Bach: Cantatas Vol 26: BWV172, BWV59, BWV74, BWV34; BWV173, BWV68, BWV174

Live recordings from the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage.

CD-1: Holy Trinity, Long Melford
CD-2: Holy Trinity, Long Melford

"Another highly successful artistic enterprise. Enormous pleasure. Very high standards of performance, presentation and recorded sound - a very important and distinguished cycle"
(MusicWeb July 2006)

Recorded on Whit Sunday and Monday in 2000, these irresistible cantatas display a whole range of moods: from the unalloyed optimism and exuberance of BWV 172 to the tactful restraint of the opening of BWV 59. In the grand, eight-movement BWV 74, Bach is clearly roused by imagery of Satan attempting to curse and obstruct the believer, and introduces extreme modulations and jangling cross-accents in the tenor aria. The alto aria in the same cantata stands out for its graphic description of Hell, and Bach unapologetically borrows techniques from the opera house to entertain a theatrically-deprived audience whilst serving an impeccable theological purpose. The set also includes the superb BWV 34, an exceptionally late work from the 1740s, with its enormously satisfying choral overture, which generates colossal energy and elation in performance.