Your Favorite Bach Cantata/s

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I haven't heard every Bach Cantata, not even close (I only rather recently started studying them) but from those that I HAVE heard, my opinion is crystal-clear: BWV65, one of Bach's most colourful scores.

What are your choices?

[André]

Just as crystal clear for me: it's no 60, « O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort ».  A rather short work, it is of the « dialogus inter Christum et fidelem animam » style. Its structure is perfection itself.

Alba Berg quoted its closing chorale at the end of his violin concerto « To the Memory of an Angel ».

[Sergeant Rock]

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80


Sarge

[Jaakko Keskinen]

To clarify: Yes, I meant Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantatas (I must be braindead, not thinking about his sons) and my choice, BWV65 is also known as Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen.

[mc ukrneal]

I have a couple excerpts (from Koopman, which I like) of 80, but nothing of 60 or 65. Any recommendations on who performs them well on disc?

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I have a couple excerpts (from Koopman, which I like) of 80, but nothing of 60 or 65. Any recommendations on who performs them well on disc?

Harnoncourt has at least one delightful performance of BWV65, also found in Youtube.

[Spineur]

Ich habe genug BWV 82.  The only cantata I keep returning to over and over.

[André]

I recommend listening to the opening sinfonia of 60 on youtube. It can go very fast (Leusink), quite fast (Richter) or quite slow (Harnoncourt). You can then make up your mind. If forced to choose, I'd take Richter.

[Sergeant Rock]

I have a couple excerpts (from Koopman, which I like) of 80, but nothing of 60 or 65. Any recommendations on who performs them well on disc?

I like Koopman's 65. Great horns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEyQTvnUw3Q


Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80

Sarge

Thanks to the curious chance of the shuffle function, my car system lit upon this Sunday.  I took it off shuffle, and I have listened to the Cantata three times meanwhile.  Stunning.

[Marc]

Don't have the time to think all 200 of them over , but IMO these are informative, helpful and useful links, even though it was written around 2000 (the 'Bach Year').

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/bachjs/cantatas.php

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/bachjs/rateindx.php

(Of course, it's just a personal opinion of the reviewer, but still... I think his taste ain't that 'bad'.)

[ritter]

An embarrassment of riches, these Bach cantatas. Difficult to choose, as there's so much (actually, there's no need to choose, is there?  ).

Still, I have a soft spot for one of the off-the-beaten track cantatas, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150 (which I performed as a chorister in my teens) and, as far as solo cantatas go, apart from Ich habe genug BWV 82 (that Spineur already mentioned), I am always struck by the beauty of Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 (Dawn Upshaw's recording on Nonesuch is one of my desert island discs).

[Karl Henning]

An embarrassment of riches, these Bach cantatas. Difficult to choose, as there's so much (actually, there's no need to choose, is there?  ).

Still, I have a soft spot for one of the off-the-beaten track cantatas, Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150 (which I performed as a chorister in my teens)

Trippy!  We did this when I was at Wooster.  Love it to pieces.

[ritter]

Trippy!  We did this when I was at Wooster.  Love it to pieces.

Good day, Karl! I wish you a good week...

[Sergeant Rock]

I have listened to the Cantata three times meanwhile.  Stunning.

I grew up with the hymn ("A Mighty Fortress" was a mainstay of my Lutheran church). I love what Bach does with it. Stunning indeed, and thrilling.

Sarge

[Marc]

My 'weak spot' cantata is BWV 84: Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, das mir der liebe Gott beschert.
(I am content with the fortune that my dear God bestows on me.)

Here's a link, not perfect of course, but it's live, and the music wins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4vEJvAznE0

For more 'perfection', you can dive into the discography:

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/BWV84.htm#RC

[North Star]

My 'weak spot' cantata is BWV 84: Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, das mir der liebe Gott beschert.
(I am content with the fortune that my dear God bestows on me.)

A beauty, indeed. And this topic reminds me again that I should get the rest of the cantatas...

https://www.youtube.com/v/JU-md4Zi0_8

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

4, 26, 62, 103