Bach Violin And Voice - Arias And Duets For Soprano And Bass With Violino Obligato

Universal Classical Album of the Month, January 2010

ABC Classic FM CD of the week, week beginning 15 February 2010

Tracklisting

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)

TRACK LISTING

J.S. BACH 1. Aria (bass): "Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder" from St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 2. Duet (soprano, bass): "Wenn kömmst du, mein Heil?" from Cantata Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 3. Aria (soprano): "Die Schätzbarkeit der weiten Erden" from Cantata Ich bin in mir vergnügt, BWV 204 4. Aria (bass): "Hier in meines Vaters Stätte" from Cantata Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32 5. Aria (soprano): "Angenehmer Zephyrus" (Pallas) from Cantata Zerreißet, zersprenget, zertrümmert die Gruft, BWV 205 (Der zufriedengestellte Äolus, dramma per musica) 6. Aria (soprano): "Laudamus te" from Mass in B minor, BWV 232 7. Aria (bass): "Jaja, ich halte Jesum feste" from Cantata Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV 157 8. Aria (bass): "Die Welt mit allen Königreichen" from Cantata Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 9. Aria (soprano): "Ich bin vergnügt in meinem Leiden" from Cantata Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58 10. Aria (soprano): "Wenn Trost und Hülf ermangeln muss" from Cantata Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut, BWV 117 11. Aria & Chorale (bass): "Welt, ade, ich bin dein müde" from Cantata Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158 12. Aria (soprano): "Erbarme dich" from St Matthew Passion (transposed for soprano by Felix Mendelssohn)

Hilary Hahn (violin), Christine Schäfer (soprano) & Matthias Goerne (baritone)
Münchener Kammerorchester, Alexander Liebreich

To the vocal lines of arias and duets, Bach composed gorgeous violin obbligati. In this novel album, Hilary Hahn records these obbligati exclusively – an act of devotion no other virtuoso violinist has ever committed to disc

Sharing this album with Hahn are soprano Christine Schäfer and baritone Matthias Goerne, both also renowned Bach exponents

Numbers from such masterpieces as the St. Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor are rendered with an unearthly beauty and a reverence that add to this recording’s historical significance

In truth, this album features not two but three singers – Hahn elicits from her Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume tone as sung by a golden voice