Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe - J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 29, 119 & 120 (2000) CD-Rip

Bach's composer-in-residence status made him responsible for writing music for municipal affairs, a duty that entailed serving both practical and spiritual purposes. The three cantatas collected here were written in Leipzig to mark the renewal of civic courts. The lyrics make metaphoric references to the city; much of the text is drawn from Psalms. Fitting the cantatas' public nature, Philippe Herreweghe has treated them as celebratory, colorful, and often sprightly, certainly less somber and morally complex than, say, Joshua Rifkin's recordings of Bach cantatas. Recitative moments often attend a meditative pace, and though there are spoken moments here, they are brief, just parts of a larger mosaic that ranges from soprano with violin accompaniment to full orchestra. These are joyous expressions of God's blessing, and the performances do them justice. The depth of the recorded choruses, in particular, is remarkable--the manner in which the distinct timbre of various vocal parts is maintained even as nearly 20 voices work together. The effort of individual performers is also paramount, notably the extended organ introduction to No. 29 (among the set's many resplendent flourishes), a number of chamber settings for violin, and star turns by soprano Deborah York and bass Peter Kooy. -- Marc Weidenbaum