The star of Natalie Dessay has gradually but steadily risen over the past few years. Her Händel album “Delirio” marked a temporary acme, celebrated by an audience hungry for accessible yet proficient translations of the composer’s immediately emotional language. It is this public that Dessay is catering to with “Bach Cantatas” as well. Of course, the record makes for a pleasant acoustic Christimas celebration on the one hand. The playful and anthemic qualities of the Cantatas were mainly brought out by an approach which saw all participants sing their ideas to each other most of the time, creating cantabile instrumental lines to approximate Dessay’s vocals.

On the other hand, of course, the French Soprano is definitely not out to go down the route of easily digestable pop. “Bach Cantatas” is still a work of depth and heart-felt desire – and should therefore be able to inspire the most diverse audiences when hitting record shops on December 5th.

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