Bach: Cantatas, BWV 51, 82a, 84, 199, 202, 209
Bach didn't compose many cantatas for solo soprano, but the few he did write are gems and have long been popular with performers and listeners alike. The secular works, such as the wedding cantataWeichet nur, betrübte SchattenandNon sa che sia dolore, Bach's only cantata in Italian, were probably written for his second wife,Anna Magdalena, who was a singer at thecourt in Cöthenwhen Bach was there. (It has been suggested that Bach composed the sacred cantatas included here for Anna Magdalena as well, even though women weren't supposed to sing in church at that time.) She must have been very skillful indeed to negotiate the long lines ofWeichet nurand the high-flying coloratura fireworks ofJauchzet Gott in allen Landenfor soprano with obbligato trumpet. It seems that virtually every soprano ever to have recorded Bach has had a go atJauchzet Gott, fromElisabeth SchwarzkopftoKathleen Battleand even super-mezzoMarilyn Horne. Canadian soprano Nancy Argenta came to prominence with the Baroque instrument revival of the 1980s; herJauchzet Gottis worthy to stand beside even the spectacular performances ofJulianne BairdandEmma Kirkby. (Argenta's "Alleluia" is jaw-droppingly fast--and sung flawlessly.) Equally impressive isIch habe genug, a work better known in its incarnation for solo bass and oboe. Bach recast the cantata for soprano with flute; Argenta colors her voice to match the Baroque flute exquisitely. She and the marvelous Ensemble Sonnerie do just as well by the remaining cantatas on this two-disc reissue--at the budget price, this is a real find.--Matthew Westphal