Johann Sebastian Bach: Motets (2006)

If you cannot imagine what Bach's five great motets would sound like as chamber music, this disc by La Petite Bande will provide an answer: they sound fabulous. With eight singers, five string players, and four wind players plus continuo, La Petite Bande's performances sound absolutely clear -- even in the densest textures, every line is ideally balanced -- incredibly colorful -- the combinations of voices, strings, winds, and organ seem endlessly subtle -- and, best of all, unbelievably expressive. Everyone's a soloist and ... Read More

If you cannot imagine what Bach's five great motets would sound like as chamber music, this disc by La Petite Bande will provide an answer: they sound fabulous. With eight singers, five string players, and four wind players plus continuo, La Petite Bande's performances sound absolutely clear -- even in the densest textures, every line is ideally balanced -- incredibly colorful -- the combinations of voices, strings, winds, and organ seem endlessly subtle -- and, best of all, unbelievably expressive. Everyone's a soloist and every line is a melody, thereby making Bach's music seem more personal and intimate than usual. Of course, part of the reason for this is that most recordings of the motets, whether a cappella or accompanied, are arguably too big and heavy. With four or more singers on a part, this kind of weightiness is virtually inevitable -- but with two singers to a part, the performances can be as expressive as the music director will allow. And with music director Sigiswald Kuijken also being... Read Less