Johann Sebastian Bach - Mein Geist (Le Banquet Céleste)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115
• Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012
• Ich bin ein guter Hirt, BWV 85

Le Banquet Céleste

Date: 2026

Label: Alpha Classics

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Following the departure of its founder Damien Guillon in 2024, Le Banquet Céleste has continued under the collective leadership of its core musicians, remaining dedicated to the stylistic rigour that has defined the ensemble for over fifteen years. Its first recording under this new direction focuses on J. S. Bach cantatas featuring the violoncello piccolo, whose distinctive timbre brings intimacy, tenderness, and expressive depth to the music. As musicologist Corinne Schneider notes, the instrument often serves as a voice of consolation in dialogue with the singers. The programme is completed by Bach’s Sixth Cello Suite, BWV 1012. Vocal soloists are Céline Scheen, Alexander Chance, Thomas Hobbs, and Benoît Arnould, with Julien Barre on piccolo cello.

Founded in 2009, Le Banquet Céleste is a French ensemble dedicated to the European Baroque repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries, performed on period instruments. Under the artistic vision established by founder Damien Guillon and now sustained by a collective leadership, the ensemble maintains a strong human and artistic identity. Its repertoire spans sacred and secular vocal works by composers such as J. S. Bach, Telemann, Tallis, Stradella, and Alessandro Scarlatti, as well as instrumental and operatic music by Monteverdi, Blow, and Handel. Alongside performance, the ensemble actively reimagines concert formats to foster close engagement with diverse audiences.