Eleven Great Cantatas

Bach mixed his devout Christianity with a mathematical bent in composing his works; his cantatas are a fine example of his abilities and beliefs. With over 200 of them to choose from, though, the beginner may be somewhat daunted. This volume from Dover Publications (a reprint of Bach-Gesellschaft editions from the mid-to-late 19th century) offers not quite a dozen of the best and best-known. Note that this is a full orchestral score; it will take a better-than-average church organist to read and realize it.