Arleen Auger revives the Bach cantatas
Raquel King | Wichita, KS | 01/05/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Before her untimely death from cancer in 1993, Arleen Auger (pronounced oh-ZHAY) made a stunning amount of recordings which include all the sacred cantatas by J.S.Bach with conductor Helmuth Rilling. Arleen Auger Sings Bach is a sampling of the soprano arias from the cantatas. Track 1, "Mein gla:ubiges Herze," is the most familiar tune on the CD; however, the last selection, "Wie freudig ist mein Herz," also has a joyous and memorable melody. Not only does Auger sing with rich sonorous coluratura, but also with a musicality that enlightens the sacred text of Bach's arias. ...
The purity of her tone portrays the humility of the texts of Track 2,3,4,and 9. Track 7 is a pleasant marriage of orchestra and voice and depicts the believer expressing her loveliness thorugh salvation's garment of righteousness. I am presently working on track 10, which is from the famous cantata: "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" (A Mighty Fortress is our God). With sensitivity and top-notch singing, Auger recaptures Bach's original intention for the arias to inspires devotion to God."