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Silent Night, German Christmas Songs (1CD, Hänssler Classic)
Bettina Pahn (Soprano), Jochim Held (Lute)

"When a professional singer sets out to make a disc of traditional songs, the best advice he or she can get is: keep it simple! That is what Bettina Pahn has done, and that is why this disc of traditional Christmas songs is a winner in every respect. Because of the choice of music and the way it is performed this disc is a treasure.
Let me start by getting my only criticism out of the way: the lyrics are not in the booklet. That is not that much of a problem for those who understand German, thanks to Ms Pahn's excellent diction, but for non-German speakers this is a serious omission. The disc is apparently not just directed to the German market, as the programme notes are also in English. But in order fully to enjoy the songs at least English translations should have been given.
A search on the internet is worth the effort: the lyrics of a number of songs can be found, sometimes with a translation. The texts may differ in details as traditional songs sometimes change with time, but they will at least give some idea of what the songs are about.
Bettina Pahn is a young German singer who started to study the cello and later turned to singing. This has been a happy decision as in recent years she has made a good career, both in Germany and internationally. She has been involved in the recording of the complete vocal works of Dietrich Buxtehude by Ton Koopman, and has also sung with renowned conductors like Frieder Bernius and Pierre Cao. For a number of years she has worked with Joachim Held, and this partnership has resulted in 2007 in a very fine disc of German folk songs (Hänssler Classic CD 98.284).
The features of that disc are noticeable here as well. As I have already stated Pahn has excellent diction. I could understand practically every word she sang. This is also due to the recording; the engineer has done a great job. But it is not just a matter of diction, the projection of the voice is also very good, and this allows her to follow every distinction in the text very closely. This results in a natural delivery of the text and a perfect expression of its content.
This is especially important as the various songs are quite different in character. Some of them are hymns which are also used by composers in cantatas or oratorios, like 'Vom Himmel hoch' or 'In dulci jubilo'. Others are typical traditional songs, like 'Kommet, ihr Hirten' or 'Es wollt ein Jäger jagen'. The latter is a so-called contrafactum: the original secular text has been replaced by sacred words. In this version the hunter is hunting with the angel Gabriel. When they meet Mary Gabriel tells her she is going to be the mother of Jesus. 'Mariä Verkündigung' is also about the Annunciation, and again this is a contrafactum. In 'Wach, Nachtigall, wach' the nightingale is urged to fly to the cradle and sing for the newborn baby.
Some songs are lullabies, like 'Still, still, still' and 'O Jesulein zart', which are sung with great finesse. Pahn feels equally at home in the children's song 'Ihr Kinderlein kommet'. To this category also belongs 'Susani, susani', which is a song for the so-called Kindelwiegen (rocking the cradle). Once this was a traditional ceremony during Christmas time in Germany, but was also known in Flanders.
There are some songs which not only refer to the birth of Jesus, but also to his Passion. Traditionally these always belonged together, and a composer like Bach often connected them in his music. One finds this connection, for instance, in 'Es kommt ein Schiff geladen' which says that he who wants to embrace Jesus also has to die and spiritually resurrect with him. Others are 'Geborn is uns ein Kindelein' and the last song, written for New Year, 'Mit diesem neuen Jahre'. Spiritual depth is even present in a lullaby like 'Still, still, still' which says: "Open heaven's realm to us, if we must die one day."
The differentiation in the programme isn't only reflected by the variety in character between the songs, the music recorded here also stretches from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century. The oldest piece is from the 12th century, 'Sys willekomen heire kerst', although fragments of it go back as far as the 10th century. The latest piece is the famous 'Stille Nacht', which is given a beautiful and unsentimental performance.
Lastly something about the lutenist Joachim Held. Among his teachers were Eugen Dombois and Hopkinson Smith. He has developed into one of the world's leading lute players. He regularly makes recordings as soloist and often plays the basso continuo in various ensembles and orchestras. On this disc he proves to be a very refined and sensitive player, who follows and supports Bettina Pahn very carefully. He also plays some solo pieces. Among them are nice settings of Christmas songs by the German lute player and composer Esajas Reusner. From the same composer comes the substantial Passacaglia in D which contains some daring harmonic passages.
This is a splendid disc for Christmastide which differs from most discs for this time of the year. It contains several gems which are hardly known, especially outside the German-speaking world. The whole programme is intelligently put together and performed with great refinement and subtlety. This is a disc to listen to in peace and quiet."

