Bach: Sacred Works (Erweiterte Ausgabe)

Released to mark Karl Richter’s 100th birthday on 15 October 2026, this expanded edition offers a fresh opportunity to rediscover one of the defining Bach interpreters of the 20th century. Organist, harpsichordist and conductor, Richter shaped the Münchener Bach-Chor and Münchener Bach-Orchester into an ensemble renowned for its distinctive sound, combining architectural clarity with remarkable expressive intensity.

Building on the previous edition, the set is expanded by two Blu-ray Audio discs containing 75 cantatas, arranged according to the Sundays and feast days of the Lutheran church year. At its heart are Richter’s landmark recordings of the Passions, Christmas Oratorio, Magnificat and Mass in B minor – performances that have shaped generations of Bach listeners.

A particular highlight is the bonus CD featuring three Bach motets (BWV 225, 229 and 227) in live radio recordings from 1967 and 1969, released on disc for the first time. Previously unavailable on disc in Karl Richter’s discography, these central works reveal his Bach interpretation at its most immediate: precise in detail, free in phrasing and sustained by a compelling musical vision.

Comprising 12 CDs, 4 DVDs and 3 Blu-ray Audio discs, this limited edition invites a new encounter with Karl Richter’s enduring Bach legacy.

Tracklisting: 

12 CDs

St Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Irmgard Seefried • Antonia Fahberg • Hertha Töpper • Ernst Haefliger • Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau • Kieth Engen • Max Proebstl

St John Passion, BWV 245

Evelyn Lear • Ernst Haefliger • Hermann Prey • Kieth Engen

Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248

Christa Ludwig • Fritz Wunderlich • Franz Crass

Magnificat, BWV 243

Hertha Töpper • Maria Stader • Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau • Ernst Haefliger

Mass in B Minor, BWV 232

Maria Stader • Hertha Töpper • Ernst Haefliger • Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau • Kieth Engen

Christmas Oratorio Rehearsal, BWV 248

Christa Ludwig • Fritz Wunderlich • Franz Crass

Bonus CD 12: Motets

BWV 225, BWV 229 and BWV 227

Munich Bach Choir • Karl Richter

4 DVDs

St Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Helen Donath • Julia Hamari • Peter Schreier • Horst R. Laubenthal • Ernst Gerold Schramm • Siegmund Nimsgern • Walter Berry

St John Passion, BWV 245

Helen Donath • Julia Hamari • Peter Schreier • Horst Laubenthal • Siegmund Nimsgern • Ernst Gerold Schramm • Kieth Engen

Mass in B Minor, BWV 232

Gundula Janowitz • Hertha Töpper • Horst Laubenthal • Hermann Prey

3 Blu-ray Audio Discs

High-resolution audio: 24-bit/96 kHz, BD50

1 Blu-ray Audio: Sacred Works - The major sacred choral works corresponding to CDs 1–11.

2 Blu-ray Audio Discs: 75 Cantatas - Organised according to the liturgical year, from Advent and Christmas through Easter, Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity to the Sundays after Trinity.

Edith Mathis • Sheila Armstrong • Ursula Buckel • Maria Stader • Lotte Schädle • Julia Hamari • Anna Reynolds • Trudeliese Schmidt • Hertha Töpper • Ernst Haefliger • John van Kesteren • Peter Schreier • Theo Adam • Kieth Engen • Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau • Kurt Moll