In the former Ittinger Carthusian monastery near Frauenfeld, there is a small festival during the Pentecost holidays with daily concerts in their small concert house, the Remise. This year’s edition is curated and led by Isabelle Faust and Kristian Bezuidenhout and is an all-Bach affair.
The opening concert features the reconstructed concerto for violin and oboe (based on the harpsichord concerto) BWV 1060 plus two cantatas, all items presented in a one-voice-per-part distribution. I am not sure that the combination of the acoustics and the slim orchestral force was advantageous for the concerto, which sounded a bit cold and businesslike, in spite of all the talents involved, especially Isabelle Faust herself, who played the challenging solo violin with her usual finesse.
On the other hand, the chamber-like proportions really suit the solo cantata BWV 199, Mein Herze schwimmt in Blut. Leading from harpsichord and the positiv, Mr. Bezuidenhout established a dramatic atmosphere from the opening bars, which Dorothee Mields relished in a very expressive account of recitatives and a truly emotionally sincere and highly communicative account of her arias. The tessitura is a bit low – and I understand why John Eliot Gardiner chose Magdalena Kozena for this item in his Bach Pilgrimage – and yet Ms. Mields did not take refuge in a “spoken” tone and met the challenge of singing her low notes with just enough color. I had seen this German soprano only once at the Tonhalle, where her singing felt a bit lost in the large venue. Here one could savor her every inflection and tonal shade. A masterly performance in every aspect, warmly accompanied by the group of highly distinguished musicians, such as Clara Blessing, Cecilia Bernardini, Donata Böcking, Kristin von der Goltz and James Munro.
The BWV 78, Jesu, der du meine Seele is a more complicated affair. It is a very special cantata whose theme could be described as how faith in Christ saves the sinner as much as a physician cures a sick person. The opening number has all the elements of an atmosphere of dejection, with its chromatic descending ground and repeated notes. Every statement of the chorale (carried by the soprano) is wrapped in counterpoint in the other voices, as if the message of salvation has not yet been heard. But cure is not far away – Bach’s most Rossinian duet has soprano and alto sprinting to be healed. The tenor comes for a very curious aria, a musical transfusion of Christ blood in everflowing moto continuo from the flute obligato while the singer affirms he is regaining his strength. The bass appeara in complete health to his florid aria with oboe, ready to win and triumph over sin, before the closing chorale.
Understandably, considering the forces available, Mr. Bezuidenhout here pressed forward without looking back. If that made the orchestral parts extraordinarily clear. I am not sure that it is particular easy, especially in Bach, to have all singers equalized as you can do with a chorus, even a small one. In any case, I have never heard a more satisfying account of the duet, sprightly but not excessively jumpy, the voices of Dorothee Mields and countertenor James Hall perfectly blended. Hugo Hyman sounded to me rather a Mozart tenor, not truly crispy in the recitative, but dulcet and flexible with a pleasant touch of velvet in the aria. Drew Santini found the bass part on the low side for his voice. He does have more than enough volume and flexibility, but seemed ill at ease at times.
I HEAR VOICES 
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