Please recommend me a book on Bach’s church cantatas.

[Mandryka]

I’ve decided the time has come to finally get to know this music - I guess it’s either now or never. I mean, this is going to take quite a few years!

I know myself well enough to know that what I need for this sort of epic project is an inspiring book or two, something which is characterful, which will give me texts and background info, and will enthuse too. Something opinionated.

Some people have recommended Alfred Dürr, Mark Ringer and Erik Chaffe. Have you found these books useful?

Suggestions appreciated - as long as it’s in English or French!

[Pulcinella]

I’ve decided the time has come to finally get to know this music - I guess it’s either now or never. I mean, this is going to take quite a few years!

I know myself well enough to know that what I need for this sort of epic project is an inspiring book or two, something which is characterful, which will give me texts and background info, and will enthuse too. Something opinionated.

Some people have recommended Alfred Dürr, Mark Ringer and Erik Chaffe. Have you found these books useful?

Suggestions appreciated - as long as it’s in English or French!

I guess you know about this site?

https://www.bach-cantatas.com/

Probably some good material/pointers there.

[Mandryka]

I guess you know about this site?

https://www.bach-cantatas.com/

Probably some good material/pointers there.

Yes but I need something I can take to bed, hold in my hand, fold over the pages, read on the tube . . . . I know what works for me and what doesn't for this sort of huge task -- and online reading doesn't.

One key question I have at the moment is whether to by Dürr's book. Not cheap!

[ChrisBennell]

I would recommend John Eliot Gardiner's "Music in the castle of heaven" - this is very comprehensive, and covers more than just the cantatas - but they're all in there, and indexd at the back. He has recorded all of them, and is a foremost authority on the subject.

For a listening resource, I would thoroughly recommend the Netherland Bach Society, who have been engaged on a project to record all the works of Bach. There are scores of cantatas in there, with superb sound and video quality. There are also useful explanatory notes on each work.
See:

https://www.bachvereniging.nl/en/allofbach

But you can also find them through YouTube.

[MickyD]

This little BBC pocket guide was a good introduction for me - there are still some copies to be had here for a very low price. It may be just the thing to read in bed or on the tube, as it's very compact and light!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Cantatas-Sir-Jack-Westrup/dp/0563067845/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2MLG2TM78FSL4&keywords=Bach+cantatas&qid=1647015765&s=books&sprefix=bach+cantatas%2Cstripbooks%2C76&sr=1-3

But maybe you want something more substantial. Which makes me wonder if the notes that came with the original Harnoncoutr/Leonhardt cycle ever came out in book form?

[RichardB]

I would recommend John Eliot Gardiner's "Music in the castle of heaven"

Yes, that is quite an enjoyable read to be sure; JEG has more interesting things to say about the expressive dimension of the cantatas than anyone else I've read. I think it's usefully supplemented by Andrew Parrott's The Essential Bach Choir; JEG doesn't go far into the question of OVPP in this repertoire, but Parrott sets the matter out quite convincingly.

[Mandryka]

Thanks for all these suggestions.

I think that one thing is essential to explore these cantatas - the words. With the passions, well it’s like an opera, you get to know the story and you can pretty well make sense of what’s happening at all times. That makes the music even better.

But with the cantatas it’s not like that! So unless it happens to be a cantata which is full of amazing tunes or fabulous counterpoint, without the words, it can feel a bit empty.

[Mandryka]

This is well worth having on the shelves -- it's enormous and authoritative, possibly the biggest book I own, there are 1700 pages (the amazon link is wrong.) I'm keeping the packaging in case I have to return it because it falls apart. I think it's maybe better than Duerr, Cantagrel seems to dig deeper.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/2213644349/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1