Rene Jacobs, Ensemble 415, Chiara Banchini - J.S. Bach: Cantates pour alto BWV 35, 53 & 82 (2003) CD-Rip

René Jacobs began his career as a countertenor and quickly earned the reputation as one of the finest of his time. But he gradually turned to conducting and since the turn of the new century has rarely sung in concert. As a countertenor Jacobs championed a string of forgotten Baroque composers on his recordings: Antonio Cesti, Sigismondo d'India, Luca Marenzio, Pierre Guédron, Michel Lambert, and others. But he also sang, in both concert and opera, many standards by Monteverdi, J.S. Bach, Handel, Telemann, and Mozart. As a conductor, he has led many performances of sacred music by J.S. Bach, Buxtehude, and others, and has focused heavily on the operas of Monteverdi, Handel, and Mozart. He has conducted purely orchestral music as well, notably symphonies by Haydn and Mozart. Many of Jacobs' 100-plus recordings are available on Harmonia Mundi, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Berlin Classics, Capriccio, and Arthaus Musik.