilft Unser Schwachheit Auf" BWV 226 (1/3)

1. Der Geist Hilft Unser Schwachheit Auf
For the Funeral of Johann Heinrich Ernesti, Rector of the School of St. Thomas
Rom. 8:26-27; Martin Luther, verse 3 of "Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott," 1524 (Wackernagel, I, #19).
Composed in 1729
Text:
[Rom. 8:26-27] (Chorus I, Chorus II)
"The Spirit doth our weakness help, for we do not know what we should be asking or what is proper; rather, the Spirit himself intercedeth for us, ineffably sighing"

Hilliard Ensemble

Bach-Motets playlist: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5215905EE4CDDD88

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bach
• Motet
• Der
• Geist
• Hilft
• Unser
• Schwachheit
• Auf
• BWV
• 226
• Hilliard
• Ensemble
• Mottetto
• Mottetten
• Choir
• Coro
• cappella

[danielbillingsley]

I agree with @wcbroccoli that the lack of at least continuo leads to some problematic pitch issues in this recording. However, I also think the overly lilting and dragging tempo isn't helping much either. I would prefer something more spry and bouncy. It would certainly assist the sopranos and tenors who seem to labor through the melismas. I'm not saying breakneck, but pop it along a little more. Hilliard Ensemble regularly takes things a little slower than my tastes.

[norcalrobbie2]

@ahzie99 Not necessarily. Instrumental parts exist for this motet, and it was customary to perform motets with at least the continuo until the 1800s.

[wcbroccoli]

@spacecadet2016 These Hilliard performance of the Bach motets are lovely, but the harmony suffers from a lack of 16' continuo. There are of few places where, when the tenor dips below the bass, sometimes 2nd inversions result that Bach surely did not intend. He wasn't worried about such crossings because he knew the continuo bass line would play at 16'. Again, think of baroque organ registration. They liked the "gravitas" of 16' pitch, and the sonority of instruments AND voices.

[wcbroccoli]

@spacecadet2016 The surviving performing parts for this Bach motet include a complete set of strings parts for choir I and wind parts for choir 2, plus continuo.

The instruments double the voices. It seems the instruments in Baroque vocal were not just to reinforce the voices, but also to provide a desired sonority of voices AND instruments. Think Baroque organ registration.

[wcbroccoli]

@spacecadet2016 The 19th century notion of "a capella" meant that voices were unaccompanied by instruments. But that practice was actually quite rare in early music. Motets and madrigals were often performed with instruments, instruments sometimes substituting for voices. Even Palestrina's masses were performed with organ continuo. Bach's 4-part chorales were performed with all voices doubled by instruments and continuo.

[spacecadet2016]

Well your final point seems to confirm that more artistry could be allocated to vibrato. I was not suggesting a romantic switch-on permanent vibrato (like the bizarre organ tremulant and 20th-century string and vocal techniques). The tuning is sometimes *not* cohesive as it is.

[dap1979]

I think they use enough vibrato.... I would prefer vibrato for ornamentation purposes only for Bach. I think it makes the tuning more cohesive. That, or consider ways Bach may have used the tremulant on the organ. Too many sopranos using vibrato will make bach sound overly romanticized. It wouldn't be bad here considering there is only 1 singer to a part.

[spacecadet2016]

Rejoinder to ahzei99: I've never seen "a capella" (unaccompanied) as part of the definition. Wiki says the opposite for Bach's (but there's no citation for that assertion). The proof of the pudding is whether the bass strays above the tenor, ever; if so, a 16-foot must reinforce the bass. In fact, the bass-line NEEDS reinforcement in terms of sonority in this recording. Sop. almost vibratoless makes tuning very hard; suggest a little more, esp. towards end of long-held notes. Very good workshop.

[ahzie99]

Hello!!! Motet = accapella

[spacecadet2016]

No continuo? Hello? Spineless.