Even at their most expressive,
Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan's series of recordings of Bach's cantatas have been quintessentially musical. In the ardent intensity of tenor
Andreas Weller's voice and the pungent tone of the pair of oboe d'amores in the aria Auch die harte Kreuzereise (Oh, hateful heart's journey) from Liebster Immanuel; Herzog der Frommen (Dearest Emanuel, ruler of the pious) BWV 123; in the lissome duet of soprano Yukari Nonoshita and male alto
Robin Blaze along with master flauto traverso soloist Liliko Maeda performance of the duet Entziehe dich eilends, mein Herz (Hasten, oh my heart) from Meinen Jesum Lass Ich Nicht (I won't leave you, darling Jesus) BWV 124; in the doleful sorrow of the chorus in the opening movement of Mit Fried und Freud Ich Fahr Dahin (In Peace and joy I will depart) BWV 125; indeed, in all 24 movements from all four cantatas, the performances are immensely musical. Under the adept direction of
Suzuki, the soloists, chorus, and orchestra perform as an ensemble of individuals who channel their expressivity through the music. For some listeners, this may be the ideal way to approach Bach's cantatas. For other listeners, they may be too deep inside the music and not far enough into the radiant combination of the music with the text. And for many listeners, BIS' slightly too distant, slightly too hazy sound may not be the best way to present Bach's combination of the horizontal and the vertical.