Bereitet Die Wege

Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt were at the forefront of the early music movement that swept classical music in the '70s and '80s, performing pieces from the canon with period instruments in order to re-create the original intent of the composer as closely as possible. And their most enduring legacy is right here, the complete survey of Bach's sacred cantatas that they began in 1971 and completed in 1988.

Started in 2001 Sigiswald Kuijken cycle on Accent has made a very promising start. As one might expect these performances have a subtle sense of rhythmic hierarchy, with animated dance metres and well shaped continuo lines. The performances are highly convincing: the vocal soloists bring great energy to their lines, adding effective ornamentation in the choruses and projecting a distinctive character for each aria. These performances illuminate Bach’s cantatas with persuasive musicianship and also a critical appraisal of current performing styles. As a result, they are some of the finest examples of what historically informed performers can achieve.

Yoshikazu Mera - Baroque Arias
Yoshikazu Mera (countertenor) / Bach Collegium Japan / Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)
EAC+LOG+CUE | APE: 290 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: BIS # BIS-CD-919 | Country/Year: Sweden 1998
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque, Vocal

]Yoshikazu Mera born May 21, 1971, in Miyazaki, Japan, is a Japanese countertenor. His range is three and a half octaves. Originally wanting to become a pop singer, Mera now primarily sings classical music from the West but also classical Japanese music. He appears frequently as a soloist with the Bach Collegium Japan, which under its conductor Masaaki Suzuki performs Baroque music. His 1998 recital disc "Nightingale" on Sweden's BIS Records was a major success in Japan.

Yoshikazu Mera - Baroque Arias
Yoshikazu Mera (countertenor) / Bach Collegium Japan / Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)
EAC+LOG+CUE | APE: 290 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: BIS # BIS-CD-919 | Country/Year: Sweden 1998
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque, Vocal

]Yoshikazu Mera born May 21, 1971, in Miyazaki, Japan, is a Japanese countertenor. His range is three and a half octaves. Originally wanting to become a pop singer, Mera now primarily sings classical music from the West but also classical Japanese music. He appears frequently as a soloist with the Bach Collegium Japan, which under its conductor Masaaki Suzuki performs Baroque music. His 1998 recital disc "Nightingale" on Sweden's BIS Records was a major success in Japan.

An array of musical stars converges in Leipzig to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach taking up his appointment as Kantor at the city’s iconic Thomaskirche – a post that he occupied for more than a quarter of a century, covering a period in which he created many of his greatest works. On a special open-air stage in the market square of Leipzig the Thomaner Choir and the Gewandhaus Orchestra under their current Thomaskantor Andreas Reize were joined by Lang Lang, Daniel Hope, Albrecht Mayer, Sophie Kauer, Francesca Aspromonte and Cameron Shahbazi.