It's great to see Bernard Labadie and his Les Violons du Roy back with a new recording of music that they do as well as or better than anyone--two vocal works by Bach that require both first-rate soloists and refined orchestral accompanying skills on a level that challenges the best conductors and orchestras. Bach's "motet" for two voices, strings, and continuo is a parody of the famous Pergolesi Stabat mater, its German text a paraphrase of Psalm 51, and here two of the world's finest Baroque-music singers give it its best reading on disc, not least owing to their ideally-matched voices, but also due to the smart orchestral work and taut direction.

Ich habe genug is one of Bach's more inspired creations, its melodies, orchestration, and harmonic framework perfectly characterizing its text, and again, Gauvin delivers a heartfelt and technically polished interpretation, its lyricism tempered by the weighty resignation of one who longs for blissful release from this world and anticipates the tranquil rest of heaven. The famous aria "Schlummert ein" is first-rate, and Labadie's orchestra (which also recorded an exemplary Pergolesi Stabat mater for Dorian Records) reminds us of its status as one of the world's premier ensembles, especially in 18th-century repertoire. Really, where else do you hear string playing so clear, clean, vibrant, and well-articulated? (I'm still waiting to hear this group record the Handel concerti grossi...) The sound is outstanding, in both regular and SACD formats. If you love Bach's vocal music, you must not miss this disc. [4/7/2005]

--David Vernier