Wednesday 30 December 2015

Bach - Leipzig Cantatas - Colleguim Vocale Ghent/Herreweghe



Rating: 5/5

Review:
Excellent recordings

I think both volumes of Bach's Leipzig cantatas conducted by Philippe Herreweghe are excellent. I have the complete JEG set which I love, but it's really good to get a slightly different take on some of the cantatas and this provides a delightful perspective.

These cantatas are generally more contemplative and atmospheric than blazingly joyous, and Herreweghe handles them beautifully. He somehow gets to the heart of each piece and allows its message to shine without resorting to lots of stylistic tricks. There is often a mellowness to Herreweghe's sound which I have loved for decades, which welcomes you in without ever obscuring the distinctness of the individual parts or blurring the overall sound. It works extremely well here, and I find these performances a genuine delight.

The recorded sound is excellent and the presentation is very attractive. Both these discs are very fine recordings all round, and I can recommend them very warmly.

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