This new release from Etcetera records presents live recordings of J.S. Bach's Cantatas BWV 56 and 82, and selected movements from the St Matthew Passion, BWV244.

Christoph Prégardien's precise vocal control, clear diction, intelligent musicality and ability to get to the heart of everything he sings has secured him a place among the world's foremost lyric tenors. Particularly revered as a singer of lieder, he can regularly be heard at major venues around the world, including the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Philharmonie Paris, London's Wigmore Hall, the Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin, the Palau de La Musica Barcelona and the Auditorio Nacional Madrid.

Stephan Schultz was born in Erfurt in 1972 and began playing the cello at the age of seven. He studied cello at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig and Baroque cello with Jaap ter Linden. He founded the Leipzig Baroque Orchestra with a number of other musicians in 1995 to further the cause of historically informed interpretation. He has performed under such renowned conductors as Reinhard Goebel, Roy Goodman, Peter Neumann and Peter Schreier, and has played alongside Emma Kirkby, Nancy Argenta, Harry van der Kamp, Peter Kooij and Masaaki Suzuki.

Early music ensemble Le Concert Lorrain has made exceptional progress since its creation in 2000. Blessed with influences from both the French and German cultures, and benefiting from the dual artistic directorship of Anne-Catherine Bucher and Stephan Schultz, the group has made its way into the most prestigious musical circles, thanks to the quality of their interpretations of the great repertoire, as well as the originality of their musical programme.