Bach & Handel
Great sorrow and great joy, expressed in in sacred and secular arias and cantatas, are the themes of Sabine Devieilhe’s album of Bach and Handel. Recorded with the Pygmalion ensemble and conductor Raphaël Pichon, it features appearances by baritone Stéphane Degout and lutenist Thomas Dunford and includes Bach’s cantatas ‘Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut‘ and ‘Jauchzet Gott in allen Lande’, and excerpts from Handel’s Brockes Passion and Giulio Cesare.
‘This is possibly the most personal programme I’ve recorded so far,” says Sabine Devieilhe, “and I’ve been lucky enough to record it with the Pygmalion ensemble and my husband Raphaël Pichon. We really wanted to convey the idea of human emotion that at times goes beyond our understanding, and which creates music of extraordinary drama.’
Erato, 5 November 2021.
1 hour 23 minutes — 1 CD.
Prix
La presse en parle
‘Most often, a sacred song such as “Mein Jesu! Was für Seelenweh” (BWV 487) appears as an appendix to a carefully planned programme (…) in this album, it immediately captures the listener’s attention, showcasing Sabine Devieilhe’s voice in all its splendour: pure, captivating and rich in nuance.’ (Tal Agam, 2021)
‘Matthieu Boutineau performs the organ solos here and, accompanied by Raphaël Pichon and Pygmalion, offers a performance as exciting as those recorded previously, supported by an enthusiastic continuo group consisting of a harpsichord, a lute and a double bass, which add an extra rhythmic touch.’ (Tal Agam, 2021)
‘Time seems to stand still when Bellezza – Beauty – purifies herself of her “unfaithful desires” and “vain passions” by turning to God at the end of Handel’s Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno. It is a moment that Sabine Devieilhe sings with appropriate simplicity, while lutenist Thomas Dunford, violinist Sophie Gent and conductor Raphaël Pichon seem to cast a spell around her, as if to lift her up to the heavens.’ (David Allen)