J. S. Bach und Seine Zeit

1. Concerto for solo organ No. 2 in A minor (after Vivaldi Op3/8) BWV 593
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Helga Schauerte

2. Wer Nun Den Lieben Gott Lasst Walten
Composed by Gottfried August Homilius
with Helga Schauerte

3. Choral Prelude for organ, "Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns die Stimme"
Composed by Gottfried August Homilius
with Helga Schauerte

4. Trio sonata for organ No. 5 in C major, BWV 529
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Helga Schauerte

5. Pastorale for organ in F major, BWV 590
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Helga Schauerte

6. Chorale prelude for organ ("Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich"), (doubtful), BWV 719
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Helga Schauerte

7. Chorale prelude for organ ("Wir Christenleut"), BWV 1090
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Helga Schauerte

8. Chorale prelude for organ ("Das alte Jahr vergangen ist"), BWV 1091
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Helga Schauerte

9. Chorale prelude for organ ("Herr Gott, nun schleuss den Himmel auf"), BWV 1092
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
with Helga Schauerte

10. Concerto for organ in F major (after Tomaso Albinoni)
Composed by Johann Gottfried Walther
with Helga Schauerte

11. Fantasy for organ in G minor
Composed by Johann Gottfried Muthel
with Helga Schauerte

12. Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her, for organ
Composed by Johann Bernhard Bach
with Helga Schauerte

13. In dulci jubilo, for organ
Composed by Johann Gottfried Walther
with Helga Schauerte

14. Prelude for organ in E minor
Composed by Johann Heinrich Buttstett
with Helga Schauerte

15. Fugue for organ in E minor
Composed by Johann Heinrich Buttstett
with Helga Schauerte

Tracks:

Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern
Du Wahrer Gottes und Marien Sohn
Erfuellet, ihr himmlischen goettlichen Flammen
Ein irdscher Glanz, wein leiblich Licht
Unser Mund und Ton der Saiten
Wie Schon Leuchtet Der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Chor: 'Wie Bin Ich Doch So Herzlich Froh' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Chor: 'Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Recitativo: 'Sie Lehren Eitel Falsche List' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Aria: 'Tilg, O Gott, Die Lehren' - Paul Esswood
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Recitativo: 'Die Armen Sind Verstort' - Max Van Egmond
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Aria: 'Durchs Feuer Wird Das Silber Rein' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Vom Himmel Sieh Darein, BWV 2: Chor: 'Das Wollst Du, Gott, Bewahren Rein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Chor: 'Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Choral Recitativo: 'Wie Schwerlich Lasst Sich Fleisch Und... - Wiener Sangerknaben/Hans Gillesberger/Paul Esswood/Kurt Equiluz/Max Van Egmond...
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Aria: 'Empfind Ich Hollenangst Und Pein' - Max Van Egmond
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Recitativo: 'Es Mag Mir Leib Und Geist Verschmachten' - Kurt Equiluz
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Aria: 'Wenn Sorgen Auf Mich Dringen' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Hans Gillesberger/Paul Esswood
Ach Gott, Wie Manches Herzeleid, BWV 3: Chor: 'Erhalt Mein Herz Im Glauben Rein' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger

Tracks:

Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erloesen
O Schmerz, o Elend, so mich trifft
Solls ja so sein
Ach lege das Sodom der suendlichen Glieder
Hier aber tut des Heilands Hand
Ich Elender Mensch, Wer Wird Mich Erlosen, BWV 48: Aria: 'Vergibt Mir Jesus Meine Sunden' - Kurt Equiluz
Ich Elender Mensch, Wer Wird Mich Erlosen, BWV 48: Chor: 'Herr Jesu Christ, Einiger Trost' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Sinf - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria: 'Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen' - Ruud Van Der Meer
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Recitativo Ed Arioso: 'Mein Mahl Ist Zubereit'' - Ruud Van Der Meer/Peter Jelosits
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria: 'Ich Bin Herrlich, Ich Bin Schon' - Peter Jelosits
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Recitativo: 'Mein Glaube Hat Mich Selbst So Angezogen' - Peter Jelosits/Ruud Van Der Meer
Ich Geh Und Suche Mit Verlangen, BWV 49: Aria (Duetto): 'Dich Hab Ich Je Und Je Geliebet' - Peter Jelosits/Ruud Van Der Meer
Nun Ist Das Heil Und Die Kraft, BWV 50: Chor: 'Nun Ist Das Heil Und Die Kraft' - Wiener Sangerknaben/Chor Viennensis/Hans Gillesberger
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen!' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Recitativo: 'Wir Beten Zu Dem Tempel An' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Hochster, Mache Deine Gute' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Chor: 'Sei Lob Und Preis Mit Ehren' - Marianne Kweksilber
Jauchzet Gott In Allen Landen, BWV 51: Aria: 'Alleluja!' - Marianne Kweksilber

