Bach, J S: Cantata BWV82 'Ich habe genug'

Andreas Scholl follows up his much-praised Purcell collection, ‘O Solitude’ (4782262), with a project perfectly matched to his artistry and musical heritage. Andreas Scholl first sang the music of J. S. Bach as a boy chorister. Now the leading countertenor of our time returns to his musical roots with his own selection of arias from Bach’s cantatas - including one of the best-loved of all Bach’s vocal works, “Ich habe genug”.

Australasia’s greatest bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes brings his wonderful artistry and awe-inspiring vocal power to the music of Bach. “This music sits so comfortably in my voice and I love singing it.” Says Rhodes, “It’s the album I’ve wanted to make throughout my whole career. The CD includes Mache dich from St. Matthew Passion, the complete Cantata No.82 Ich habe genug and Sleepers Wake.

Barbara Hendricks' voice — particularly suited to Mozart, Debussy, Fauré, and the lighter roles of Puccini and Richard Strauss — has a warm, crystalline quality that has kept her in demand on stage and in recording studios. Her performances have embraced everything from contemporary music to popular standards, including songs of Duke Ellington and several world premieres. She has been careful with her choices of repertoire, avoiding roles that would overextend her essentially lyric instrument. Aside from music, she is deeply committed to humanitarian work, with a particular concern for refugees and those in war or poverty zones. She sang a concert in Sarajevo in 1993 while the city was being shelled, in which she had to wear a bulletproof vest and helmet.

Hendricks has appeared on nearly 80 recordings spread over a variety of major labels. Her first of many recordings for EMI was in the small part of the Celestial Voice in Don Carlo in 1978. For nearly twenty years her solo recordings have been made exclusively for EMI Classics.

J S Bach wrote several cantatas for alto solo, however there is one that is rarely performed or recorded: the alto version of the famous bass cantata Ich habe genug BWV 82. Scored for voice, oboe and strings, the cantata consists of three arias which are completely different in character and expression, with two short recitatives between them.

It was composed for the feast of Purification of Mary (2 February), and its text which incorporates the words of old Simeon to Mary about the coming of the Messiah, concentrates on the subject of welcoming death. Since the feast of Purification was one of the most solemn occasions in the Lutheran liturgical calendar, there is a strong argument in favour of completing the program with figural Latin mass parts, and this recording includes sections from other works in an attempt to re-create music for the full event.

The performers are the period instrument group La Tempesta under the artistic direction of Jakub Burzynski. Burzynski is also an excellent countertenor, and he takes one of the alto parts in this production. Other soloists include the soprano Julita Miroslawska, the tenor Mariusz Cyciura, and bass-baritone Artur Janda.

German baroque cantatas performed by Geneva-based early music ensemble Gli Angeli Genève under the baton of Stephan MacLeod. Gli Angeli Genève specialises in 17th and 18th century chamber music. The Bruhns and Telemann cantatas are rarely heard or recorded.

Booklet includes full texts which are also available in PDF format by inserting the CD into a PC or Mac