The marvelous voice of tenor Ian Bostridge could not be more perfect for this program of Bach cantatas and arias. Like Hans Hotter before him, Bostridge's voice has a unique ethereal quality, a hollow distance that identifies less with the character and more the spirit of the subject. His singing clearly captures the "disembodied presence", as Michel Roubinet aptly puts it in the booklet's notes, of the mortal somewhere between resignation of the world and the ultimate union with Christ--the theme that links every selection here.

In one of Bach's most famous cantatas, the opening BWV 82 for example, Bostridge elevates the role to new heights. My longstanding favorite recordings here have included such diverse renderings as those by Fischer-Dieskau, Prey, Huttenlocher, and of course, Hotter, all of which now in comparison to Bostridge seem spiritually earthbound. Much of this quality has to do with Bostridge's tenor compared to the others' baritone and bass registers. Even more has to do with the way this singer hauntingly enters lines and phrases, sustains them, and releases them as if they were seemingly as fleeting as mortality. I've never heard the glorious centerpiece to this cantata, "Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen", so deftly, seamlessly, and sublimely sung.

Accompanying Bostridge is the outstanding Italian original-instrument ensemble Europa Galante directed by Fabio Biondi, who also deliver outstanding performances of several well chosen sinfonias. Virgin's sound is excellent. Great notes. Full texts. A winner! [4/18/2001]

--John Greene