Tracks:

(Caro) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Alto, Tenore) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Soprano) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Basso) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
(Alto) Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan
Was Gott Tut, Das Ist Wohlgetan, BWV 100: Chor: 'Was Gott Tut, Das Ist Wohlgetan' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Chor: 'Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott' - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria: 'Handle Nicht Nach Deinen Rechten' - Kurt Equiluz
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Recitativo-Chor: 'Ach! Herr Gott, Durch Die Treue Dein' - Wilhelm Wiedl
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria: 'Warum Willst Du So Zornig Sein?' - Philippe Huttenlocher
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Recitativo-Chor: 'Die Sund Hat Uns Verderbet Sehr' - Kurt Equiluz
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Aria (Duetto): 'Gedenk An Jesu Bittern Tod!' - Wilhelm Wiedl/Paul Esswood
Nimm Von Uns, Herr, Du Treuer Gott, BWV 101: Chor: 'Leit Uns Mit Deiner Rechten Hand' - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Chor: 'Herr, Deine Augen Sehen... - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Recitativo: 'Wo Ist Das Ebenbild' - Philippe Huttenlocher
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Aria: 'Weh Der Seele' - Paul Esswood
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Prima Parte: Arioso: 'Verachtest Du Den... - Philippe Huttenlocher
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Aria: 'Erschrecke Doch, Du... - Kurt Equiluz
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Recitativo: 'Beim Warten Ist... - Paul Esswood
Herr, Deine Augen Sehen Nach Dem Glauben, BWV 102, Seconda Parte: Chor: Heut Lebst Du, Heut... - Tolzer Knabenchor/Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden

Tracks:

Sinfonia
Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich
Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnuegt
Leite mich in deiner Wahrheit
Zedern muessen von den Winden
Nach Dir, Herr, Verlanget Mich, BWV 150: Chor: 'Meine Augen Sehen Stets Zu Dem Herrn' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Nach Dir, Herr, Verlanget Mich, BWV 150: Chor: 'Meine Tage In Dem Leide' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Aria: 'Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt' - Sebastian Hennig
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Recitativo: 'Erfreue Dich, Mein Herz' - Max Van Egmond
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Aria: 'In Jesu Demut Kann Ich Trost' - Paul Esswood
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Recitativo: 'Du Teurer Gottessohn' - Kurt Equiluz
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt, BWV 151: Chor: 'Heut Schleusst Er Wieder Auf Die Tur' - Knabenchor Hannover/Heinz Hennig/Collegium Vocale, Gent/Philippe Herreweghe
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Con - Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Aria: 'Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Recitativo: 'Der Heiland Ist Gesetzt' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Aria: 'Stein, Der Uber Alle Schatze' - Christoph Wegmann
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Recitativo: 'Es Argre Sich Die Kluge Welt' - Thomas Hampson
Tritt Auf Die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152: Duetto: 'Wie Soll Ich Dich, Liebster Der Seelen, Umfassen?' - Christoph Wegmann/Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind' - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Mein Liebster Gott' - Stefan Rampf
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Furchte Dich Nicht, Ich Bin Mit Dir' - Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Du Sprichst Zwar, Lieber Gott' - Kurt Equiluz
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Und Ob Gleich Alle Teufel - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Sturmt Nur, Sturmt, Ihr Trubsalswetter' - Kurt Equiluz
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Recitativo: 'Getrost! Mein Herz, Erdulde Deinen... - Thomas Hampson
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Aria: 'Soll Ich Meinen Lebeslauf' - Stefan Rampf
Schau, Lieber Gott, Wie Meine Feind, BWV 153: Chor: 'Drum Will Ich, Weil Ich Lebe Noch' - Tolzer Knabenchor//Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden

Tracks:

Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht
Auf, Sterbliche, lasset ein Jauchzen ertoenen
So bald, als dir die Sternen hold
Es streiten, es siegen die kuenftigen Zeiten
Bedenke nur, begluecktes Land
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Aria: 'Der Zeiten Herr Hat Viel Vergnugte Stunden' - Michael Chance
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Recitativo: 'Hilf, Hochster, Hilf' - Michael Chance/Paul Agnew
Die Zeit, Die Tag Und Jahre Macht, BWV 134A: Chor: 'Ergetzet Auf Erden' - The Amsterdam Baroque Chor/Ton Koopman
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Recitativo: 'Durchlauchtster Leopold' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Guldner Sonnen Frohe Stunden' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Leopolds Vortrefflichkeiten' - Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Unter Seinem Purpursaum' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Recitativo: 'Durchlauchtigster, Den Anhalt Vater Nennt' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'So Schau Des Holden Tages Licht' - Lisa Larsson
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Aria: 'Dein Name Gleich Der Sonnen Geh' - Klaus Mertens
Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173A: Chor: 'Nimm Auch, Grosser Furst, Uns Auf' - Lisa Larsson/Klaus Mertens

Tracks:

Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Laudamus te
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Gratias Agimus Tibi - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Domine Deus - Angela Maria Blasi/Kurt Equiluz
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Qui Tollis - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Qui Sedes - Jadwiga Rappe
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Quoniam To Solus - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner
Mass in b, BWV 232: I. Missa: Gloria: Cum Sancto Spiritu - Arnold Schoenberg Chor/Erwin Ortner

Tracks:

Singet dem Herrn ein neres Lied
Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf
Komm, Jesu, komm
Jesu, meine Freude
Fuerchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir
Lobet Den Herrn, Alle Heiden, BWV 230 - Stockholm Bach Chor/Anders Ohrwall

Tracks:

Fantasia et Fuga in g BWV 542
Fuga in g BWV 578
Canzona in d BWV 588
Praeludium et Fuga in h BWV 544
Praeludium et Fuga in a BWV 543
Fant in c, BWV 562 - Ton Koopman
Prld Et Fuga in C, BWV 531 - Ton Koopman
Fant in G, BWV 572 - Ton Koopman
Fant in C, BWV 570 - Ton Koopman
Passacaglia in c, BWV 582 - Ton Koopman

Tracks:

Inventio 1 BWV 772
Inventio 2 BWV 773
Inventio 3 BWV 774
Inventio 4 BWV 775
Inventio 5 BWV 776
Inventio 6 in E, BWV 777 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 7 in e, BWV 778 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 8 in F, BWV 779 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 9 in f, BWV 780 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 10 in G, BWV 781 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 11 in g, BWV 782 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 12 in A, BWV 783 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 13 in a, BWV 784 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 14 in B flat, BWV 785 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Inventio 15 in b, BWV 786 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 1 in C, BWV 787 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 2 in c, BWV 788 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 3 in D, BWV 789 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 4 in d, BWV 790 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 5 in E flat, BWV 791 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 6 in E, BWV 792 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 7 in e, BWV 793 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 8 in F, BWV 794 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 9 in f, BWV 795 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 10 in G, BWV 796 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 11 in g, BWV 797 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 12 in A, BWV 798 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 13 in a, BWV 799 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 14 in B flat, BWV 800 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Sinf 15 in b, BWV 801 - Zuzana Ruzickova

Tracks:

Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Praeludium
Prelude and Fugue in A minor: Fuga
Prelude and Fughetta in E minor: Praeludium
Prelude and Fughetta in E minor: Fuga
Prelude in G major BWV 902a
Fant And Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fant - Zuzana Ruzickova
Fant And Fugue in a, BWV 904: Fuga - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in C, BWV 924 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in D, BWV 925 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in d, BWV 926 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in F, BWV 927 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in F, BWV 928 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in g, BWV 930 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Clavier-Buchlein Vor W.F. Bach: Prld in a, BWV 931 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in E, BWV 937 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in C, BWV 939 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Prld in d, BWV 940 - Zuzana Ruzickova
Applicatio in C, BWV 994 - Zuzana Ruzickova

Tracks:

Suite in G minor BWV 995: Prelude
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Allemande
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Courante
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Sarabande
Suite in G minor BWV 995: Gavotte I - Gavotte II en Rondeau
Ste in g, BWV 995: Gigue - Luca Pianca
Ste in e, BWV 996: Prld (Passagio-Presto) - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Allemande - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Courante - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Sarabande - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Bourree - Michele Barchi
Ste in e, BWV 996: Gigue - Michele Barchi
Ste in c, BWV 997: Prld - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Fuga - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Sarabande - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca
Ste in c, BWV 997: Gigue-Double - Michele Barchi/Luca Pianca

