Vocalist.org archive


From:  John Alexander Blyth <BLYTHE@B...>
Date:  Tue May 30, 2000  9:27 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] RE: Bach, Baroque and Countertenors


Not at all. My main point (well, one of my main points :o)) was that Bach
would have had a particular timbre in mind when he wrote something for a
particular occasion, and yet he would have made the music so that it would
be almost as good with other timbres. I can accept that he may have had
only male singers to work with in church (especially knowing little of 18th
C. Lutheran practice), but his was a culture which had much sacred music in
the home as well - note the vocal works in the Anna Magdalena note book,
which must represent the tip of the iceberg. At home women most certainly
would have sung, and probably on other occasions such as the inauguration
of a town hall and such like, if practiced-enough female singers were
available.
Much as I like a good mezzo sound I must concur with you that Bach's
writing for 'alto' might sound slightly more authentic and effective with
an appropriately trained male singer, probably a choir senior. I'm certain
though that every single aria (with the possible exception of some of those
in the B minus Mass) was written with a particular singer in mind: Bach,
like Haydn, had the enviable situation of being able to write music and
hear it performed shortly afterwards. I know there are records that seem to
show Bach bewailing the quality or quantity of singers he had to work with,
but the fact that he was able to keep his job, and not write down to a
musically barely literate constituency must surely show that the performed
results were not as bad as some commentators might have feared.
Here in the Canadian prairies there are still Mennonite churches where the
entire congregation sing in parts. Personally I found it rather impressive,
especially on one occasion when about 500 voices were involved. That a
dedicated, semi-professional choir could do still better in such an
environment is hardly to be wondered at.
Ah, Bach! john
At 10:07 AM 5/30/00 -0700, you wrote:
...>Surely you're not suggesting Bach alto arias are best sung by mezzos?
>Certainly there are cases of women (mostly contraltos) who shine in this
>repertoire, but it's a stretch to say he wrote it with women in mind.
>
>-Tako

John Blyth
Baritono robusto e lirico
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

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