Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach is one of the lesser known of Johann’s boys. He had a good job that tended to keep him in one place for most of his life, not unlike Haydn, and he too was free to produce whatever he pleased. He was enamored of Italian opera and this almost hour-long cantata, which relates the fall of Troy from Cassandra’s emotive but right-on perspective, is a fine work, filled with the dramatic urgency that energized Italian opera at the time.
Its 11 parts are in unequal bits–some as brief as two minutes, one almost 14. The scoring varies from full string band to solo harpsichord. There are two da capo arias. Most scenes are a combination of exclamation, arioso, and aria–not necessarily in that order–and the work ends, most suddenly and originally, on a bit of recitative in which Cassandra envisions “Troy in dust” with an upward slash from the violins. It’s very effective. Hermann Max leads the period instrument Das Kleine Konzert–13 strings and harpsichord–with verve and determination.
Needless to say, the success or failure of the whole work lies with the alto soloist, and here we have a mixed report. The Swedish alto Lena Susanne Norin has a lovely voice, a winning style, and a technique up to the demands of the music. What she lacks is dramatic thrust. Not only is her voice small–although this is not really an issue–but she treats it rather gingerly. She won’t lean on the notes and steers almost entirely clear of vibrato, two traits very much in keeping with the early music creed, but the effect is hardly what we want from a character in Cassandra’s position. Norin’s intelligence and musicality do what they can for the drama, but there’s no desperation, no panic, no rage–and all three of these components are essential to Cassandra’s plight.
I will grant Norin points for doing the best she can without stressing any part of her voice, but stress is, more or less, written into the character, and I miss it. Cecilia Bartoli, who tends to whisper a great deal as well, can muster up far more feeling; so, for that matter, can Anne Sofie von Otter, who herself is one cool cookie. So I can recommend this CD for the work itself and the performance up to a point–but I bemoan what it’s missing.
