In his first album for Aparté entitled Bach Arias for alto, the promising young countertenor Zoltan Darago performs 11 arias from Bach cantatas, accompanied by Les Talens Lyriques conducted by their founder Christophe Rousset. To be released on 13 September 2024.
Countertenor Zoltan Darago joins the ensemble Les Talens Lyriques and its founder and conductor Christophe Rousset to perform 11 arias from well-known and lesser-known cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach in an album entitled Bach Arias for alto.Reflecting the intense activity of the composer's early years as Kapellmeister of the city of Leipzig, almost all the arias on this album were written between 1724 and 1726, when Bach had to compose a cantata for each Sunday service. For the composer, the alto voice has a singular place: it is both an expression of suffering and compassion, but also of a profound jubilation of faith, as in the cantata Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, which leads to a feeling of serenity expressed in Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust. Often highlighted by the solo violin, oboe or oboe d'amore, the young countertenor brings out the full expressive palette developed by Bach in the early years of his cantorship. Zoltan Darago declares himself honoured by his collaboration with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, which represents an important stage in his career. "This journey has been a challenging and enriching adventure of discovery of Bach’s genius. I am very proud of our careful selection of these magnificent arias and very excited to share our interpretation," confides the countertenor. Christophe Rousset, for whom Bach's work constitutes the "very foundation of every classical musician", is playing his favoured repertoire here. Recently released by Aparté, his recording of L'Art de la Fugue (AP313) on harpsichord was very well received, and nominated for an Opus Klassik award for best solo recording. The ResMusica website described it as 'a great version', which takes us to 'a very high level'. In October 2024, Aparté will release a complete recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccatas, an album that will conclude Christophe Rousset's exploration of the composer's keyboard works.
ZOLTAN DARAGO AND LES TALENS LYRIQUES ON STAGE
CONCERT RELEASE
Bach Arias for Alto
December 03, 2024Salle Cortot, Paris 17
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