The pitch for all pieces in this recording is based on Bach's original manuscripts, with woodwinds tuned to a'=415 and other instruments to a'=465.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach's cantatas, even in predominantly non-Christian Japan, vividly convey biblical messages through the universal language of music, much like stained glass in churches.
Composition History
The three cantatas on this CD are early works from Bach's Mühlhausen period (1707-08), where he began composing church cantatas as an organist.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in the Shoin Women's University Chapel, built in 1981 with exceptional acoustics and an organ by Marc Garnier.
Compositional Technique
Bach's early cantatas, including those on this album, show influences of traditional North German church music and organ music, rather than Italian opera.
Performer Biography
The Bach Collegium Japan (BCJ), founded in 1990 by Masaaki Suzuki, aims to introduce Japanese audiences to Baroque works on period instruments, focusing on J.S. Bach.
Recording & Production
This album is Volume 2 of the first complete recording of J.S. Bach's cantatas by a Japanese ensemble, Bach Collegium Japan.
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