Erna Berger - Bach: Weichet nur betrübte Schatten (Wedding cantata #202), 1951

THE SONGBIRD: German coloratura soprano Erna Berger (1900 - 1990) sang and recorded music from opera to lieder. She was born in Dresden and launched her career there, soon moving to leading roles (Queen of the Night, Konstanze, Violetta) in Vienna and Berlin with appearances in Salzburg and two seasons at The Met (Sophie, Gilda, Queen of the Night, Rosina). THE MUSIC: Bach's cantata BWV 202 only survives in a copy from the 1730s, but scholars believe it may have been composed for his wedding to Anna Magdalena in 1721, or even as early as 1714 in Weimar. The text compares love to the arrival of spring after winter, mentioning flowers blooming and the sun climbing higher. The tone is light with music that is at times elegant and sprightly, derivative of dance tunes. It is one of Bach's most popular and oft-recorded solo cantatas.