Review: Suzuki's Epic Bach Vocal Works on BIS 

The triumph of globalism in classical music. Whoever thought a bunch of Christians in Kobe, Japan would record the complete J.S.Bach vocal music? A staggering achievement all round. Having attended his concerts, Suzuki is a visionary.

Suzuki studied in the Netherlands and belongs to the Dutch school of Bach interpretation, which has produced three-and-a-half of the six complete Cantata sets -- Leonardt(-Harnoncourt), Koopman, Leusink and Suzuki. The Gardiner is British, and the Rilling is German, so they also have ponies in the race.

Take it from someone who has been studying Bach's music and Bach performance on record since my youth: Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan are the best among what has become a crowded field of historically minded performers in this repertoire. I started collecting Suzuki's Cantata series when it first came out, and my respect and enjoyment of his enterprise has only deepened over the years. It looks as if a complete edition of Bach's works will ultimately be forthcoming from the BCJ, given that Suzuki and his entourage have been at work on the complete instrumental, ensemble and keyboard works. That edition will be worth waiting for.

Wise words. It is indeed an incredible achievement. Suzuki did it again with the Mozart C minor Mass. He's not just a Bach guy.

This wonderful achievement is perfect example that music should be international 👍

Thank you so much, Dave, for this encomium to Suzuki's Bach recordings. When I was growing up (born in '61) Rilling or Richter were the default performances for the Bach cantatas, but anymore Suzuki is my go-to when I was listen to the cantatas. Wesley

Excellent statement on the broader significance of this set and the biases it disproved.

Listen to Herrweghe’s vocal Bach as well, it’s even more involving. But Suzuki is great and I’m convinced this set, as a complete set, definitely is the best out there.

Agree with David 100%. I have all the complete cantata sets (yes, Bach is up there for me, esp. with my being an organist) and Suzuki is the best overall. His comment about nationalism and the notion that the music of one country can only be performed by the nationals of that country is absurd, especially now. True it should come as no surprise that say Germans should perform Bach but scholarship and the world as a melting pot has changed this view. And what speaks best about this set re this viewpoint is that we have Japanese Christian musicians performing and recording arguably the greatest composer alive (a German) in a Catholic monastery in Kobe, Japan - what a mix! I have had all the above recordings in box sets - the sacred cantatas in separate boxes, the secular cantatas in one box and all the other choral works separately as well. And then BIS releases this huge box at a much lower price - oh well! But still glad I have this set and the others for that matter to experience the different interpretations and what each group brings to these works. This alone proves that J.S. Bach is timeless and always has something new for performers and listeners alike to discover anew even if there may be disagreement here and there. But such is the nature of music making - an inexhaustible treasure trove for all to dive into and enjoy.

I have the Hänssler Bachakademie version of the major choral works led by Helmuth Rilling which comprises over half of the 172 CD Bach set. Be interesting to compare the two, which I’ll probably do before springing for the Suzuki. Thanks!

Is there any reason to buy the new box if you already have the original CDs? Are these remastered perhaps? Or released as high-res SACDs rather than vanilla audio CDs? Or should I, just this once, save my money?!

You did not say anything about the music itself!!!