Volume 1, folks--yes, I plan to buy every single volume. I'm new to Bach's cantatas. I kept putting it off; but in that time, I was researching different performances, sampling this and that. I was tipped off to Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan. They rec'd glowing reviews from almost everybody. Sure, an aria is sometimes done better elsewhere. But you know what? I place this series at the very top of the Bach cantatas recordings. The quality is consistently high (judging from the 7 CDs I own which I've listened to over and over. This music is infectious! where have I been all this time!). Under Suzuki's enlightened leadership, they sound like...well, like Bach. (Know what I mean?) Oh sure, sometimes the soprano gets on my nerves a little (BWV 21) (I prefer the Alternate Movements anyway), but that's what, two tracks out of 25? So, if you just want a few CDs of this great Bach music, or if you want to collect the entire set (and it's going to take a while, as they release a volume every couple of months), I heartily recommend Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan. More power to them.
