Bach's 1.choice: Joh. Ludwig

Leipzig 1726

Johann Sebastian Bach has been Thomaskantor in Leipzig for three years. With an enormous workload and creative spirit Bach has composed two almost complete cantata cycles and the St. John’s passion during his first two years in Leipzig. From 1725 on Johann Sebastian Bach falls back more and more on earlier pieces or works by other composers which he partly arranges.

18 cantatas by Johann Ludwig Bachs · Johann Sebastian’s «first choice»

18 cantatas by his relative Johann Ludwig Bach stand out in this context. Johann Sebastian Bach performs them in Leipzig between the 2nd February und the 15th September 1726. They are his first choice, when he no longer only performs own compositions in the two main churches in Leipzig. Johann Ludwig Bach (1677-1731) - only 8 years older than Johann Sebastian - is Hofkapellmeister in Meiningen at that time.It is due to the fact that Johann Sebastian himself copied the cantatas, that they are passed down, proving also that Johann Sebastian Bach must have thought very highly of Johann Ludwig. No wonder - the cantatas by Johann Ludwig Bach are enchantingly beautiful in style and contentually intense, very close to the text, which undoubtedly had an impact on Johann Sebastian Bach.

«The choruses are outstanding» Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

The baroque ensemble capella sollertia and its founder Johanna Soller is on to do a complete recording of these 18 cantatas, most of them as world premiere recordings. Until 2026 - when the Leipzig performances by Johann Sebastian Bach will have their 300 year anniversary - the complete recording shall be finished.

This is what we need backing for.

The complete recording will consist of 6 CDs that we will produce in 6 recording weeks.

Part of the result are:

• about 30 musicians and singers, who should be paid fairly
• an excellent sound engineer, who brings with him the whole equipment
• a church with a nice acoustics, that needs to be rented
• an organ (and a harpsichord) that need to be rented and tuned
• the editing work of creating a modern score out of Bachs handwriting
• all production and advertising costs