In his Motets BWV 225-230 – most of which were written for funeral services and four of which are for eight voices in two choirs – Bach brought the legacies of Gabrieli and Schütz, two of his most important predecessors, to their culmination. With astonishing contrapuntal skill, which never hides the melodic beauty and depth of expression, these absolute masterpieces represent the crowning achievement of Western polyphonic choral tradition.

As part of the Montreal Bach Festival