Don Satz wrote:

>Simon Crouch wrote in response to my reservations about the vocal soloists
>on volume 10 of the BIS cantata series:
>
>>Funny, I don't share this reservation.... Suzuki, to my ears, has
>>consistently chosen very fine young soloists with voices ideally
>>suited to the music.
>
>I didn't provide any details concerning my reservations, but I'd be
>interested in Simon's opinion of the soprano, Miah Persson.  I found her
>voice to be a "small" one that virtually disappeared now and then.  Also,
>I didn't discern any beauty in her voice.  So, it was a pleasant and weak
>voice.  Where's Emma Kirby?

I had another good listen this morning to Volume 10.  Persson strikes me as
a good example of the sensible artistic choices that Suzuki is making.  She
has a well controlled, pure voice and enough artistic sensibility to add
ornament at the right place and with the right technical control.  She uses
vibrato as an ornamant (which gets her top marks as far as I'm concerned!)
and her voice balances well with the instrumental lines.  Perhaps Suzuki
has placed her a tad far back in the mix in "Wie zittern und wanken" in BWV
105 but since this is a duet with the oboe it's a valid artistic choice
(and far preferable to having it treated like Wagner).  In her duet with
Blaze in BWV 186 her voice is perfectly balanced with his.  If I was to
find one criticism against Persson, it's that she doesn't alter the dynamic
much on long held notes - but this may be a deliberate artistic choice on
her or Suzuki's behalf.

I did a comparison with Schlick for Herreweghe in BWV 105. Her voice is
bigger and her performance tasteful, but I find the "always-on" vibrato
a serious fault. Perrson wins this one for me.

all the best,

Simon
Bach Cantata Listener's Guide
http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/bachjs/cantatas.html