DVD Bach Cantatas - Monteverdi CH

Cantatas 179, 199, 113, and a Historic Bach Pilgrimage.

The Sacred Cantatas of J.S. Bach have become to me, after the Genevan Psalms, and along with Handel’s Messiah and Coronation Anthems the most beautiful music in the world. For more than twenty years I have played recordings of several cantatas nearly every Sunday, usually after the morning worship service. And because I want to keep them special I only sparely will listen to them during the week. All the surviving cantatas have been recorded on 60 CDs. We have a very economical edition (very good) for sale again (I have enjoyed these recordings for nearly 20 years, and they cost us in the year 2000 about 450 dollars (including many other CDs of Bach). We sell this set of 157 CDs and 2 DVDs now for $259.95.

The text of the first cantata on this DVD is very impressive. Bach composed the cantatas as part of the Lutheran worship services and as such they often have somewhat the character of a sermon. And the sermon conveyed in Cantata 179 dealt with hypocrisy. For that message alone this DVD is worth owning.

This DVD includes a one hour "pilgrimage tour" reflecting a full year of travelling and performing all the known Bach Cantatas all over the Western world. That hour is very exiting, educational, and informative, including parts of rehearsals and interviews with Bach’s lively music in the background. That one hour is worth the DVD many times over.

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