Musicweb international "CD of the Month" - December 2009, Johan van Veen

"Dating back to Medieval times, German Christmas carols have a long tradition. These early tunes normally integrated well-known folk melodies with lyrics written by local clergymen and sung in churches, often as choral dialogues, or performed in religious Christmas plays. Under the influence of the Reformation, the celebration of Christmas extended outside of the Church into the family domain. It was in the 19th century that many of the festive German carols known today first arose. Older carols were adapted and modernized; new lyrics were added to familiar folk tunes. While the religious impulse behind the spirit of the celebration was not wholly abandoned, the tone of the new German Christmas carols was lighter and less ritualistic than the Church songs.
Here is new Christmas album from Joachim Held and Bettina Pahn, artists considered preeminent Baroque specialists. The award-winning Joachim Held is on his way to becoming an internationally recognized lutenist while soprano Bettina Pahn, has made a name for herself singing with Ton Koopman's Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Together they have collaborated both in concert and on recordings.
Pairing the lute with a soprano was a staple of Baroque music in both Germany and Italy. Together the hushed sound of the voice is sweetly accompanied by plucked and strummed lute. The album includes classic holiday fare all sung in German or Latin including "In Dulci Jubilo," "Silent Night," "O Tannenbaum" and a moving version of the Christmas lullaby "Still, Still, Still" - 22 tracks in all.
This is a beautiful and well-made album with a natural beauty and a fluid musicality of singing and playing. One could not expect more. These two long-time duo partners turn the talents to capturing the home-spun beauty of the German carol tradition, sounding every bit as exquisite as they did on their other CD. Here is a consistently fine and intimate collection that should happily attract and easily appeal to listeners looking for a holiday album that is as charming as it is agreeable."

Musical Heritage - December 2009, Terrence London

"...Erhaben, dramatisch, dann wieder ganz in sich gekehrt und nachdenklich-so können unsere alten deutschen Weihnachtslieder klingen, die man hier plötzlich neu hört.Ohne zuckriges Geklingel drumherum , ohne Überdosis Gefühligkeit. Der Sopranistin Bettina Pahn und dem Lautenisten Joachim Held gelingt es, zum kern der Lieder vorzudringen:zum Weihnachtswunder. ...Man spürt, dass Bettina Pahn wirklich weiß und fühlt, wovon sie singt... Eine wunderbar besinnliche CD, die auch zum Selbstsingen der Weihnachtslieder animiert. Ein sicherlich erwünschter Nebeneffekt."

NDR Kultur - December 2009, Dagmar Penzlin

"Januar 2008 veröffentlichten Bettina Pahn und Joachim Held ihre CD "Deutsche Volkslieder" (hänssler CLASSIC, 98.284). Die Kritiken waren hymnisch. Spiegel Kultur nannte ihre Volkslieder "kleine Offenbarungen". Die Zeitschrift Singen und Stimme aktuell zählte die Aufnahme zu den "besten Volksliedereinspielungen seit Fritz Wunderlich". Nun haben die beiden Musiker ein neues Projekt erarbeitet, das sich ebenso auf das Einfache und Ursprüngliche konzentriert.
Auf ihrer CD "Stille Nacht" widmen sie sich deutschen Weihnachtsliedern, kleine Kostbarkeiten geprägt von Hingabe, Liebe, Erfurcht und Freude über das Jesuskind. Das sind Grundgedanken, die keiner Verkünstelung, keiner komplizierten Instrumentierung bedürfen. Gerade die vertraulich anmutende Konstellation von Gesang und Lautenbegleitung trägt die wunderbare und populäre Einfachheit der Lieder weiter. Bettina Pahn passt sich den verschiedenen Ausdruckformen mit einer außergewöhnlichen musikalischen Intuition an. Ihr lyrischer Sopran kann mal innig, mal sehr feierlich klingen. Joachim Helds solistischen Lautenstücke sprühen vor Fantasie. Er setzt die Laute als Begleitstimme zurückhaltend aber sehr kunstvoll und perfekt "dosiert" ein."

