A worthy follow-up to ‘Sweet Stillness’ (12/22) – on which soprano Mary Bevan joined violinist Davina Clarke and the same continuo line-up for Handel’s Nine German Arias – ‘The Art of Obligato’ again intersperses arias with violin sonatas. This time, it’s selections from Bach’s cantatas and the same composer’s works for solo violin with accompaniment. The other difference between the two recordings is the emphasis is on variety and on showcasing Bach’s vocal and instrumental obbligato writing, rather than on thematic or musical cohesion. The sonatas provide further variety while allowing Clarke to showcase her own soloistic talents in a perhaps freer, more expressive manner.

A mentee of John Eliot Gardner (another mentor, violinist Kati Debretzeni, makes a guest appearance here), Clarke’s enthusiasm and appreciation for the art of obbligato playing grew out of her experience performing with the English Baroque Soloists. No mere accompanist or indeed duettist, Clarke seems rather to interpret the import of the vocal texts as directly as does the singer. The continuo, especially keyboardist Tom Foster, adds further timbral and colouristic commentary through variation in instruments (harpsichord, organ), stops, articulation and ‘laying out’ where warranted.

Thus, ‘Halleluja, Stärk und Macht’ from Cantata No 29 is stylish and measured, just enough ‘strength and might’ evoked through the semiquavers’ subtle energy from Clarke and tenor Nick Pritchard. By contrast, in ‘Christi Glieder, ach bedenket’ from No 132, Clarke weaves a bittersweet garland for alto Hugh Cutting’s gentle fervency.

For the sonatas BWV1021 and BWV1016, Clarke carries across the same nuanced feeling for cantabile playing, leaning into the expressive possibilities of a more flexible pulse. Again, however, elegance seems paramount: one has only to listen to Rachel Podger in the former (Channel Classics, 2/01) and Isabelle Faust in the latter (Harmonia Mundi, 3/18) to appreciate the difference in sensibility.

Comparisons for the arias are of course legion; of particular note and closest aesthetically are those from Bach Collegium Japan (BIS) and indeed Gardiner’s live recordings for his Bach Cantata Pilgrimage (SDG). Where ‘The Art of Obligato’ excels is in zeroing in on that very art as exemplified in the work of a single composer while extolling the virtues of unity in variety.