For Those Who've Had Enough

In many ways, it is hard to listen to this wonderful disk, Bach Cantatas BWV 82 and 199 by Lorraine Hunt Lieberson and the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music conducted by Craig Smith. The reason for the difficulty revolves around the sad death of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson from cancer and the subject matter, particularly of BWV 82 which is the words of Simeon from Luke and the setting "Ich habe genug" ( roughly translated as I've had enough ) , a monologue about the readiness to die. Putting sentimentality to one side, it is an excellent collection and BWV 199 can be said to complete the reconciliation to what life throws at us. When these two cantatas were staged by director Peter Sellars, BWV82 had Hunt Lieberson wearing a hospital gown with medical tubes emerging from her body, an image adding to the weird prescience of the piece. But BWV199 saw her clothed in a traditional Chinese dress treating the cantata as a journey from self hatred through to love, release and freedom. Aside from all these considerations about the soloist, who sings superbly, the Emmanuel ensemble play beautifully and there is of course, always Bach's glorious music. Amongst the plethora of Bach cantata releases, this is a special one.