and here are my thoughts. When I get through that one I’ll update this post.

J.S. Bach - Organ Works, Vol. 1 (Simon Preston, various organs)
Deurache Grammophon 439 201-2 ( (1988): Okay, ai haven’t heard disc three, sets of variations, yet. But I doubt they could dent this varied reference work, and the first two siscs – six concerti for solo organ and a program of preludes and fugues amongst other polyphonic works could stand on their own (and may have).

J.S. Bqch - Partitas for solo harpsixhord, BWV 825-830 (Trevor Pinnock)
Hänssler 428318 (1998): These have become my go-to napping-on-the-couch album. I’m digging my new speakers (Klipsxh RP-50 II bookshelves). The partitas work best among the sets of dances to listen to stones or at the edges of consciousness in rest, and are varied. Trevor Pinnock is practically the guy who brought digitally-recorded HIP to the masses in the early ’80s, so yeah, he’s kind of a big deal. Is he still alive? He looks to be in his 30s in 1982 pictures. Anyway, I like to follow along until I’m too drowsy to follow along anymore, then my mind drifts, and, in a short time, Morpheus (and Eurydice).

J.S. Bach - Cantatas BWV 82, 55 interspersed with various arias (Ian Bostridge; Europa Galante/Fabio Biondi)
Virgin Veritas 5 45420 2 (2000): Okay, I’m about to lose all shreds of credibility, but I can’t tell if Ian Bostridge is a baritone or a dark tenor. I know it’s where in the cheat you sing from that makes the distinction, but I want to think he’s a tenor. I officially don’t know vocal music Aside from being yet another recording of Ich habe genug – there’s another in this very HAUL and I have several on my hard drive, and I’m not a particular obsessive collector – Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht is a worthy addition to my growing library of cantatas.

J.S. Bach - Cantatas, BWV 105, 179, 186 (solousts, Bach Collegium Japan/Masaaki Suzuki)
BIS BIS-CD-951 (1999): Unless I’m wrong there is no popular “anchor work” on this disc – volume 10 in presumably a projected complete set – or at least there’s nothing on the scale of BWV 80, 82, or 140. I bought this used from a dump at the record store. I bought all the cantatas from this particular lot, and this is the only Suzuki. I wonder why the guy whose collection it once graced wanted it in particular.

J.S. Bach - Cantatas BWV 80, 26, 116 (Edith Mathis, Trudeleise Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; orchestra/Karl Richter)
Archiv Produktion Galleria 427 130-2 (1979): Popular cantatas from Richter’s Archiv/DG cycle – there’s another coming next,, and I have a further 8-10 on vinyl (some sophisticated old people are dying in thrift-shop land) – fearuring Edith Mathis and Peter Schreier (sorry Schmidt, you’re the viola of this group) and especially the legendary Dietrich Fischer+Dieskau on bass, who will feature in a solo album next. It’s a pre-HIP recording, which personally I love. It’s more subjective and is, frankly, more interesting.

J.S. Bach - Cantatas 56, 4, 82 (Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester/Karl Richter)
Archiv Produktion Galleria 427 128-2 (1969-70): A double-main event with 4 and 82, and thry pit 82 last on the album so you can switch it off if desired. I’m at the stage where I’m getting a bit tired of this cantata but not yet the stage of getting sick of it. My mom played a lot of choral music growing up ahd preferred the Robert Shaw Messiah. because it was like when ahe waa growing up, no eggheaded HIP priests here. For that reason I really appreciate the big-sound approach, as unfashionable as it is.

J.S. Bach - Magnificat, Cantata BWV 80 (soloists, Collegium Vocale)
Harmonia Mundi HMC 901326 (1990): I’ve always found the Magnificat rather abrupt and shouty – the transition to “Omnes generationes” encapsulates the work – but it’s nice to have a nice, modern, HIP, digital recording of BWV 80, which I have elsewhere on this list in 1979 analog. I still really enjoy that work so it’s a whole disc’s value. Incredibly, Bernstein’s Magnificat was sold as the only work on the disc.

J.S. Bach - Easter Oratorio, Ascension Oratorio (soloists, Gächinger Kantorei Stutrgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart/Helmuth Rilling)
Hänssler 428102 (1980): The Ascension Oratorio is a cantara by another name and is fine. It’s not the focus of the disc, just an obvious pairing. The Easter Oratorio is everything the Magnificat tries to be and fails: jubilant, drums-and-trumpets vibe with elaborate prelude. Early digital is also perpetually uncool and I also love it because of what my dad’s Bach and Handel sounded like griwing up. The recording practices of the time really benefitted from the higher resolution and clarity and lowered noise floor. Fun fact – digital recording dates to the late ’70s. They just didn’t have a way of playing it back until 1982 with the Sony CDP-101.

Beach, Clark - Cello Sonatas, works for cello & piano (Frame (vc), Snyder/Weirich)
Koch 3-7281-2H-1 (1992): Probably the only two pre-modern female American composers of any note. Bear with me, I ran out of Wellbutrin and couldn’t get more for a few days, so I’m hyperproductive and singularly goal-driven today because the meds are hitting my receptors with full force. I’ll do more later, so not to overwhelm or bore the reader. I’ve already written a lot.