Bach: Cantatas Nos 147, 82 & 1 - Montréal Baroque/Eric Milnes


These readings of Bach are simply stunning.

Composer: Bach
Repertoire: Cantatas Nos 147, 82 & 1
Artists: Monica Mauch (soprano), Matthew White (countertenor), Stephan Macleod (bass), Montréal Baroque/Eric Milnes

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Vocal
Label: ATMA Classique SACD2 2402

Montréal’s blend of New World freedom and Old World substance permeates the uninhibited, spontaneous music-making in this joyful Bach Cantatas release. The use of one voice per part, easily dismissed as a perversity of modern scholarship, is fully justified here, not least in terms of the clarity it lends to Bach’s text setting in the opening chorus of ‘Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben’ (No.147). And what voices! Matthew White’s rich countertenor, reminiscent of James Bowman, catches the ear, while Stephan Macleod brings gravitas and total conviction to his deeply personal reading of ‘Ich Have Genug’ (No.82). Wonderful!