Bach: My spirit

Following the (voluntary) departure of its founder Damien Guillon, Le Banquet Céleste has reinvented itself as a collective of musicians and singers, all committed to continuing the exploration of the Baroque repertoire with the stylistic rigor that established the ensemble's reputation. This first recording by the "new" Banquet focuses on Bach, with cantatas BWV 85 and 115 featuring the violoncello piccolo obbligato: "The violoncello piccolo is smaller and has a very unique timbre, which can be both deep and warm, as well as taut and delicate. In the arias where it accompanies the voice, it usually embodies the voice of tenderness and comfort, the voice of the confident promise of the afterlife," writes musicologist Corinne Schneider. The Sixth Suite for Cello, BWV 1012, completes the program: "Radiant and jubilant, it sounds like redemption, in perfect harmony with the themes developed in these two cantatas," concludes Corinne Schneider. Céline Scheen, Alexander Chance, Thomas Hobbs, and Benoît Arnould are the vocal soloists, and Julien Barre plays the piccolo cello.