If you know Philippe Herreweghe’s excellent recording of Bach’s Ascension oratorio (Harmonia Mundi) you’ll immediately notice that this one from Bethlehem, PA is significantly brighter, with lots of trumpet in the opening and a big choral sound. There’s lots of energy here and the orchestra is very much out in front. There’s also a deliberateness to the rhythms and what at times seems undue emphasis on articulation, perhaps elicited by conductor Greg Funfgeld because of the large choir (nearly 100 voices) and orchestra involved. However, the continuo in the recitatives and orchestral accompaniments in the arias tend to overwhelm the soloists, and the choral sound–as infectiously exciting as it is–has a saturated quality the mushes up any attempt at clarity of line or internal texture. The difference in brightness between the Harmonia Mundi and this Dorian recording owes something to the higher pitch of the Bethlehem performance–nearly a whole tone–which enlivens the orchestral sound but makes the tenor solos feel just a bit strained (even though Frederick Urrey sings them with admirable confidence). Soprano Ann Monoyios sounds downright uncomfortable with her aria, tentative and uneven across registers, but she makes up for this later in her more assured, technically impressive performance in the Cantata BWV 51.
The opening and closing choruses of the Ascension oratiorio contain some of Bach’s most irresistible, catchy music, and this chorus and orchestra really give it their all, from the brilliant trumpets and insistent syncopated rhythms to the invigorating choral singing–but again, there’s a plodding feel, especially during the final chorus, brought on by too much punch on every bass-line note, that quickly becomes tedious. Throughout, Herreweghe offers more subtlety in dynamics that goes hand in hand with more carefully (and effectively) drawn phrasing–and he makes his case with a less bombastic approach that works well with the warmer sonics. Other than in the soprano department, where Herreweghe’s Barbara Schlick shines above Funfgeld’s Monoyios, the soloists on both recordings are comparably competent and well suited to the repertoire. While there’s no disputing the Bethlehem group’s affecting and admirably lively performance, I prefer Herreweghe’s more evenly balanced and artfully sculpted interpretation. However, the fact is, once you get into this Bethlehem Bach Choir production, it’s impossible not to like it.