CLASSaktuell - December 2009

German Popular Songs, Life Brings Great Joy (1CD, Hänssler Classic)
Bettina Pahn (Soprano), Jochim Held (Lute)

"Held, together with his wife, the singer Bettina Pahn, makes heart aching music. The Erfurt-born singer, who teaches at the College of Music in Rostock, sings nearly two dozen freely-flowing folk songs with concise diction, compellingly natural, and nevertheless with the technical skill of a practiced baroque and Mozart interpreter. The contribution points to an element of the singer's biography: the daughter of a phonetician and a speech educator, she practically grew up with folk songs. In East Germany this was due more to "political correctness" than in West Germany, where first the Hitler regime and later "Adorno's verdict" brought this genre to disrepute. Germany's division is also expressed in this occurrence. Nonetheless, Pahn, as she gladly underscores, finds her "emotional home" in folk songs. You can hear it."

Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung - May 31, 2008

"Remote from all hit-parades of folk music, with their rancid assembly-line commodities, fortunately there are still musicians who are inspired by the simple and genuine. Bettina Pahn sings simply well, namely, unmannered and confident of intonation, 25 songs and ballads from "Alle Vögel sind schon da" to "Kein schöner Land in dieser Zeit," that, also thanks to Joachim Held's economically elegant lute background, come across as small revelations".

SPIEGELKultur - February 2008

Concert with Joachim Held, Lute

"Lieder des Barock zur Laute gesungen. Beim 26. Kammerkonzert der Salzlandsparkasse wurden Lieder von Komponisten aus dem 18. Jahrhundert vorgetragen.
BERNBURG/MZ/JE - Zum letzten Konzert der beliebten Kammerkonzertreihe der Salzlandsparkasse gemeinsam mit der Musikschule waren am Sonntag die Bernburger Musikfreunde eingeladen. Geboten wurde ein besonderes Konzert mit einem Programm, das bei Kammerkonzerten mehrere längst vergessene Komponisten des 18. Jahrhunderts mit ihren Werken zum Inhalt hatte und den Titel "Musicalisches Tafelconfect" trug. Den musikalischen Rahmen zum Gesang bestimmte die heute kaum mehr gespielte Laute. Zwei bedeutende Künstler für dieses besondere Genre der klassischen Musik waren Ausführende des Konzertes. Die Sopranistin Bettina Pahn ist eine in Deutschland und auch Europa anerkannte Sängerin dieses Liedgutes. Begleitet wurde sie von Joachim Held auf der Laute, der ebenfalls mehrfach für seine Interpretationen ausgezeichnet wurde. Dieses Duo konzertiert bereits seit mehreren Jahren auf dem Gebiet der "Alten Musik" gemeinsam und konnte sich dabei einen hervorragenden Ruf bei einschlägigen Festivals und Konzerten machen. Die Sopranistin Pahn verfügt über einen samtigen Sopran mit großer gefühlvoller Ausdruckskraft, der auch in den Höhen beherrscht bleibt und seine klare Artikulation behält. Eine Stimme, die für den Vortrag von Volksliedern und anderen gefühlvollen Liedern wie geschaffen scheint. Neben den Volksliedern - bekannte und nicht mehr bekannt - wurden auch Texte vorgetragen, die inhaltlich heutigen Balladen ähneln. Die Begleitung durch Held mit der Laute war für diesen gesanglich vorgegebenen Rahmen mit Einfühlung in die stimmlichen Varianten die richtige Begleitung. Auch hatte Joachim Held eine Theorbe für seine Solovorträge von zwei Sonaten mitgebracht. Die Theorbe ist ein Instrument, das gegenüber über der Laute einen erweiterten Klangumfang besitzt und dadurch ausdrucksvollere Solowerke der barocken Musik interpretieren kann. Sanfte Klangwelten ohne aufdringliche Klangelemente. Joachim Held bewies mit seinem Spiel seine hohe künstlerische Qualifikation, nicht nur als feinfühlig wirkender Begleiter sondern auch als Solist. Ein Abend der Kammermusik für die kleine Gesellschaft, denn die Schalterhalle der Sparkasse war fast schon zu groß für diese sanften Vorträge, trotz ihrer sonst sehr guten akustischen Verhältnisse - ein unwesentlicher Mangel, der in keiner Weise die künstlerische Leistung der beiden Interpreten schmälert, was durch den Beifall der Zuhörer eindeutig bewiesen wurde. Mit dem Volkslied "Nun ade zur guten Nacht" wurde das Publikum nicht nur für diesen Abend, sondern auch für dieses Konzertjahr verabschiedet.
Das Konzert in der Sparkasse begeisterte das Publikum."

