Alois Mühlbacher, Ensemble Pallidor and Franz Farnberger - Bachkantaten: Broken Eyes (2025) [Hi-Res]

The use of boys’ voices in performances of Bach’s sacred works is not solely for historical authenticity. Especially just before their voices change, well-trained boy singers possess a captivating tonal perfection—both mysterious and fragile—that carries with it a sense of vulnerability and the foreboding of imminent farewell. This sense of impending transition was particularly evident in Alois Mühlbacher. Even as a child, he was internationally recognized as an exceptional talent. His extraordinary boy soprano voice has been preserved in numerous recordings—not only in Baroque music but also in the art song repertoire, where he interpreted works by Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss with remarkable musical maturity. His transition into a new vocal realm happened so gently that he was able to retain much of the magic of his boyhood voice: the emotional depth, the fragility—now combined with a newly honed technical mastery.

Unlike adult professional singers, boy choristers have little time to develop routine. They often experience the great masterpieces of music history only once or a handful of times as performers. Their interpretations thus radiate the freshness and uniqueness of a first encounter. At the time of this recording, 28-year-old Alois Mühlbacher had already sung more concerts than perhaps anyone his age. And yet, the spontaneity, curiosity, and spirit of musical adventure from his boyhood have never left him. That may well be what makes him an ideal interpreter of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.