J.S. BACH Sacred Works (Extended Edition) / Karl Richter | Deutsche Grammophon

To mark the centenary of Karl Richter’s birth on 15 October 2026, DG presents an extensive commemorative edition bringing together his landmark recordings of Bach’s great sacred masterpieces.

Organist, harpsichordist and conductor, Richter shaped generations of listeners’ understanding of Bach. His performances combine architectural clarity, expressive intensity and a profound spirituality.

With the Münchener Bach-Chor and Münchener Bach-Orchester, Richter created a sound world that remains one of the defining achievements of Bach interpretation in the 20th century. The edition brings together the St. Matthew Passion, the St. John Passion, the Christmas Oratorio, the Magnificat and the Mass in B minor on CD and Blu-ray Audio, alongside 75 cantatas for the Sundays and feast days of the church year on two further Blu-ray Audio discs. Later performances of the Passions and the Mass are presented across four DVDs.

A major addition to the set is the inclusion of three live radio recordings from Munich (1967) and Schwetzingen (1969), released on disc for the first time: Singet dem Herrn BWV 225, Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229 and Jesu, meine Freude BWV 227. As no recordings of these central Bach motets had previously been available on disc in Karl Richter’s discography, these performances offer a unique insight into his interpretation of these works.

Presented in a limited edition, the set will be released on 12 CDs, 4 DVDs and 3 Blu-ray Audio discs on 2 October. Pre-order the CD and DVD editions in the DG Store.