26. Kammerkonzert der Salzlandsparkasse (Konzert 6.11.2011)

"Fühlbare Feinheiten.
Innsbruck - Das dritte Ambraser Schlosskonzert präsentierte eine Seltenheit: deutsche Lieder des Barock. Außer Telemann sind heute ihre Komponisten wie Kremberg, Albert, Hammerschmidt oder Krieger kein Begriff mehr. Die Mode der galanten Lyrik lieferte die Texte: Oft erklingen spielerisch und doppeldeutig Anzüglichkeiten, bei denen offen gelassen ist, sie mit oder ohne amouröser Anspielung zu interpretieren. Doppelbödigkeit fand sich auch in der Musik: J.Ph. Krieger etwa brach ironisch den traurigen Text über "Einsamkeit", indem er musikalisch mittels tänzerischem Bass-Rhythmus der Chaconne auf einen sinnlichen, wilden und zügellosen Charakter anspielte.
Das Lied des 18. Jh. zielte auf Leichtigkeit und den Eindruck der Mühelosigkeit. Genau das gelang Bettina Pahn, Sopran, und Joachim Held, Theorbe, ganz vortrefflich. Pahn sang in schlichter Natürlichkeit mit einem untrüglichen Gespür für Melodik, bei der jede Verzierung wie in einer unaufdringlichen begleitenden zweiten Stimme aufging. Mit klarer Gestaltung der Konsonanten konnte sie ganz die Feinheiten des Textgehalts deutlich zum Ausdruck bringen..."

Tiroler Tageszeitung - 28.07.2011, Fra (Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Konzert 26.7.2011)

"A Sigh to the Smile" - Matinee with Bettina Pahn and Joachim Held.
One could be pleased about Joachim Held. He is one of the very few German lutenists who are highly regarded internationally. And one immediately noticed why. Because Held is a musician (in the White Hall he played the Chitarrone), who analyzes very precisely and develops strongly differentiated structures, who has a broad, colored repertoire of timbre, and who can also play absolutely cleanly. One could also look forward to his colleague, the soprano Bettina Pahn. She proved herself as a singer who absolutely and perfectly governs baroque chamber singing, who, with her lightning-clean intonation, can not only sing a lightning-clean "Messa da voce," but also improvises extraordinarily with an assured sense of style and tasteful embellishment. In addition, she knows exactly what she sings: her interpretations are always small, high-emotional narrations. For example, "Dolcissimi sospiri", the first, Italian part, were particularly striking, even if they originate from a time which has nothing more to do with today. But Joachim Held and Bettina Pahn had intimately coordinated their expressive timetables. And, with the Songs of Caccini and Frescobaldi, one did not have to understand the very well-articulated text at all in order to know what it was about; also not with the marvelously-intensive Cantatas of Barbara Strozzi….In contrast, there was the chance to chuckle in the German part of the Matinee with Kremberg's "Gebet Rath, getreue Sinnen"….above all, however, with Telemann's Cantatas "Der Geiz" (Greed) and "Das Glück" (Happiness), in which, after morally-sour complaints and considerations, a mischievous solution always follows. And simply to enjoy, there were the instrumental movements of Piccinini, Kapsberger and Weiss that Joachim Held played between the vocal pieces. That there were composers with humor also in the Rhön Mountains in the baroque era was proved by the delicious encore "Von allerhand Nasen" (Of All Kinds of Noses), by the Bach-contemporary Valentin Rathgeber from Oberelsbach in Bavaria….Altogether a highly-witty Sunday's pleasure."

