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 [log in to unmask]