For his first album devoted entirely to works sung in German, French star countertenor Philippe Jaroussky has chosen four religious cantatas by two old friends in JS Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann.

For many listeners, the revelation of this disc will be the two Telemann works, but in fact he wrote more than 30 sacred cantatas, as well as a St John Passion, oratorios, psalms and motets. Although they have been recorded they have necessarily been overshadowed by the Bach cantatas.

Jaroussky adopts a jaunty air for the charming Kommet her, ihr Menschenkinder from the otherwise dramatic Mount of Olives cantata Der am Ölberg Zagende Jesus, while the beautiful opening movement of Jesus Liegt in Letzten Zügen is in every way a worthy companion to Bach’s Vergnügte Ruh, Beliebte Seelenlust and Ich Habe Genug.

The Freiburger Barockorchester under their excellent violinist-director Petra Müllejans are clearly from the top shelf. Listen out for the nuanced weaving lines of oboist Ann-Kathrin Brüggemann in the much-loved Ich Habe Genug, for example.

Interestingly Jaroussky was initially reluctant to record it as it has been done so many times by so many bass baritones, but fortunately for us he changed his mind. He brings...