Tracks:

Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Vivace
Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Largo, ma non tanto
Concerto for two violins BWV 1043: Allegro
Concerto BWV 1042: Allegro
Concerto BWV 1042: Adagio
Con in E, BWV 1042: Allegro Assai - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Allegro - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Andante - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in a, BWV 1041: Allegro Assai - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: (Allegro) - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: Largo - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1056R: Presto - Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Allegro - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Adagio - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt
Con in g, BWV 1060R: Allegro - Jurg Schaeftlein/Alice Harnoncourt

Amazon.com

The Bach renaissance--which began in earnest in the early 19th century thanks to the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn and others--inspired an endeavor of far-reaching significance. It led to the founding of the Bach Society in 1850, with the goal of gathering and publishing the composer's complete works, and thus set into motion one of the great projects of musical scholarship. That effort has continued and been refined throughout the 20th century, ultimately influencing not only our perception of how to perform early music but fundamental ideas of musical history, evolution, and reception as well.

Teldec's mammoth Bach 2000 box set represents a kind of culmination of that original attempt to come to terms with Johann Sebastian Bach's unparalleled legacy. This set brings together performances recorded over the last several decades--a small percentage of the recordings are previously unreleased--of all the extant works determined by modern scholarship to be authentic. There are also some pieces the authorship of which is still in question and a few now deemed "inauthentic" but familiarly associated with the composer. Bach was a prodigious reviser of his compositions, and alternate versions of a particular work have been included "where the changes seemed sufficiently important," such as the glorious Magnificat. No doubt manuscripts will continue to be unearthed here and there in various archives (Bach 2000 contains, for example, the "Neumeister chorales," which were rediscovered in 1984), but the set does not represent the many fragments of music that consist of just a few bars; however, there are some reconstructions of lost concertos (such as one for three violins reconstructed by Christopher Hogwood from an extant concerto for harpsichords).

Of course a truly comprehensive recorded edition of every note Bach wrote remains a utopian impossibility--about one-third of his cantatas, for example, have not survived. Even so, the dimensions of Bach 2000 are staggering. With its 12 boxes comprising 153 CDs, the set can be compressed into fewer boxes to save shelf space yet is still about ten times as long as the Ring cycle. (It should be noted that the packaging--using thin cardboard sleeves for the CDs--is distinctively unattractive.) That adds up to just under 160 hours of music--but a lifetime of discovery. Each box (grouped according to genre) contains a booklet with excellent notes on individual works and--for all the choral works--texts and translations. Tracking indexes are useful and thorough. Also included is a profusely illustrated hardbound volume of 24 Inventions, in which journalist Wolfgang Sandberger uses the composer's biography as a peg for some enigmatic and fascinating musings on the meaning of Bach today.

The presiding philosophy behind this project and its approach to musical interpretation can be largely ascribed to Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a true musical pioneer and galvanizing force of the "period performance" movement. Harnoncourt's epoch-making recordings of the sacred cantatas (using, for instance, boy sopranos and choristers according to the practice in Bach's time) with the Concentus musicus Wien and colleague Gustav Leonhardt comprise the first four volumes here (those who already own them can turn to the Bach 2000 Light edition, which contains everything sans the cantatas). These recordings--which were not remastered for this set--have long been controversial and are notably uneven, embracing some magnificent accounts as well as others that lack fire and seem clearly underrehearsed. But Harnoncourt is one of the most fascinating conductors of our era, and his interpretations amply bear out his assertion: "I have never felt that Bach worked in a routine manner, that he repeated himself in his works." Harnoncourt--who has articulated many of his ideas in his book The Musical Dialogue--displays his gifts as a cellist in a remarkably probing performance of the Cello Suites (originally recorded in 1965) and in his concertizing for a number of chamber works. For the St. Matthew Passion, you get Harnoncourt's groundbreaking earlier account from 1970, while his 1986 recording of the sublime B Minor Mass is also represented here (the St. John Passion included is Harnoncourt's 1995 acount).

