Each one, of five parts (with the tenor or canto part doubled), these masterpieces round out the picture of Johann Kuhnau, Johann Sebastian Bach’s predecessor as St. Thomas cantor.

Johann Kuhnau’s extant vocal works will be fully complete in the Breitkopf & Härtel catalogue in coming years. These are cantatas as a rule, but at least works with instrumental accompaniment.

“Really interesting. Kuhnau shows a real feeling for the texts he is setting, with effective chromaticism in the doleful ‘Tristis est anima mea’.”
(Jeremy Jackman, Choir & Organ)