"Wonderful performances on modern instruments, June 10, 2006
Reviewer: R. Rockwell (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
The complete cantatas of Bach beyond the most famous ones belong in everyone's collection. I have begun to sample the Rilling cantatas beginning with the first BWV numbers and have been astonihed by how differently they all sound and how perfectly music captures the meaning of the words.
The booklets contain a good amount of information which help one to notice what Bach was doing with the music to enhance the words.
BWV 7 is a cantata about the arrival of John the Baptist and the baptism of Christ and it very powerfully devlops a feeling of joyousness throughout.
BWV 8 is a timid cowering in the fear of death conveyed through low strings and flute until joyousness breaks out with the arrival of Christ and the hope for salvation
BWV 9 in my opinion does not have the qualities the the other two have in my opinion.
Rilling does use moderm instruments but did try to give a baroque feel to his recordings.