Bach: Arias for Alto Zoltan Darago, Les Talens Lyriques & Christophe Rousset

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20:
• 1Bach: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 20: Aria. O Mensch, errette deine Seele02:04
• Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33:
• 2Bach: Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33: Aria. Wie furchtsam wankten meine Schritte09:03
• O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34: :
• 3Bach: O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34: Aria. Wohl euch, ihr auserwählten Seelen05:57
• Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35:
• 4Bach: Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35: Aria. Geist und Seele wird verwirret06:49
• 5Bach: Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35: Aria. Gott hat alles wohl gemacht!03:04
• Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83:
• 6Bach: Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83: Aria. Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde06:54
• Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe, BWV 108:
• 7Bach: Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe, BWV 108: Aria. Was mein Herz von dir begehrt03:10
• Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114:
• 8Bach: Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114: Aria. Du machst, o Tod, mir nun nicht ferner bange04:19
• Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115:
• 9Bach: Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115: Aria. Ach, schläfrige Seele, wie?07:58
• Vergnügte Ruh', beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170:
• 10Bach: Vergnügte Ruh', beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170: Aria. Vergnügte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust06:41
• Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185:
• 11Bach: Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185: Aria. Sei bemüht in dieser Zeit04:19
• Total Runtime01:00:18

Info for Bach: Arias for Alto

Hungarian countertenor Zoltan Darago joins forces with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques for his first album, in a programme encompassing the most beautiful cantata arias composed by J.S. Bach for the alto tessitura.

“This beautiful programme is an anthology of arias for alto, including some «hits» as well as much lesser-known tunes by J.-S. Bach. Bach, widely regarded as an immutable «statue», had a lengthy period of cantata composition. We can hear his style evolve throughout the programme as we discover early works that are not in the same inspirational vein as his later works.

The alto voice has that ’comfort food’ quality, you feel enveloped by warm, consoling, lullaby-like arms that we find in these alto arias. We are exploiting this lower register of the voice to bring out a specific emotion not found in other types of voice. Paul Figuier and Zoltán Daragó are joining us for this programme. They are both young countertenors. I spotted Paul at the Paris Conservatoire, also in a programme of Bach cantatas. His voice is extremely warm and very well suited to this repertoire. Zoltán Daragó is a very promising young Hungarian singer, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when he asked us to record his first album, and we are delighted to have been able to offer him this project.

This «Bachian» programme is an excellent opportunity to showcase these two young soloists, as well as our Ensemble, which as of yet has had too few opportunities to tackle this repertoire.” (Christophe Rousset)

Zoltan Darago, counter-tenor
Les Talens Lyriques
Christophe Rousset, conductor

Zoltan Darago
One year after commencing his studies at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in 2008 as a student of Mária Fekete, Zoltán Daragó became the first singer to win admittance to the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music's special programme for young talents, where he studied under Éva Marton. After graduating from the conservatory, he spent a year in The Hague at the Royal Conservatory there, where his teacher was Gerda van Zelm. In 2014, he was again enrolled at the Liszt Academy, studying with Júlia Pászthy.

Zoltán made his debut with the Hungarian State Opera in 2015 in the role of Blindleech in Zsófia Tallér's opera Leander and Linseed, the youngest opera singer in the company at just twenty-two. Darago sang important roles during three seasons with the Hungarian State Opera while still an undergraduate at the Liszt Academy, where he graduated in the spring of 2017.

Zoltán was the first Erasmus scholar to be notified of an award that enabled him to complete his M.A. at Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy in May, 2020, where he graduated with honors. He returned to the Hungarian State Opera for another season 2021-2022.

In 2021, Zoltan Darago sang the lead in Philip Glass’s opera AKHNATEN in Helsinki, Finland’s OperaBOX at the Alexander Theater to critical acclaim. He reprieved this role in Helsinki in September 2022.

Booklet for Bach: Arias for Alto