Doug Fisher wrote:

>...I see that Berkshire Record Outlet is offering "Bach, The 200 Church
>Cantatas", for about $4 average a disc.  Is there enough difference
>between them that it would be worth having a complete set, or are there
>only certain ones which are essential? Recommendations and opinions are
>most appreciated.

I think that Bach's more popular cantatas have immediately pleasureable
melodies; his others can take longer to appreciate but I find that they
yield many treasures.  If you would prefer starting with the popular
cantatas, a look through a Schwann Opus catalog will give you the answers.

Currently, there isn't any complete set of the cantatas that I'd purchase.
I recommend getting all cantata recordings by Gardiner, Herreweghe, and
Rifkin.  For the longer term, go with the in-progress cycles from Koopman
and/or Suzuki; if one, I'd choose Suzuki - I like his pacing better.

Don Satz
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