Another fantastic disc in Kuijken's continuing (part) cycle of Bach's cantatas.

Opening with "Es ist euch gut, dass ich hingehe" BWV 108 (written for "Cantate" Sunday - the fourth such after Easter), all of the singers except the soprano are given wonderful arias and each of Petra Noskaiova, Christoph Genz and Jan Van der Crabben take the opportunity with style and musicality. Also to be given a credit for his playing (instead of "just" his direction) is Sigiswald Kuijken in the tenor aria "Mich kann kein Zweitel sturen" in which he demonstrates first hand his preferred style of Bach playing.

Next up is the cantata written for "Rogate" Sunday (5th after Easter) "Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch" BWV 86, once again has delightful arias for alto, tenor and bass which are sung just as freshly as in BWV 108. Once more Sigiswald Kuijken demonstrates his virtuosity in the alto aria "Ich will doch wohl Rosen brechen". In the 3rd movement though, Siri Thornhill has a chance in a chorale arrangement with 2 oboes to shine & shine she does - her woodwind compatriots deserve special mention too for the playing which is special in its own right but very sensitively moulded with her singing: Patrick Beaugirard and Vinciane Baudhain.

Now comes the Ascension Cantata BWV 11 ("Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen") which, unlike in Bach: Easter & Ascension Oratorios - Suzuki, is presented with in the one-voice-per-part style. As far as soloists and orchestral playing goes, honours are evenly matched but listeners will have to decide whether they prefer a more rounded, smoother yet weightier choral sound that Suzuki provides or the more pure sound heard here. Something that might strike listeners as a relative disadvantage is the (necessarily) muted trumpet playing to blend in with the smaller forces on this disc - if one can accept this, then there is nothing to complain about in the slightest regard. Whatever one decides, any lover of Bach must simply acquire either account for the wonderfully poignant alto aria "Ach, bleibe doch, mein liebstes Leben" which is sung here with a quiet, tender tragedy by Noskaiova.

Closing the disc is the Cantata written for the 6th Sunday after Easter ("Exaudi") "Sie werden euch in den Bann tun" BWV 44. This opens with a relative rarity amongst Bach's writing - a duet (for tenor and bass) which is also accompanied by a wonderful duet of oboe playing. In every way, the singing and playing match that of the other works & it is perhaps telling that this disc only needed 2 days recording time.

Unlike in earlier releases from the Predikherenkerk, Leuven the recording team seems to have mastered the acoustic and there can be no complaints whatsoever about the sound which, even when the timpani are playing in the Ascension Cantata, gives no unwanted overblown bloom to the proceedings.

Very strongly recommended indeed.

Copyright © 2010 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

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