Episode 374. Maureen Lehane Sings Bach
SOCIAL SHARE
SUBSCRIPTION PLATFORM
Today’s episode offers music of consolation, sung divinely. On a Sunday morning back in December, freshly arrived back in New York from a challenging trip to my home state of Wisconsin, I sat down to a cup of coffee and began playing a setlist that I had created in the aftermath of my “Great Contraltos Sing Bach” episode a few weeks before. This setlist was comprised of arias from Bach cantatas sung by the British contralto Maureen Lehane (18 September 1932 – 27 December 2010) which I had discovered on YouTube as part of a huge cache of Bach cantata recordings from German radio, many of which featured Lehane as the alto soloist. I was thrilled to find such a treasure trove, since during the preparation of that episode, Lehane had stood out for her impeccable diction and fluid vocal technique, which served her equally well in recitative, cantilena, and coloratura. As I listened to that setlist and contemplated the texts, I realized that these recordings needed to be shared. I have chosen fourteen of the very finest of those recordings and am presenting them today to all who are seeking to make some kind of sense of the world in its current chaos. May the voice of Maureen Lehane singing the music of Bach provide you with a momentary oasis of order and beauty. A biographical sketch of Lehane rounds out the episode.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
All selections were composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and are sung by Maureen Lehane.
Ein ungefärbt Gemüte (Ein ungefärbt Gemüte, BWV 24). Gerhard Wilhelm, Collegium musicum des WDR [undated recording]
Ach, schläfrige Seele (Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115). Wilhelm Ehmann, Westfälische Kantorei Herford [1965]
Es kommt der Tag, an dem wir ziehen (Wachet betet, betet wachet, BWV 70). Hermann Schroeder, Kammerorchester der Musikhochschule Köln [1967]
Hochgelobter Gottessohn (Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, BWV 6). Hermann Schroeder, Collegium musicum des WDR [1967]
Ich bitt noch mehr, o Herre Gott (Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 177). Helmut Kahlhöfer, Collegium musicum des WDR [1965]
Ich wundre mich, denn alles was man sieht… Gott hat alles wohlgemacht (Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35). Gisbert Schneider, Kurt Thomas, Collegium musicum des WDR [1965]
In deine Hände befehle ich meinen Geist… Heute noch wirst du mit mir (Actus tragicus [Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit], BWV 106). Maureen Lehane, Barry McDaniel, Rudolf Pohl, Collegium Aureum [1968]
Leget euch dem Heiland unter (Himmelskönig sei willkommen, BWV 182). Günther Höller, Helmut Kahlhöfer, Collegium musicum des WDR [1966]
Helmuth Kahlhöfer
Man nehme sich in Acht (Wo gehest du hin?, BWV 166). Helmut Hacke, Helmuth Kahlhöfer, Collegium musicum des WDR [1965]
So wie der Hirsch nach frischem Wasser schreit… Mund und Herze steht dir offen (Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Names, BWV 148). Kurt Thomas, Collegium musicum des WDR [1966]
Tilg, o Gott die Lehren (Ach, Gott vom Himmel darein, BWV 2). Wilhelm Ehmann, Westfälische Kantorei [1965]
Weh der Seele, die den Schaden nicht mehr kennt (Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben, BWV 102). Eigel Kruttge, Cappella Coloniensis [ca. 1966]
Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal… Kreuz und Krone sind verbunden (Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12). Helmut Hucke, Helmuth Kahlhöfer, Collegium musicum des WDR [1966]
Wo zwei und drei versammlet sind (Am Abend aber des selbigen Sabbats, BWV 42). Helmut Kahlhöfer, Collegium musicum des WDR [1966]
