Secular Cantatas: BWV 211 & BWV 213 Main Performer or Conductor: Gustav Leonhardt Accompaniment/Orchestra: Orchestra & Choir of the Age of Enlightenment Soloists: Barbara Bonney: Soprano Ralf Popken: Alto Christoph PrÚgardien: Tenor David Wilson-Johnson: Bass Instrumentation: Choir Orchestra Individual Works: BWV 211: "Coffee" BWV 213: "Hercules auf dem Scheidewege" (piece reviewed) Format: Compact Disc Record Label: Philips Catalog Number: 442 779-2 Year Released/Recorded: 1994 Total Playing Time: 74:10 Comments: John Robinson said: Gustav Leonhardt's brilliant direction of a fine cast of soloists (Barbara Bonney and Christoph PrÚgardien are particular favorites) and one of the best period instrument ensembles (the Orchestra and Choir of the Age of Enlightenment) produces a recording that achieves an excellent balance of technical accuracy and musical passion. Many of the technical problems one hears in Leonhardt's recordings of the earlier Cantatas, especially the raggedness of the orchestra and chorus, are resolved (the result, in part, of the use of adults for the soprano and alto parts). Happily, the musicality and passion of the earlier Cantata recordings are fully manifest, making this a welcome antidote to many dull, mechanical performances of the Cantatas so in vogue. Acknowledgements: Thank you to the following for submitting this recording and for your comments: John Robinson Date First Submitted: 09/14/1997 Purchasing: Suggested Purchasing Sources Note: Inclusion in this database does not guarantee the availability of any recording. Some recordings may be out-of-print or no longer available.