The highlight of many a violinist’s calendar is the prospect of playing J.S. Bach’s wonderful violin obligatos in his St. Matthew Passion. Who will play the first orchestra’s Erbarme dich, mein Gott solo, full of pathos and doubt. And who will be gifted the second orchestra’s Gebt mir meinem Jesum wieder portraying Judas’ anger, resulting in Jesus’ ultimate betrayal.
For those who are similarly looking to indulge in this Baroque tradition of obligato music, where solo voice and violin find a unique union, Davina Clarke’s recent album The Art of Obligato may be of interest. Following on from her first solo foray into this genre, Sweet Stillness with Mary Bevan, this new album seeks to examine the art of obligato playing found in J.S. Bach’s cantatas and define it is as a partnership of equals, creating a feast of ‘beautiful melodies and magical harmonies’ on the way.
J.S. Bach’s cantatas
Bach’s many cantatas were written not just for sacred services, but for varied secular occasions and over ninety arias survive, many with violin obligatos. Clarke’s chosen few showcase not only the interplay between violin and voice, but also the richness of this genre in expressing the full gamut of human emotion: joy, pain, death, hope, despair and much more…
To achieve this goal, Clarke recorded the album using two violins: one a 1699 Rogeri, the other a 1659 Ruggieri. A curved Baroque bow also helped to explore this interplay, and more accurately follow phrasing in the vocal line. The result: a refined and sophisticated colour palette. Judicious use of vibrato, reserved for notes of special emotional intensity, creates an uninterrupted violin meandering, punctuated by fluttering decoration.
Music to make you dance
For me, the overwhelming theme is one of dance. Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen is a perfect example. From the initial violin upbeat, followed swiftly by a foot-stomping downbeat, we are transported to the German equivalent of Tudor courts and Hilary Mantel novels. Secular tunes and bouncy rhythms bring sacred texts to life with their sneaky sequences and fun-filled ornaments.
Without question, The Art of Obligato is a collaboration with some of the finest period musicians around, including colleagues from the English Consort, Tom Foster, Nick Pritchard, Hugh Cutting and Kati Debretzeni. The choice of arias and sonatas reflects their very specific talents.
How could anyone fail to fall for countertenor Hugh Cutting’s opening rolling ‘r’s’ in Christi Glieder ach bedenket. Or the natural creativity in Tom Foster’s continuo playing. Indeed, the very inclusion of two violin sonatas, (serving not just as a ‘palate cleansing’ break from the vocal intensity) was in part, a desire to give him free reign to improvise on the spot rather than just play what is on the page.
Likewise, the contribution of the other continuo players should not be overlooked.
Sergio Buchelli’s decorative lute flourishes add a certain immediacy and vibrancy. And when coupled with Alex Rolton’s continuo cello, they create a seamless quality which counterbalances the declamatory nature of the voice and violin.
Listen to the album
The Art of Obligato is available on Spotify and featured as Georgia Mann’s Album of the week on BBC Radio 3 in Jan 2025.
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