Rillngs interpretation of Bach's cantatas has been with me all my life. Every now and then on Sunday morning on the radio. Later younger conductors have been added, the most historical performance practice preferred - with male Alt (instead of singing very often kiekste) and with dark-sounding chorus. My interest and my love for Bach have become bigger. The ideal for me but I have interpretation not yet been found. Rilling has great singer, the choir passages carefully worked out, has not stood still in the last 50 years, but he's too loud, too bold. With him I feel the main thing religiously, fervently. This he takes (and me as a listener) the variety of forms of expression. What he has is the passion: None is so hyped like him. What he does not have is the absence of passion: There are just only jubilation or sorrow. I'll keep looking. Sigiswald Kuijken playing a an entire liturgical year with mini Orchestester and four singers for chorus and solos. A highly interesting approach, and the exact opposite of Rilling. And what I've heard sounds, wonderfully distilled, transparent. But it may well be that to me sometime the chorus is missing. In any case, the images are tontchnisch fantastic, you really can not be said of Rilling's recording. I would criticize some Rilling, I already knew before buying. Likewise, that the documentation would be meager. Since I have a book with the cantata texts already, I'm sort of self-catering. Conclusion: Rilling's not perfect, but he was and is one of the pioneers and provides an excellent basis for comparisons. I rub me about him and yet learn a lot from him. And his passion grabs me (mostly).