Other artists included are colleague Gustav Leonhardt, whose thoughtful if occasionally dry harpsichord artistry is heard in the Goldberg Variations as well as in the concertos and chamber music. The harpsichord is in fact used throughout in preference to piano for the keyboard works. Ton Koopman (himself the conductor of an ongoing complete cantata series and of the Easter Oratorio included here) performs the organ works, including some newly recorded offerings, while Il Giardino Armonico's well-known high-energy account represents the Brandenburg Concertos. Violinist Thomas Zehetmair is exceptionally compelling in the unaccompanied sonatas and partitas, and the Concentus musicus Wien--again under Harnoncourt--perform a superb Musical Offering that richly repays frequent listening.

The result of Bach 2000 as a whole is an aptly encyclopedic grappling with the infinite legacy of this most compendious of composers, whose works are on one level a summation of all the styles available to him. Bach was once thought to represent a "terminal point" (to use Albert Schweitzer's famous formulation), the end of an era; today he is at least equally recognized as a fertile source of inspiration for composers since. To be sure, individual recordings of particular works will be found to be preferable, and it would be misguided to consider Bach 2000 any kind of "final" or "definitive" word. Instead, it's an indispensable starting point that represents a monumental achievement for our own contemporary understanding of Bach. --Thomas May

Album Description

Volume 1, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 1-14, 16-47; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 2, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 48-52, 54-69, 69A, 70-99; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 3, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas Nos. 100-117, 119-140,143-149; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 4, 15 Discs
Sacred Cantatas BWV 150-159, 161-188, 192, 194-199; 15 CDs; Harnoncourt/Leonhardt

Volume 5, 11 Discs
Secular Cantatas App. Sacred Cantatas; 11 CDs; Koopman, Harnoncourt, Koopman, Goebel and others

Volume 6, 14 Discs
The Sacred Vocal Works Masses,Magnificat, Passions, Oratorios; 14 CDs; Harnoncourt, Koopman, Corboz and others

Volume 7
, 7 Discs
The Motets, Chorales & Songs Kirnberger Chorales,Schemelli Songs, Quodlibet

Volume 8, 16 Discs
The Organ Works; 16 CDs; Ton Koopman

Volume 9, 11 Discs
The Keyboard Works (I) The Well-Tempered Clavier, English & French Suites, Partitas etc; 11 CDs; Curtis, Ross, Wilson, Ruzickova

Volume 10, 11 Discs
The Keyboard Works (II) Goldberg Variations, Toccatas, Fugues, Italian Concerto, etc; 11 CDs; Staier, Barchi, Leonhardt, von Asperen, Baumont, and others

Volume 11, 13 Discs
The Chamber Music Violin Sonatas & Partitas, Flute Sonatas, Works for Lute, Art of Fugue, Musical Offering, etc; 13 CDs; Harnoncourt, Pianca, Tachezi, Brggen, Zehetmair, and others

Volume 12, 10 Discs
The Orchestral Works The Concertos & Orchestral Suite; 10 CDs; Il Giardino Armonico, Harnoncourt, Leonhardt

Customer Reviews:

Bach is priceless.......2006-11-10

I believe, as another reviewer has stated, Bach's music may be the best ever written. Also, I think the cantatas are not where Bach placed his heart and soul. He was, after all, employed as a canter and in a position he did not wish for, but was forced to take to feed his large family. (I recommend "Bach and the High Baroque" lecture series by TTC.) What really stands out on this collection are all works in volumes 8 and above. Some of these works are hard to find and having them all in this collection and preformed on original instruments is great. Bach is priceless and so then is this collection.

Buy the works you like...........2006-01-11

If you love Bach, which you must if you are looking at this particular item, you probably own a couple of his works already. Perhaps some of them are on the Teldec label. There is nothing wrong with Teldec if you are just getting into "classical" music. You will probably enjoy the music thoroughly. I know I did, as one of the first "classical" releases I bought was on Teldec, and it was Bach. I was amazed how great Bach was. Then my brother showed me the same recording, performed by another group, on another label. It had a lot more passion, and the instrumentalists were obviously of a higher level. Pardon my rambling, but what I'm trying to say is, the recordings found in this boxset are not the "cream of the crop." They are perfectly acceptable, easily listenable renditions of what many consider the greatest music...EVER. Take it from me, someone who has leapt into boxset land one too many times: Save your money, buy the individual albums. Take your time, talk to record store clerks (read Amazon reviews), do your research. If you are lucky enough to have a decent record store around, listen to multiple versions of the same work. No one said you had to buy it all at once. It can take a lifetime to fully realize the potency of this music, so enjoy the discovery as long as possible.

