Any intégrale recording of Bach's cantata cycles must surely be one of the most demanding, yet musically satisfying, of projects, and it is not surprising that, to mark the 250th anniversary of Bach's death, a glut of new issues and re-releases are flooding the market. Several good cycles are available, such as Ton Koopman's longstanding project with Erato, or those recorded some years ago by Gustav Leonhardt and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, but few have such a high consistency of performance and recording quality as those of the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. His commitment to the music is evident, not only in terms of stylistic awareness, but also in terms of confidence and sheer musicality - everything is rehearsed properly and there are no moments when one is left with the sense of discomfort that comes, for example, from either a struggling soloist or orchestra. Tone production on the part of all concerned is refined, speeds are dignified, musical phrases have both shape and direction, and expression is achieved not only through subtle technical means, but also through the careful matching of voices to the instrumental timbres. Take, for instance, Bernarda Fink's wonderfully fruity voice in O ewiges Feuer (BWV 34, iii). Although one cannot fail to notice that her diction falls short of the mark, her timbre is luxuriant and complements the ambience of the strings and traverse flutes, and although Gardiner might be criticised for using a female voice, one needs to assess whether appropriateness should supersede scholarly considerations.

...a supreme example of a union between scholarship and musicianship.

Two sopranos feature on this recording: Martina Jankova (BWV 172) and Magdalena Kozená (BWV 59 and 74). Kozená featured in a review in last month's MT.co.uk Journal, which stated: "she delivers elegant phrases, sensible articulation and apt ornamentation", an opinion which, in light of this recording, is unarguable. She fares much better than Jankova, has a cleaner sound, effortless technique and, in terms of musicality, provides focus, direction and a sense of drama to her performances. Jankova, on the other hand, has an almost uncontrolled vibrato which, when combined with the plaintive expression and clarity of Peter Harvey's bass in the duo from BWV 59 (Wer mich liebet), is both irritating and distracting. Robin Blaze's performances are exciting, dynamic and musical, especially in his monumental aria, Nichts kann mich erretten (BWV 74, vii). This needs both careful phrasing and articulation, panache and the almost unbearably long phrases require a singer of considerable technique; we are not disappointed. Of the lower voices, we are treated to the relatively unknown talents of Steve Davislim, whose beautifully controlled tenor recitative in BWV 34 is a noteworthy example of bel canto singing at its best. Christoph Genz, whose voice is expressive but which, in O Seelenparadies (BWV 172, iv), lacks the forthright qualities brought to the same piece by Marius van Altena in the 1990s Leonhardt/Teldec release. The fault is Gardiner's: he takes the movement too slowly and although orchestrally it contains beautifully articulated phrases and poignantly placed discords, it is unsuitable to Genz's overall ability.

Although irritating, these are small problems, and when viewed overall, this sixth in the series is a monumental endeavour and provides a supreme example of a union between scholarship and musicianship: if only it were always the case!

John Woodford