11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A National Treasure!, November 9, 2001
This review is from: Wachet Auf! - Bach: Cantatas BWV No 56 & 140; Motet BWV Anh. 159 (Audio CD)
Like companion discs of the B-minor Mass and the Christmas Oratorio, these beautifully recorded cantata performances on the Dorian label feature Bach performed by a largish choir accompanied by modern instruments. But don't imagine the results are at all heavy-handed or dull! The venerable Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bach Choir and Orchestra are clearly in good hands performing with Music Director Greg Funfgeld. (They have performed Bach in JSB's own church in Leipzig to widespread European acclaim.) Funfgeld's performance style is lively, projecting transparent textures, but still extraordinarily sensitive to Bach's musical language and the meaning of his texts. Dorian's digital sound is exemplary. The Bach Choir has been an American institution for over one hundred years, and, on this evidence, they're better than ever. For all of us who can't regularly attend the Lehigh valley Bach festivals held annually each May, it's good to have these Dorian recordings as proof of their enduring quality.
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