Poor Bach.......2005-11-26

In Antony & Cleopatra, Shakespeare wrote: "I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness...."

I am 99% in favor of original instrument performances, but there are limits. Just imagine if we had the same sort of thing going on with Shakespeare's plays -- men and boys playing all of the women's parts. And if we *really* wanted to be original, they would be squeaking boys "I' th' posture of a whore" (Shakespeare's words). Such performances would knock Monty Python
right out of business.

The Cantatas, which are the lion's share of this collection, are sung by boys, boys, boys. If you want to ruin boy choirs for yourself, then go for it. It might still be a novelty by the fifth CD but by the fiftieth, you will want to throw your &*%$ wig at the squeaking speakers, just as the exasperated Bach famously did with his own wig and his own boy choir. (For which he was reprimanded.)

Does Harnoncourt really, honestly think that Bach would have picked a boy choir if he could have had women? Does anyone seriously believe that Shakespeare would have preferred his parts played by boys instead of women?

If you buy this set, don't buy it for the Cantatas, unless (unlike Bach) you can tolerate immature voices with "wig-tossingly" inconsistent intonation. Hold out for Suzuki or Koopman. Stay away from the Rifkin perfomances, mostly because the recording quality is second and third rate by today's standards. Not that historical performances should be shunned, but you might want to think twice about 60 odd CDs worth of second rate sound.

A Treasure Trove.......2004-03-07

This set is the culmination of several decades of work on the part of the West German record label Teldec (formerly known as Telefunken-Decca). With their early-music subdivision Das Alte Werk (similar to DG's Archiv or Decca's L'Oiseau-Lyre), Teldec have been in the forefront of exploring the world of period instruments and authentic performance practice, with special emphasis on the works of J.S.Bach. The lion's share of recordings here was originally made for Das Alte Werk, with the odd exception here and there licensed from other labels in order to fill in the gaps. The centerpiece of the set is the famous recording of the 199 church cantatas by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt. If you're not familiar with the cantatas, there's a whole world of drama, color and expression right here waiting for you. You'll also be surprised to learn how many of the "tunes" you know from popular arrangements, like "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Sleepers Awake" are actually movements from cantatas. The names of Harnoncourt and Leonhardt pop up again and again; they were both mainstays of the Teldec roster. Leonhardt gives us his 1965 Goldberg Variations on a Dulcken harpsichord whose every tone is like a bell, and Harnoncourt's "home" recording of the Cello Suites (never intended for general release) shows the ferment of a great musical mind. Ton Koopman gives us his provocative and controversial re-thinkings of the organ works, and Thomas Zehetmair's performances of the unaccompanied violin sonatas and partitas are like dramatic scenes spoken by a solo violin. Here are the uniquely bizarre Brandenburg Concertos by Il Giardino Armonico; the rhetorical and transparent performance of the motets conducted by Harnoncourt (perhaps his best-ever recording); Leonhardt's relaxed and smiling versions of the harpsichord concertos; Alice Harnoncourt's tawny, leonine performances of the sonatas for violin and harpsichord; Harnoncourt's chiaroscuro-filled performance of the Christmas Oratorio, and so on. This set is one of the most worthwhile CD buys you could make. You will never be bored with this to dip into over the years.

147 out of 153 ain't bad!.......2001-04-29

Having listened to the complete set, I can confidently recommend it, if you would use a complete set of Bach's works.

If you really like Bach, it is well worth getting. You will read disparaging reviews which will tell you that there are better performances of individual works. But this is a great opportunity for a Bach lover to get very good versions of his entire oeuvre.

In the set of 60 CDs of sacred cantatas, there are about 6 duds, which feature out of tune boy sopranos! If you are not crazy about sacred cantatas, you can buy a set which omits them, which may be advised!

I love the version of the Mass in B minor, though it is very different from our set by Munchinger [which we really enjoy].

The Brandenburgs are great. THe first movement of the first concerto is a knock out! Very brassy and bombastic: quite different from the 3 or 4 other versions I have previously enjoyed.

We are a piano family and have many CDs of Bach keyboard works played on piano [though we also have the Well Tempered Clavier on harpsichord and clavichord] The keyboard performances in the set are all on harpsichord and are lively and very enjoyable.

It takes some getting used to the authentic Baroque flute performances: especially occasional out-of-tuneness. But these are also interesting and musically played.