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Jonathan Freeman-Attwood for Building a Library recommends a recording of JS Bach's 'Funeral Ode' for the Queen of Poland BWV198 from among available versions.

This secular cantata was written on the death of Christiane Eberhardine, the Electress of Saxony and Queen of Poland, who was particularly beloved by the people of Saxony for her devotion to her Lutheran faith. Bach employed a rich orchestration and used what was reported to be an "Italian style" of composition. It is one of his very greatest cantatas and deserves to be much better known than it is.

Top recommendation:

JS Bach: Cantatas BWV 27, 158 & 198 'Trauer-Ode'
BACH, J S: Cantata BWV198 'Lass, Furstin, lass noch einen Strahl' (Trauerode); Cantata BWV158 'Der Friede sei mit dir'; Cantata BWV27 'Wer weiss, wie nahe mir mein Ende?'
Rotraud Hansman (soprano), Helen Watts (alto), Kurt Equiluz (tenor), Max van Egmond (bass), Concerto Amsterdam, Monteverdi Chor Hamburg, Jurgen Jurgens
WARNER CLASSICS 2564647632 (CD)

Other recordings:

Below is a shortlist of other recordings which Jonathan Freeman-Atwood also liked, although we can’t guarantee the availability of these discs.

Katharine Fuge (soprano), Carlos Mena (alto), Jan Kobow (tenor), Stephan Macleod (bass), Ricercar Consort, Philippe Pierlot (conductor)
MIRARE MIR030

Joanne Lunn (soprano), Robin Blaze (counter-tenor), Gerd Turk (tenor), Dominik Worner (bass), Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki (conductor)
BIS BIS2181

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