What’s most surprising is the humour. Appl is, by instinct, a musical storyteller and he brings a raconteur’s enjoyment to the musical battle between Apollo and Pan…Concerto Köln provide a skilled supporting cast for Appl’s musical drama…But vocally there are issues…Appl’s natural, unaffected delivery and bright, tenorial tone may yet make for a great artist but he’s still far from the finished product.

Although a tad weak at the bottom end of the register, Appl’s lightish baritone, with its ravishing bloom, is well suited to Bach, and this is a thoughtful programme, enhanced by fine playing on period instruments by Concerto Köln, not least in the instrumental movements that break up the recital.