Reinoud Van Mechelen, A Nocte Temporis – Bach: Erbarme dich (2016) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

The young tenor Reinoud Van Mechelen, whose career is currently in full flower, appears as a guest soloist with today’s leading conductors of Baroque music. He has decided to devote his first solo album to a composer whom he interprets with elegance and contagious joy: Johann Sebastian Bach. The title ‘Erbarme dich’ naturally evokes for music lovers the celebrated alto aria from the St Matthew Passion; but it is also the incipit of a sorrowful, sensuous aria for tenor and flute from the Cantata BWV 55. In fact, a substantial corpus of cantatas written by the Kantor in Leipzig between 1724 and 1726 feature a close dialogue between tenor voice and flute. Bach excels in this art of discourse and enjoys underlining or contradicting the text by sketching with the flute lines full of exacerbated vocality. This art of interweaving voices attracted Reinoud Van Mechelen and the flautist Anna Besson, who have chosen, along with the organist and harpsichordist Benjamin Alard, to structure their programme around Bach arias featuring obbligato organ and traverso. This album marks the birth of the ensemble founded by Reinoud Van Mechelen, A Nocte Temporis, and the start of his collaboration with Alpha, which will extend over several years.

Tracklist

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
1 Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96: III. Ach ziehe die Seele mit Seilen der Liebe 07:59
2 Herr Christ der einge Gottes Sohn, BWV 601: Choral prelude 01:26
3 Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96: I. Choral Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn 00:59
4 Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78: III. Recitative Ach! Ich bin ein Kind der Sunden 02:07
5 Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78: IV. Aria Das Blut so meine Schuld durchstreicht 03:42
6 Trio Sonata in G major, BWV 1039: III. Adagio e piano 03:16
7 Was willst du dich betruben, BWV 107: IV. Aria Wenn auch gleich aus der Hollen 03:00
8 Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, BWV 130: V. Aria Lass , o Furst der Cherubinen 04:53
9 Chorale Preludes, BWV 669-689: XI. Wir glauben all an einen Gott, BWV 680 05:19
10 Was willst du dich betruben, BWV 107: VI. Aria Drum ich mich ihm ergebe 03:16
11 Partita in A Minor, BWV 1013: III. Sarabande 03:33
12 Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114: II. Aria Wo wird in diesem jammertale 10:27
13 Flute Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034: III. Andante 04:07
14 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, BWV 99: III. Aria Erschuttre dich nur nicht 05:56
15 Chorale Preludes, BWV 714-765: Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott, BWV 721 03:30
16 Ich armer Mensch, ich Sundenknecht, BWV 55: II. Recitative Ich habe wieder Gott gehandelt 01:26
17 Ich armer Mensch, ich Sundenknecht, BWV 55: III. Aria Erbarme dich! 04:57