Wim Huisjes wrote (March 26, 1999):

(To Jane Newble) Please disregard the one-line message that was sent accidentally this afternoon, probably causing some amazement on your side. Just technical difficulties that you wouldn't want to know about. I still owe you an answer to your question about my "favourite" Koopman volume. I find that a hard question, simply because each volume contains, on average something like 8 or 9 cantatas.

I did some listening during the past few days (with much pleasure !). Personally I think you should start with a single CD: highlights of Volume I. : BWV 4, 21, 31, 71, 106, 131, 150, 184, 196 (ERATO 0630-13205-2). That should give you some idea, before plunging into an expensive undertaking. Remember though: ERATO undoubtedly has been very careful about what to include and what to exclude on this 1-CD release.

Volume 6 is quite illustrative, I think. Excellent performances of especially BWV 190, 59, 69, 50, 169, 186. It also gives you two bad examples. In the opening chorus of BWV 76, Koopman's tempo is so fast that the choir member's simply do not have the time to pronounce the words. If you speak some German, just try to read the words at the same speed Koopman wants it. I tried, and failed. So does the choir.

BWV 104 gets murdered. The opening chorus is a pleading prayer. The tempo is so high that my impression is that Koopman does not understand the words, or does not know what a prayer is (I'm exaggerating here) : in this case a desperate plea to God to be heard. The rest of the cantata is impressive though.

Try Fritz Werner, also on ERATO (early sixties), who in my opinion gives the best performance of the BWV 104 opening chorus ever recorded.

Volume 2 is impressive also. Apart from several fine cantata performances, it gives you BWV 524: Quodlibet. That was on my shelves in a TELDEC LP-release by Jürgens for years. I found it amusing, but never paid much attention to it. (I mean the work, not the performance).

Dutch radio and TV give much attention to Koopman's cantata project. He gives "trial performances" in three Dutch cities and some in the UK (don't know where), before recording the cantatas. These concerts are broadcasted over and over again. In fact, it would be a lot cheaper to tape these broadcasts than to buy the CD's.

I taped a video with a Koopman interview about the Quodlibet, a lot of discussion and rehearsal sessions in Koopman's living room (with Schlick, Wessel, Prégardien and Mertens), ending with the "official" performance in a Dutch concert hall. Since then, the Quodlibet is one of my favourites. The whole thing is hilarious, but (alas) a lot more fun on video than on CD.

Cor Knops wrote (October 30, 1999):

Below is a listing of all the cantatas Ton Koopman has and will be recording for his Complete Cantatas-series on Erato. The number at the end of each line (BWV-number, cantata-title...) is the number of the volume on which it is (or will be) issued.

This information can also be found on our Website (under "Cantatas" or "Cantaten" (Dutch version)).

John Polifronio wrote (January 4, 2000):

Hi Johann, I'm delighted to hear that Koopman is engaged in recording all the Bach cantatas. I'm going to go and check to see if he's already recorded BWV 34.

JohSebastianBach wrote (January 5, 2000):

You are most welcome. I believe that Koopman is up to Vol. 8. Since I do not share your enthusiasm for Koopman's approach to this music, I have not been keeping up with the on-going project and therefore I cannot tell you if he has gotten to BWV 34. I do happen to have Vol. 6, which happens to contain BWV 50. The reconstruction is by Jan Kleinbussink, who also is the organ continuo player in the recordings. Christoph Wolff's annotation hints at the elusive nature of this movement. Since the "primary" source is a posthumous copy, everything has to be, essentially, purely a speculative conclusion. According to the notes, the performance includes both the surviving text and Kleinbussink's reconstruction of the putative original.

John Polifronio wrote (January 6, 2000):

JSB, My enthusiasm for Koopman varies quite a bit. But my love for the Bach Cantatas is at the highest level. My enthusiasm was more for the cantata BWV 34 than for Koopman; but I'm interested in any BWV 34 (or most other of the cantatas) that appears in a new recording. I'm not much of a fan of Harnoncourt either, but his BWV 34 on Teldec was quite good. Do you have a favorite BWV 4 I should know about? There are about 50 of the cantatas for which I have a special liking, and am constantly listening to whatever comes my way; but I can't hear all the available recordings of these unequaled masterpieces so any recommendations you might have would be appreciated.

Cor Knops wrote (February 25, 2000):

HONORARY DOCTORATE FOR TON KOOPMAN

The University of Utrecht (Netherlands) will grant a honorary doctorate to the musician Ton Koopman.

Ton Koopman will receive his honorary doctorate on the 24th of March, during a special meeting. This will go together with the performance, and Dutch premiere, of The Markus Passion (J.S. Bach) which was reconstructed by Ton Koopman. This will take place in Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht.

Ton Koopman is a musician, musicologist and professor of harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He will receive his honorary doctorate for his contributions to the scientific research and his musical interpretation of the works of Bach, especially the passions and cantatas. Koopman also contributes to the present-day musical representation of christian faith which was also the source of inspiration for Bach's works. The year 2000 is announced as the international Bach-year. The honorary doctorate will be granted on account of the faculty of theology, honorary supervisor is Mrs. Prof. Willemien Otten, professor of Churchhistory.

Deborah Carroll wrote:

I read your review (very helpful thank you), and there was one item in particular that struck my attention: your description of a "pop" sound. Last year I purchased part of the "Complete Cantatas," conducted by Ton Koopman. The popping sound occurred on most of the tracks, along with a crackling sound, and a constant skipping of sections. These defects were > so pronounced that I feared for my speakers. Subsequently I had to return all but two of the series. It is very hard for me to believe that these problems escaped both the sound engineers and the record company, Erato.

