Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This is one of those reviews that writes itself. Since 1998 Masaaki Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan have been working their way through all of Johann Sebastian Bach's choral music. Suzuki's approach has been to use period performances with a predominantly Japanese orchestra and choir but with a mix of Asian and European soloists. The result has been more than satisfactory with many of the releases gaining positive reviews and awards; the sound quality is particularly good. Here we have a nicely presented boxed set of 10 discs giving more than 10 hours of what is, quite frankly, some of the greatest music ever composed by a human being. In no particular order we have the St John Passion, the St Matthew Passion, the Mass in B Minor and three oratorios for Christmas, Easter and Ascension. Yes, it is possible to make a case for other recordings being as good as or even better than those on offer here and serious Bach aficionados will enjoy making the comparison. Those of us who appreciate choral music may have some of the pieces in this box but when I tell you that the 10 discs are being sold for the price of three you will not object to owning some duplicates. Be quick though, as it is a limited edition.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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