Customer Reviews

J.S. Bach: Cantatas, Vol. 13

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One can only hope that even those who fault Koopman for what they tend to call his "studied" interpretations cannot fault him for his commitment! When Warner/Erato pulled the plug on this series, with this recording (vol. 13) already in the can, Koopman started his own label (well, sub-label, actually) to continue it. Better, he declares that he will now release three volumes a year rather than two, as Warner did.

At any rate, the present volume continues the recording of the choral cantatas from the years 1724-5, and in very good style. Klaus Mertens is stellar as always, Paul Agnew makes up in expressiveness what he misses in intonation, and the same is true for the soprano and alto--both new (I think) to the series. As I have written in another review of a volume of this series, these are severely under-served works, especially on original instruments and with original forces. If you love the cantatas, or even sacred choral music in general, you need this set. If enough of us support the series, we may get the added benefit of making Amazon order in bulk from the label!

It goes without saying that Bach's Cantatas are among the classics of western music. No one with the possible exception of Palestrina, captured the power of faith in his music better. That said, these performances of several of Bachs' cantatas are very well done, profoundly emotional and deeply stirring. director Koopman captures bach's intentions well in this volume, which serves to show his proficiency as a conductor and his empathy as a musician.

Although these collected cantatas are by no means my favorite ( i personally prefer Gott ist mein Konig and Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme) these are a valuable addition to any fan of baroque or sacred music.