Bach: The Solo Cantatas for Bass Christian Senn, laBarocca & Ruben Jais

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56:
• 1I. Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen07:37
• 2II. Mein Wandel auf der Welt01:53
• 3III. Endlich, endlich wird mein Joch06:32
• 4IV. Ich stehe fertig und bereit01:36
• 5V. Komm, o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder01:32
• Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158:
• 6I. Der Friede sei mit dir01:55
• 7II. Welt, ade, ich bin dein mude07:14
• 8III. Nun Herr, regiere meinen Sinn01:37
• 9IV. Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm01:11
• Ich habe genug, BWV 82:
• 10I. Ich habe genug07:30
• 11II. Ich habe genug! Mein Trost ist nur allein01:20
• 12III. Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen10:01
• 13IV. Mein Gott! Wann kömmt das schöne00:54
• 14V. Ich freue mich auf meinen Tod03:25
• Total Runtime54:17

Info for Bach: The Solo Cantatas for Bass

With a new disc given over to three cantatas for bass by JS Bach, Christian Senn gives valid voice to that ever-continuing need of bringing the Kantor’s scores alive in fresh recordings. The career of the Chilean- born baritone Senn currently sees him having a strong – and much-applauded – affinity for music of the Baroque, be it in Vivaldi operas, or the Passions and other choral masterpieces by Bach; this is in addition to him impressing greatly in bel canto repertory – notably in Mozart.

On this new release from Glossa (where Senn is operating with a rich and deep bass-baritone colouring to his voice) there are not just the two principal Bach cantatas for solo bass – Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 and Ich habe genug, BWV 82 – but also the third and more rarely aired work, Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158, in which the soloist is joined by a chorus of sopranos.

In his exploration of the mystery of these sacred cantatas, Senn is beautifully supported by Ruben Jais and his Milan-based laBarocca. This is not the period ensemble’s first recording for Glossa – Jais directed it on a previous occasion when accompanying Sonia Prina in her Gluck recital, Heroes in love – and more releases can be expected from this combination in the near future. There is space also for Marc Trautmann to contribute a wry and lively booklet essay placing the three Bach cantatas – and Senn’s recording of them – in an illuminating context.

Christian Senn, bass-baritone
laBarocca
Ruben Jais, direction

Christian Senn
Born in Chile, Christian Senn has been living in Italy for several years. After a Master degree in Biology, he was accepted by the Academy for young singers at the “Teatro alla Scala”, in Milan studying with L. Gencer, L. Alva and V. Manno. He sings with conductors such as R. Muti, R. Chailly, M. Benini, M. Barbacini, C. Rizzi, G. Antonini, O. Dantone, F. Biondi, J- CSpinosi, R. Gandolfi, R. RizziBrignoli, C. Rovaris, R. Jais in some of the most important European halls and theaters including Teatroalla Scala, Wiener Konzerthaus, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Auditorio Verdi in Milan, Palau de la Musica in Valencia, TeatroRegio in Turin, TeatroComunale in Florence, Teatro La Fenice in Venice as well as important halls outside of Europe such as the Kanagawa Hall di Yokohama and at the National Theatre in Santiago del Cile.

Christian Senn is one of the most sought after baritones for Belcanto repertoire in Italy and abroad. One of his last prestigious engagements was a performance as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in several productions at the Teatro alla Scala, Tourin, Venice. Recently he had great success with his Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Teatro alla Scala, as well as Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri at the Teatro Regio, Turin, and Papageno in The Magic Flute in Montpellier; Lucia di Lammermoor, Enrico, in Bergamo. Recent engagements: Bach’s Magnificat with Antonio Pappano at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome; Rossini’s Scala di Seta, Germano, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Enrique Mazzola; Elisir d’amore in Bologna; Die Zauberflöte, Papageno & Barbiere di Siviglia, Figaro in Verona; La Cenerentola, Dandini, at the Israeli Opera.

Furthermore, he performed Guglielmo in Così fan Tutte at Santiago Teatro Nacional in Chile, he sang the role of Pacuvio in Rossini’s La Pietra di Paragone in Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and at the Teatro Regio in Parma conducted by J.C. Spinosi; Zoroastro in Haendel’s Orlando in Valencia; Valentin in Gounod’s Faust and Enrico in Donizzetti’s Lucia in Santiago de Chile; Nanni in Haydn’s L’Infedeltà delusa in Potsdam; Haendel’s Messiah with Rinaldo Alessandrini in Bari, Barbiere di Siviglia, Figaro, in Berlin, La Fenice; Maestro di Musica in Donizetti’s Convenienze e Inconvenienze Teatrali at the Teatro alla Scala; Astolfo in Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso at the Théâtre de Champs-Elysée in Paris; Il Conte in Nozze di Figaro in Potsdam; Malatesta in Don Pasquale at the Teatro alla Scala; Porpora’s Polifemo, title-role, at the Teater an der Wien; Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan Tutte in Bergamo; Pallante in Handel’s Agrippina at the Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin with René Jacobs.

Also specialized in baroque repertoire, he has sung the title role in Vivaldi’s Bajazet in the major European capitals and in Japan with Europa Galante and Fabio Biondi; Mozart’s Betulia Liberata with Ottavio Dantone; Bach’s Passions, with Ruben Jais and the LaVerdi Barocca; La Senna in Vivaldi’s La Senna Festeggiante with Paul Goodwin; Handel’s Alexander Feast with Diego Fasolis at the Swiss Radio.

Particularly fond of Bach’s music, he has sung many Cantatas, Weihnachts Oratorium, Johannes Passion, Matthaus Passion, Magnificat as well as modern masterpieces like Messe Solemnelle by C. Frank and Messa di Santa Cecilia by C. Gounod, Requiem by Fauré.

His recordings include: Vivaldi’s Tito Manlio and Rossini’s La Pietra del Paragone in DVD (live recording in Paris Théâtre du Châtelet) for Naïve.

Future engagement include: Die Zauberflöte, Papageno & Barbiere di Siviglia, Figaro in Florence; Massenet’s Werther, Albert, at the Teatro Massimo Palermo; Donizetti’s Lucia, Enrico at the Teatro Peruzzelli, Bari; Handel’s Messiah, at the Auditorio Nacionale de Mùsica en Madrid; Mozart’s Così fan Tutte, Guglielmo with René Jacobs; Rossini’s Signor Bruschino, Filiberto, at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris.

Booklet for Bach: The Solo Cantatas for Bass