Here these artists are abreast of current thinking concerning Baroque style, yet sometimes you find yourself longing for a little more expression and a little less fashionable orthodoxy. The three cantatas included here are among Bach's earliest essays in the form. Nos 106 and 131 (c1707) belong to the Mühlhausen period, while No 71 was written in 1708. By and large, Suzuki has chosen effective tempos, though there are notable exceptions. One of these affects the beautiful Sonatina for recorders and viola da gamba that introduces the Actus tragicus (No 106), a funeral piece of startling intensity.
Suzuki feels too slow here, adding a full 40 seconds on to performances by virtually all his rivals. Elsewhere, and above all in his choice of soloists, Suzuki fields an exceptional team. We can feel this especially in the effortlessly projected singing of Midori Suzuki (Nos 71 and 131) and Aki Yanagisawa (No 106), the uncluttered declamation of Gerd Türk, and the resonant contributions by Peter Kooij. The countertenor here lacks either conviction or consistent aural charm. The choir is well drilled and, as with the solo element, the voices respond urgently to the spirit of the text. Listen to the thrice supplicatory 'Israel' in the concluding chorus of No 131 for one such example.