The complete set of twelve Bach Players’ CDs can be bought for a much reduced price of £50 (bought singly they will cost £65). Designed to form a series, and in distinctive card packets, they occupy less space and are noticeably lighter in weight than a row of conventionally plastic-boxed CDs.

The series was started with the wish to record a group that had not previously made recordings, and to make ‘programme CDs’. With this term we mean: collections of works that have been played in single concerts, with a coherence and sequence appropriate to listeners – rather than sets of pieces by one composer, as is so often still the case in classical music recordings. Each CD can be listened to, from start to finish, as a coherent and enjoyable sequence. (This is also one of the reasons to resist making the tracks available to streaming websites: the coherence of the programme is destroyed.) At the same time, there was never any thought of making live concert CDs – often now the cheap and easy way out for classical music producers. Rather, the art of recording was taken seriously, with good rehearsal time, proper payment to musicians, and attention given to achieving unforced, generous acoustic qualities.

As the Bach Players’ concerts proceded over the last few years, one CD followed the other, as a natural extension to a concert. When we reached 12, that seemed a good number on which to close. Two of the 12 are double CDs, which means that there are 14 CDs in all. The composer whose name the group borrowed should approve: this was his number (BACH = 2+1+3+8).

In retrospect, these CDs recordings seem to make a good conspectus of Baroque music. They are distinctive in their focus on the national cross-currents, and in showing how the greatest music always belongs in specific contexts.

001: Bach arranging and arranged

002: Every one a chaconne

003: Nun komm!

004: Italy versus France

005: Pachelbel and Bach

006: Bach’s library

007: An Italian in Paris

008: Bach and his rivals

009: Venice to Hamburg

010: Sleepers awake!

011: Musical offering

012: Bach and before

The music

Johann Bernhard Bach (1676–1749)
Ouverture no. 2 in G major, 006

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Cantata ‘Christ lag in Todesbanden’, BWV 4, 005:1
Cantata ‘Die Elenden sollen essen’, BWV 75, 012
Cantata ‘In allen meinen Taten’, BWV 97, 003
Cantata ‘Jesu, der du meine Seele’, BWV 78, 002
Cantata ‘Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe’, BWV 22, 008:1
Cantata ‘Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen’, BWV 81, 008:2
Cantata ‘Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich’, BWV 150, 002
Cantata ‘Nun komm der heiden Heiland’, BWV 61, 003
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BWV 140, 010
Cantata ‘Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan’, BWV 99, 005:2
Cantata ‘Widerstehe doch der Sünde’, BWV 54, 005:1
Goldberg Variations, BWV 1087: Canons (arranged by Silas Wollston for The Bach Players), 005:2
‘Musikalisches Opfer’, BWV 1079 (with the Canons arranged by Silas Wollston for The Bach Players), 011
Ouverture no. 2 in B minor (BWV 1067), 006
Fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier II, arranged for string quartet by W.A. Mozart, K 405, c. 1782: No. 1 in C minor [BWV 871], No. 5 in D major [BWV 874], No. 2 in E flat major [BWV 876], No. 4 in D minor [BWV 877], No. 3 in E major [BWV 878], 001
Fugues from the Well-tempered Clavier II, arranged for string quartet: A minor [G minor, BWV 8201;885] + , G major [A flat major, BWV 8201;886] + , C minor [B flat minor, BWV 891] ^ , C major [B major, BWV 892] + (+ arranged by Rodolfo Richter for The Bach Players, ^ arranged by W.A. Mozart, completed by Abbé M. Stadler), 001
see also: Pergolesi

Angelo Michele Bartolotti (fl. 1640–80)
Chaconne in C major, 007

Philipp Friedrich Böddecker (1607–83)
Sonata sopra ‘La Monica’ in G minor for dulcian, violin, and basso continuo, 009

