There is no lack of complete Bach cantata cycle recording projects either
complete (Harnoncourt/Leonhardt - Teldec, Rilling - Haenssler) or underway
(Koopman - Erato, Suzuki - BIS; Herreweghe slowly records many of the
cantatas).  So, I was somewhat surprised to read last year that John Elliot
Gardiner (with the English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir) would
begin a new complete cantata cycle with the Archiv Produktion (DG) label.
Indeed, the announced performance and recording plans were daunting: the
"Bach Cantata Pilgrimage" is the performance of all Bach's extant sacred
cantatas on their respective liturgical days throughout the year 2000 --
in 50 different churches.  A new performance every week...

In the Winter 1999/2000 issue of "Gramophone Early Music", the Editor
reports that these Herculean recording plans have been scaled back to
12 CDs with only four being recorded live on location.  Apparently, the
planned performance schedule remains unchanged.

Although a recording of Gardiner's "Bach Cantata Pilgrimage" would have
made an interesting adventure, it appears Archiv has made a fiscally
prudent decision.  It's unlikely this recording project could have been
very profitable in an already staturated complete cantata cycle market.

-------------

Speaking of Bach, Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and
Choir have recorded the reconstructed St. Mark Passion (this will be the
third such reconstruction in recent memory) for Erato.  Unique to this
performance is Koopman's musical composition of all the missing recitatives
(based on extant text).  Live performances will take place in Europe and
the US (Lincoln Center) later this Spring.

Brad Leissa, M.D.
http://www.intr.net/bleissa