Ben Mullins wrote (April 25, 2000):

What volumes were they? I have the first seven and haven't heard any problems. Perhaps it was, as Kirk said, a bad pressing?

Donald Satz wrote (April 27, 2000):

I have the 9 Koopman volumes and haven't noticed any glitches on any of them. However, I do find that, overall, the sound is not the best. It is overly rich and homogenized. Comparing that sound to Rifkin on Decca is very illuminating.

Jane Newble wrote (April 29, 2000):

When I first heard Rifkin, I did not like it, and I thought it was probably the OVPP (one voice per part) that put me off. Since then I heard Junghanel, and like it, so it's not that. My problem with Rifkin is the recording. It sounds as if it was recorded in a carpeted room (ceiling included). The sound makes me feel c, there is no space. Koopman is the opposite. There is a lot of space, because the recordings are done in churches. Was that not the original setting for the church-cantatas?

Donald Satz wrote (April 30, 2000):

Jane and I must have very different hearing mechanisms. I find Rifkin's sound superb with no sense of a small room, carpeted or otherwise. I agree that Koopman sounds as if in a larger space, but that he congregates all the singers and instruments in just one spot.

Patrik Enander wrote (May 1, 2000):

As some of you on this list know I'm a great fan of Ponseele oboe playing. Probably by mistake I got his e-mail address and I sent him a mail expressing my admiration

He answered very politely and told me that he has now stooped recording for Koopman since he thought his way of conducting superficial. Bach is so beautiful and profound that it needs the special treatment of Herreweghe! I suppose that includes Suzuki as well even if he doesn't mention it.

Ryan Michero wrote (May 3, 2000):

(To Patrick Enander) WHOA! That's a big deal for Ponseele to say something like that. Maybe he's mad because Koopman isn't letting him be as expressive as he wants to be. Let's hope he keeps making great music under his preferred leaders.

Evaluation of Cantata Recording

Paul McCain wrote (January 2, 2001):
First of all, please permit me to thank the person responsible for the wonderful Bach cantata www site. What a joy and delight to have all these resources.

Second, I apologize for such a "newbie" question, but would anyone care to comment on the Koopman cantata project? Perhaps this is not the write mailing list for this question. I would like to hear from the wisdom of this group about the quality of these recordings, their advantages and/or disadvantages.

Thank you very much in advance for any information you could share with me.

Aryeh Oron wrote (January 2, 2001):
(To Paul McCain) Thanks. It is me.

A page with all the previous correspondance regarding Koompan's cantatas recordings, will soon be available in the new Archive Site under the section - Performers of the Cantatas. Personally, I prefer to avoid making generalizations regarding a performer of the cantatas. With such enormous musical ocean, every performer has its ups and downs. I prefer to judge each recording of a certain performer on its own terms and in comparison to other recordings of the same cantata. I am trying to do it open-minded. Very often I find the conclusions surprising.

Jane Newble wrote (January 3, 2001):
(To Paul McCain) Hello Paul, welcome to this list!
I would like to say a few things about Koopman, although I agree with Aryeh, that they are all different and have their ups and downs. Personally, I love the Koopman cantatas. I find the quality of the recordings very good, and the singing of his choir is just wonderful. Sometimes I regret his use of the soprano Barbara Schlick, but she is not on all the volumes. The bass Klaus Mertens is to me the highlight of all his recordings. I just love his wonderful voice, expression and control. I don't think all that many people would disagree with this. There is, however, disagreement on the way Koopman takes the speed of the cantatas. This is really down to personal taste, I think.

I also like going to his website and trying out the new volumes. Not that it makes any difference as I buy them anyway. I do not have the last two volumes yet.

In the end, what really matters is whether you like them. The other thing I should say is that I wish they had used a different translation in the booklets!)

Koopman Bach Cantata Series

Dave Harman wrote (October 26, 2001):
It seems a long time since another volume of the Koopman Bach Cantata series has come out. Not only that, but it seems to me the pace of releases on this series has slowed considerably.

Has anyone heard about this series ? Is it still going ?

Michael Grover wrote (October 26, 2001):
[To Dave Harman] According to Koopman's website (http://www.tonkoopman.nl/) Vol. 12 (of a planned 20) will be released November 2. It will include the following cantatas: BWV 8, 26, 78, 91, 99, 107, 111, 114, 121, 124, 135, and 178.

It looks like you've asked a timely question -- yet another item for us to add to our wish lists!

Aya Itoi wrote (October 26, 2001):
Recording sessions for Vol. 15 will start in mid November. I was told they would finish the project in 2003.

Ton Koopman Newsletter Vol. 2001-3

Cor Knops wrote (November 23, 2001):
The twelveth volume of the ongoing series "J.S. Bach's Complete Cantatas" by Ton Koopman has been released.

Please visit the "news"-section at http://www.tonkoopman.nl for full details.

On this recording you will find the following cantatas:

CD 1
"Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder" BWV 135
"Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht" BWV 124
"Christum wir sollen loben schon" BWV 121
"Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit" BWV 111

CD 2
"Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan" (II) BWV 99
"Jesu, der du meine Seele" BWV 78
"Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost" BWV 114

CD 3
"Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ" BWV 91
"Was willst du dich betrüben" BWV 107
"Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ" BWV 116
"Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben" BWV 8
Appendix: BWV 8

Soloists
Lisa Larsson & Sibylla Rubens soprano
Annette Markert alto
Christoph Prégardien tenor
Klaus Mertens bass

Please visit our site at http://www.tonkoopman.nl and enjoy the samples too.



Continue to Part 2