You can buy all of Bach's cantatas, as some enterprising conductors have set to do just that, record them all! There was Harnoncourt, then Koopman, among others... I've really enjoyed the efforts lately of the Bach Pilgrimage (recorded in 2000) by John Eliot Gardiner, and the series by the Bach Collegium Japan. But, I've been buying here and there, and between different ensembles, what do I really own?
It was a quick project, which began by my listing of what I own, and who the conductor is. In turn, I'd buy up more, but try not to repeat too many of the cantatas in the new purchases. I'd started with a solid foundation in the Koopman cycle, but I was looking towards Suzuki and Gardiner for future purchases...
| BWV | Conductor |
| 1 | Suzuki |
| 2 | Suzuki |
| 3 | Suzuki |
| 4 | Biondi |
| 4 | Koopman |
| 5 | Koopman |
| 7 | Gardiner |
| 7 | Biondi |
| 7 | Koopman |
| 8 | Gardiner |
| 10 | Koopman |
| 12 | Koopman |
| 13 | Suzuki |
| 16 | Suzuki |
| 18 | Biondi |
| 18 | Koopman |
| 18 | Gardiner |
| 20 | Gardiner |
| 21 | Koopman |
| 22 | Suzuki |
| 23 | Suzuki |
| 27 | Gardiner |
| 28 | Suzuki |
| 30 | Gardiner |
| 31 | Koopman |
| 32 | Suzuki |
| 35 | Herreweghe |
| 36 | Gardiner |
| 36 | Goebel |
| 37 | Koopman |
| 38 | Suzuki |
| 41 | Koopman |
| 43 | Biondi |
| 43 | Suzuki |
| 47 | Gardiner |
| 48 | Koopman |
| 51 | Gardiner |
| 51 | Rifkin |
| 51 | Goebel |
| 54 | Herreweghe |
| 55 | Biondi |
| 57 | Suzuki |
| 59 | Suzuki |
| 61 | Gardiner |
| 61 | Koopman |
| 62 | Gardiner |
| 66 | Koopman |
| 66 | Koopman |
| 68 | Suzuki |
| 70 | Koopman |
| 71 | Koopman |
| 72 | Suzuki |
| 74 | Suzuki |
| 75 | Gardiner |
| 75 | Suzuki |
| 78 | Rifkin |
| 79 | Suzuki |
| 82 | Biondi |
| 84 | Huggett |
| 84 | Gardiner |
| 85 | Suzuki |
| 86 | Koopman |
| 87 | Suzuki |
| 88 | Suzuki |
| 91 | Suzuki |
| 92 | Gardiner |
| 94 | Koopman |
| 95 | Gardiner |
| 96 | Gardiner |
| 99 | Gardiner |
| 101 | Suzuki |
| 105 | Suzuki |
| 106 | Koopman |
| 110 | Suzuki |
| 113 | Koopman |
| 114 | Gardiner |
| 115 | Koopman |
| 116 | Gardiner |
| 121 | Suzuki |
| 126 | Suzuki |
| 127 | Koopman |
| 127 | Suzuki |
| 128 | Suzuki |
| 131 | Koopman |
| 132 | Koopman |
| 133 | Suzuki |
| 135 | Suzuki |
| 137 | Suzuki |
| 138 | Gardiner |
| 138 | Koopman |
| 139 | Biondi |
| 139 | Koopman |
| 140 | Rifkin |
| 144 | Gardiner |
| 146 | Suzuki |
| 148 | Gardiner |
| 150 | Koopman |
| 151 | Suzuki |
| 152 | Koopman |
| 153 | Koopman |
| 154 | Koopman |
| 161 | Gardiner |
| 164 | Suzuki |
| 166 | Koopman |
| 167 | Gardiner |
| 168 | Suzuki |
| 169 | Gardiner |
| 170 | Herreweghe |
| 170 | Goebel |
| 172 | Koopman |
| 173 | Koopman |
| 173 | Suzuki |
| 175 | Suzuki |
| 176 | Suzuki |
| 179 | Suzuki |
| 181 | Gardiner |
| 182 | Koopman |
| 183 | Suzuki |
| 184 | Suzuki |
| 185 | Koopman |
| 186 | Suzuki |
| 194 | Koopman |
| 196 | Koopman |
| 198 | Koopman |
| 198 | Biondi |
| 199 | Koopman |
| 201 | Koopman |
| 201 | Goebel |
| 201 | Goebel |
| 202 | Huggett |
| 202 | Koopman |
| 202 | Goebel |
| 203 | Koopman |
| 204 | Koopman |
| 205 | Koopman |
| 206 | Goebel |
| 206 | Koopman |
| 207 | Goebel |
| 207 | Koopman |
| 209 | Koopman |
| 209 | Huggett |
| 210 | Koopman |
| 210 | Goebel |
| 211 | Koopman |
| 212 | Biondi |
| 212 | Koopman |
| 214 | Koopman |
| 215 | Koopman |
| 227 | Gardiner |
| 524 | Goebel |
| 668 | Gardiner |
Another important aspect is trying to obtain the recordings in high-quality formats. Today I purchased volume 20 of the Gardiner from Amazon in MP3 format; I was able however to purchase full-resolution of Suzuki from HDTracks and Passionato on the BIS label. I like that HD Tracks included the album booklet in PDF format! Lots of fodder for future reviews here. In the meantime, I'll look for Gardiner offered online in higher-resolution formats. For what it's worth, the twentieth series in the Gardiner cycle was recorded in Nottinghamshire, at this church. A recent trend for me is to go look up where these places are where good recordings are made. Very nice interior on this one.