Early Influences on the Young Master

The first joint project of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and the vocal ensemble Voces Suaves from Basel is devoted to the musical environment in which Johann Sebastian Bach was born and in particular to the composers who demonstrably influenced the work of the later Leipziger Thomaskantor. In addition to pieces from the Altbach archive, the album contains sacred concertos and early cantatas by Bach's predecessors and superiors from Arnstadt, Mühlhausen, Weimar and Leipzig, which impressively demonstrate how highly developed the musical tradition of Central Germany was at that time. Although many of the composers are completely unknown to us today, their works, some of which are recorded here for the first time, offer a fascinating insight into the musical language of late 17th-century Germany with its inspiring wealth of colors and forms.