Saale Zeitung - December 30, 2008 - Thomas Ahnert (Kissinger Winter Charm Festival, concert of December 28, 2008)

"Sweet Sigh"
For a long time the Orangerie of the Schwetzinger castle has proven itself in the accommodation of the exotic. If it was initially palms, today it is the series "Lute Music in the Orangerie". In the light of candles the first two concerts turned out to be different kinds of experience….Only on the second evening did the disappointment give way to great fortune. The Soprano Bettina Pahn and the lutenist Joachim Held, with their program entitled "Sweet Sigh," offered intoxicating arias and lute music of the baroque era. From the first note, Pahn sought contact with her listeners in order to share with them the celebration in song of the wealth and woe of love. With clear timbre she alternated effortlessly between despair and impertinence. So G.P. Telemann's "Der Geiz" (Greed), became a shining, humoristic accusation against the pseudo-religious delusion of dieting. The fully-blazing low range and, after one or two tones, freely-sung highs moved one in "Fino alla morte" by B. Strozzi. Occasionally the otherwise exemplary text-comprehensibility suffered from imprecise consonants. But the effortless "quicksilver-ness" in the coloratura made one unreservedly happy. What a relief from today's usual corny warbling in the third-octave vibrato. Held was an attentive partner, who set his own impulses. In his solo works he proved himself with brilliant technique as a subtle master of lyrical music, who traced the full energy of the balancing act between tone and harmony. Phrasing and tasteful embellishment always seemed thought-out and natural. Only in the dance movement one wished for more "disco" than "dancing school". For him, control and melodic lines go to the frontier ahead of musically pointed emphasis. Prolonged applause."

Mannheimer Morgen - June 6, 2008, Markus Korselt (Schwetzinger Festival, concert of June 5,2008)

"The Art of Kissing [...]
And if then music and poetry are joined in perfect harmony, the transcendental spheres themselves begin to open. This could be experienced in the first evening concert of the Handel Festival, in which the Soprano Bettina Pahn and lutenist Joachim Held bewitched the public with word and string play. Caccini's opening "dolcissimi sospiri" already spoke of such tenderness and longing that some listeners would have probably gladly joined in with the sighs….Yes, Bettina Pahn, a master of the transformation of musical rhetoric and intoxicating through her vocal command and variety of timbre, could also speak another language: with sassy wit and word-play shenanigans, she tutored in Hammerschmidt's musical setting of the art of kissing or asked ponderously with Kremberg's tones for advice in issues of love."

Göttinger Tageblatt - May 30, 2007

Dieterich Buxtehude: Opera Omnia XIV - Ltg. Ton Koopman (2CD, Challenge Classics)

"...bietet das mit zwei Sopranen und Bass durchgängig dreistimmig besetzte Bedenke Mensch das Ende Bux WV9 in vollendeter Schlichtheit ein anrührendes Beispiel...
... Die Sänger zeigen sich ihren solistischen Aufgaben bestens gewachsen, fügen sich aber auch ebenso vorzüglich zu den verschiedenen Solisten-Ensembles des Aufnahme zusammen. Die reiche Phantasie..."

Klassik Heute - November 2011