# Bach cantatas sets.....your favorites...........



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Starting a thread for the discussion of the Bach cantata sets now available.
Your opinions, favorites, quality of performance and sound and style.
I hope this thread will be very interesting and informative. :tiphat:

I'll list the most common sets:









Approx. $100..00 USD









Approx. $200.00 USD


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Currently OOP









Newly released
Approx. $250.00 USD


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Approx. $100.00 USD









Approx. $100.00 USD


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

This is the recent re release of the Koopman set.
$250.00 on sale at Presto Classical

That's a start anyway. So what are your thoughts? 
:tiphat:


----------



## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

Itullian said:


> Currently OOP


I don't have a complete box. I will hold my horses, be patient waiting for Bis to re-releases the M. Suzuki box. I haven't heard anything that indicates that Bis has such plans, but I have high hopes! (Bis did release a box with the secular Bach cantatas though).


----------



## Schoenberg (Oct 15, 2018)

Does anyone know of any cantata sets that are completely in 440 hz?


----------



## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Are any OVPP throughout?


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I have Rilling and a lot of them with Karl Richter. 

Sold the Gardiner set, plus a box with a lot by Leusink/Briilliant, which I didn't like, mainly because of the counter-tenor Buwalda.


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

joen_cph said:


> . . . Leusink/Briilliant, which I didn't like, mainly because of the counter-tenor Buwalda.


Someone said Buwalda sounds like he just came from the dentist with a mouth full of novocaine. I was glad when they replaced him later in the series.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

jegreenwood said:


> Are any OVPP throughout?


The Complete Liturgical Year box is OVPP. But it's not a complete cantata set. It's 19 CDs.


----------



## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

starthrower said:


> The Complete Liturgical Year box is OVPP. But it's not a complete cantata set. It's 19 CDs.


That's what I have. I like the intimacy, even if the voices (to my less than expert ears) are not always great.

I have a number of recordings by other groups, including Gardiner's DG box.

I do favor larger ensembles for the "big" works.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I enjoy it. I have nine CDs by Koopman and I like those too.


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

I ordered a cd of Rilling's cantatas to compare with the Koopman I have.
The digital Koopman sound is superior to the flat Analog Rilling.
I find the modern instruments of the Rilling very nice, but so are the period instruments of the Koopman.
The performances are livelier than the Rilling.
The soloist singers of the Rilling are superior to the Koopman, but the Koopman are good too.
Neither set uses countertenors which I am very happy about.
I found the voices on the Rilling were a bit too up front for my taste. I liked the balance of the Koopman set much better.
The chorus on the Rilling is larger than the Koopman. They are both good.

Overall I prefer the DDD sound and livelier tempi of the Koopman.
The Rilling is very good performance wise, but when I switched discs to the Koopman, the sound and lively tempi won me over.
Of course the Rilling is far less expensive.
mho
Both sets have good notes included.


----------



## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

I have the complete Suzuki set and it's top notch. I don't regret the splurge.

FYI: The wife and I are technically separated at the moment. :tiphat:


----------



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

^^^^^^I like the Suzuki set too. But I don't care for countertenors.


----------



## premont (May 7, 2015)

Itullian said:


> I ordered a cd of Rilling's cantatas to compare with the Koopman I have.
> The digital Koopman sound is superior to the flat Analog Rilling.
> I find the modern instruments of the Rilling very nice, but so are the period instruments of the Koopman.
> The performances are livelier than the Rilling.
> ...


I own the complete Rilling set, and your remarks hold true for the most of the set.

The choir is IMO a tad too large, but compensates for this by very disciplined singing. And the instrumental parts are played most convincingly. I also appreciate the absence of countertenors - a voice quality, which IMO is completely alien to Bach's music. What annoys me the most about this set is that some of the vocal soloists sing with rather much vibrato, making me associate to romantic opera singing.


----------



## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Itullian said:


> ^^^^^^I like the Suzuki set too. But I don't care for countertenors.


New 10 Disc SACD hybrid set of Suzuki secular cantatas available Nov 1 at Presto UK sale.....


----------

