Coffee Cantata and Cantata Burlesque by Johann Sebastian Bach
Premiere November 23, 2018 Kruispuntkerk Voorschoten (NL)
Camerata Delft puts two famous secular cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 211 "Coffee Cantata" and BWV 212 "Cantate Burlesque" as "mini-operas" on stage. Because unlike his church cantatas they directly touch upon the sumptuous earthly existence, and thereby invite to a debauched interpretation.
In the coffee cantata the danger of the temptations of life occupy centre stage. Which means: coffee. That sounds perhaps a bit unreal, but at the time of Bach one accredited great dangers to this brown stuff. For women and children it was even banned. The consumption of coffee may be an established phenomenon nowadays, that does not mean that other hazards are eliminated as well. In its weakness the human being still succumbs pretty easily to temptations. Everyone knows for example someone in the environment that seems stuck to its mobile phone.
And also in the cantata burlesque the morality is not always given the highest priority. In this two popular types are in the spotlight, which paint the town red during the national holiday. Since the birthday of the boss should be a big celebration. A day without partying is a day wasted!
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