Just because there are ten cantatas in this tenth volume of Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Chorus' complete recordings of Bach's cantatas is no reason to play them all straight through them. After all, the cantatas were intended to be heard just once a week at Sunday services, and playing ten straight through comes dangerously close to musical sacrilege. Besides, each cantata is a unique masterpiece with its own essential excellences, and they deserve to be heard one at a time. One could start with Koopman's sparkling performance of the well-known cantata Preise, Jerusalem, den herrn BWV 119 or his serene performance of the well-known cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort BWV 20. Or one could start off with his sublime performance of the relatively unknown cantata Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele BWV 180. Each of the Cantata 180's movement has its own character: jubilation in the opening contrapuntal chorus with strings plus pairs of recorders and oboes, delight in the tenor and traverso duet with lute and cello, consolation in the alto and piccolo cello duet with lute, cello and small organ, exaltation in the soprano aria with recorders, oboes and strings, and, at the end, blessed release in the final choral setting. Taken all together, Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele is an immensely satisfying musical and spiritual experience. But, then, so are all Bach's sacred cantatas, and they all deserve to be heard one at a time.
Antonie Marchand's sound is honest, intimate and real.