Bach: Redemption

Whether performing online or in socially distanced environments, artists have worked through lockdown to overcome seemingly impossible restrictions on close-knit ensemble work. And here’s a prime example of what can be achieved. Redemption is a magical collection of some of Bach’s most heartfelt cantata movements; soprano Anna Prohaska and ensemble Lautten Compagney’s remarkable musical symbiosis is immediately clear from BWV 115’s poignant call to prayer and the subsequent chorus from BWV 25, despite the physical space between them. Prohaska is radiant in “Ich habe genug” (BWV 82a), one of Bach’s supreme creations, while instrumental movements provide sublime refreshment. A deeply affecting balm for these disorienting times.