Word: bwv
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...first, Aus der Tiefe (BWV 131), suffered primarily from excessively slow tempos. In the opening chorus, the slow pulse became divided, and the long tense lines tended to degenerate into series of disconnected fragments. The other choruses were more effective. Francis Hester's bass solo was a model of disciplined power, including some uncannily accurate duets with the oboe. Karl Sorensen's tenor solo, if a little monotonous, was consistently liquid and articulate...
...opening chorus of Bleib bei uns (BWV 6) featured a large number of choral trills. Although they demonstrated the chorus's virtuosity, the emphasis placed upon them distorted rather than heightened the expression of Bach's musical ideas. In the remainder of the cantata, Jane Struss' alto aria was lucid and delicate, if not overpowering, and Sorensen gracefully navigated the difficult tenor aria...
...ensemble of 26 singers and 11 instrumentalists performed the cantatas "Der Herr denket an uns" (BWV 196), "Ich bin ein guter Hirt" (BWV 85), "Ihr Menschen, Ruehmet Gottes Liebe" (BWV 167), and the motet "Komm, Jesu, komm" (BWV 229) elegantly and unpretentiously. They produced a full but never heavy sound; the chorus's long threads of melody were sung smoothly and sensitively; the diction was inpeccable. Collins's phrasing and dynamics avoided the spectacular, but could be striking on occasion through their subtlety. He chose to take the final cadence of "Der Herr denket" simply and quietly, rather than grandly...
...knows how to use the Church's splendid Aeolian-Skinner organ to fine advantage. There was occasional insecurity in the string ensemble, but the over-all result was above par. The finest works on the program were the corner ones: Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B-minor, BWV 544, and Piston's Prelude and Allegro for Organ and Strings. The Bach was especially welcome, for it is not often heard these days; it is a lofty master-piece built on unpromising material--one more proof that, in art, manner is more important than matter. Professor Piston's piece, idiomatically...