Dieterich Buxtehude (c.1637 – 1707)
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BuxWV 100, 010
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BuxWV 101, 010
Ciaccona aria ‘Quemadmodum desiderat cervus’ for tenor, two violins, and basso continuo, BuxWV 92, 010
Trio sonata in C major for two violins, viola da gamba, and basso continuo, BuxWV 266, 010
Cantata ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, BuxWV 100, 010
Sonata no. 6 in D minor for violin, viola da gamba, and basso continuo, BuxWV 257, 011

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704)
Sonata in C major for eight instruments, 007

Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676–1749)
Chaconne in D major, 007

Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713)
Trio sonata, op. 2, no. 12, 004

François Couperin (1668–1733)
Apothéose de Corelli: Grande sonade en trio, 004
La Pucelle, 007

Jean Henry d’Anglebert (1629–91)
Tombeau de M. de Chambonniîres, 004

Robert de Visée (c.1655 – c.1733)
Prélude and musette, 004

Charles Dieupart (c.1667–c.1740)
Suite no. 6 in F minor, 006

François Duval (1672–1728)
Suite in G major, 007

Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (1657–1714)
Ouverture V, 002
Ouverture VI, 003

Johann Jakob Froberger (1616–67)
Toccata no. 2 in D minor for harpsichord, 009

Christoph Graupner (1683–1760 )
Cantata ‘Aus der Tiefen rufen wir’, GWV 1113/23a, 008:1
Cantata ‘Gott führt die seinen wunderbar’, GWV 1115/24, 008:2
Ouverture in C minor, GWV 413, 008:2

Christian Hollander (c. 1510 – 1589)
‘Innsbruck ich muß dich lassen’ (setting), 003

Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450 – 1517)
‘Innsbruck ich muß dich lassen’, 003

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729)
Sonata no. 4 in C minor, 007

Johann Kuhnau (1660–1720)
Cantata ‘Was Gott tut das ist wohlgetan’, 012

Paul Luetkeman (c. 1560 – c. 1611)
‘Innsbruck ich muß dich lassen’ (setting), 003

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632–87)
Ouverture and chaconne from Le bourgeois gentilhomme, 004

Jean-Baptiste Lully (attr.)
Chaconne in C major, 007

Marin Marais (1656–1728)
Prélude in E minor, 007
Symphonies de l’opéra d’ Alcide mises sur le clavecin par un très habile homme, 006

Biagio Marini (1594–1663)
‘La Rizza’, canzone à 4 in D minor, 009

Georg Muffat (1653–1704)
Armonico tributo: Sonata II in G minor, 004
‘Blanditiae’ from Florilegium secundum in E minor, 004

Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706)
Canon in D major, 005:1
Cantata ‘Christ lag in Todesbanden’, 005:1
Cantata ‘Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan’, 005:2
Partie à 5 in G major, 005:2
Sacred concerto ‘Christ ist erstanden’, 005:2
Sacred concerto ‘Mein Fleisch’, 005:1

Bernardo Pasquini (1637–1710)
Toccata in A minor, 004

G.B. Pergolesi (1710–36)

Stabat Mater in F minor, arranged by J.S. Bach on the text of Psalm 51: ‘Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden’, BWV 1083, 001

Henry Purcell (1659–95)
Chacony, 002

Jean-Féry Rebel (1666–1747)
Tombeau de M. de Lully, 004
Violin sonata in E minor no. 4, 007

Johann Hermann Schein (1586–1630)
‘Banchetto musicale’, no. 20 in E minor, 012
Geistliches Konzert ‘Nun komm der Heiden Heiland’, 012

Johann Schelle (1648–1701)
Canon on ‘Nun komm der Heiden Heiland’, 012
Cantata ‘Aus der Tiefen’, 012

Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c. 1620–80)
‘La Cariolatta’, sonata à 4 in G major, 009
Sonata no. 3 in G minor for violin and basso continuo, 009

