Johann Sebastian Bach: Mass in B minor, BWV 232 | Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki

“Compelling performances – the sheer polish and technical accomplishment of the music-making immediately hold the ear, and are reinforced by subtle phrasing and a quality of listening among all concerned that allows Bach’s counterpoint to progress with lightness and jaw-dropping clarity”, writes Classic FM Magazine about the interpretations of J. S. Bach’s music by Masaaki Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan, which he founded in Kobe in 1990 and is dedicated to the historical performance practice ob Bach’s music. Their recordings of all cantatas have gained reference character. At the 2023 Leipzig Bachfest, they performed Bach’s Opus summum: the Mass in B minor, which marked the festival’s festive closing in St. Thomas Church Leipzig. They were joined by an excellent ensemble of soloists who performed the arias as well as the choral parts together with the chorus of the Bach Collegium Japan.

Johann Sebastian Bach
Mass in B minor
BWV 232

Bach Collegium Japan
Masaaki Suzuki, conductor

Aki Matsui, Hana Blažíková (soprano)
Benno Schachtner (alto)
Makoto Sakurada (tenor)
Dominik Wörner (bass)

Closing Concert of the Leipzig Bach Festival 2023
Recorded live at St. Thomas Church Leipzig