Agostino Steffani (1654–1728)
Ouverture ‘La Tempête’, 006

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767)
Ouverture in F sharp minor, TWV 55: fis 1, 008:1
Cantata ‘Wer sich rachet’, TWV 1: 1600, 008:1
Cantata ‘Laß vom Bösen und tue Gutes’, TWV 1:1038, 008:2

Giovanni Valentini (1582–1649)
Canzon in D minor for cornetto, sackbut, and basso continuo, 009
Sonata à 4 in G minor, 009

Matthias Weckmann (c. 1620–74)
Sonata no. 3 à 4 in C major, 009
Sonata no. 9 à 4 in D minor, 009
Toccata in E minor for harpsichord, 009

The musicians

Piroska Baranyay (cello), 005

Sophie Barber (violin), 001, 003

Rachel Beckett (flute / recorder), 007, 008

Karin Bjork (viola), 005

Samuel Boden (tenor), 005, 010

Valerie Botwright (double bass), 005

Elizabeth Bradley (double bass), 001, 002, 003

Matthew Brook (bass), 002, 005, 008

Sally Bruce-Payne (alto), 001, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012

Luise Buchberger (cello), 012

William Carter (guitar), 003

Anna Curzon (violin), 012

Huw Daniel (violin), 001

Robert Davies (bass), 012

Richard Earle (taille), 010

James Eastaway (oboe), 002, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012

Rachel Elliott (soprano), 001, 002, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012

Kinga Gáborjáni (cello / basse de violon / viola da gamba), 004, 007, 008

James Gilchrist (tenor), 005

Gawain Glenton (cornetto / cornettino), 009

Jonathan Gunthorpe (bass), 003, 010

Peter Harvey (bass), 003

Thomas Hobbs* (tenor), 012

Reiko Ichise (viola da gamba), 007, 010, 011

Rachel Isserlis (violin / viola / violetta), 003, 004, 005, 006

Foskien Kooistra (viola), 004

Catherine Latham (oboe / recorder), 002, 003, 008

Krzysztof Lewandowski (dulcian), 009

Jakob Lindberg (theorbo), 004

Alison McGillivray (cello), 001, 002, 003, 005

Jonathan Manson (cello / viola da gamba), 006

Alastair Mitchell (bassoon), 002, 003, 005, 008, 010, 012

Nicolette Moonen (violin / piccolo violin & director), 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012

Marion Moonen (flute), 002, 005, 006, 007, 011

Nicholas Mulroy (tenor), 002, 003

Stephen Pedder (violin), 005, 008

Mark Radcliffe (oboe), 010, 012

Olaf Reimers (cello), 008, 010

Rodolfo Richter (violin), 001, 002

Lynda Sayce (theorbo), 006, 007, 009

Anne Schumann (viola), 001, 002, 008, 010

Anneke Scott (horn), 010

Pawel Siwczak (organ / harpsichord), 001, 008, 010

Rachel Stott (viola), 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 008, 012

Philip Turbett (bassoon), 003

Simon Wall (tenor), 008

Oliver Webber (violin), 007, 010

Catherine Weiss (violin), 010

Emily White (sackbut), 009

Clare Wilkinson (alto), 002

Oliver Wilson (viola), 012

Silas Wollston (organ / harpsichord), 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 009, 011, 012

Adrian Woodward (trumpet), 012

Reviews

The Bach Players are distinctive for their stylish playing, their imaginative programme ideas and for the eyecatching designs of their packaging.
Nicholas Anderson, Early Music Today, June–August 2016

The Bach Players, possessors of a nourishing discography not sufficiently known in this part of the world
Mariano Acero Ruilópez, Scherzo [Madrid], April 2018

These and other principles are applied with great sensitivity for the specifically Protestant spirituality, which is impregnated with humility and conviction. With the single exception of Andrew Parrott’s Taverner Consort, there is no British ensemble that has succeeded so well as The Bach Players in transmitting all this in recordings.
Matthias Hengelbrock, Bach Magazin [Leipzig], spring/summer 2018