In the repertoire of Johann Sebastian Bach, there are magnificent cantatas with timpani and trumpet, as well as more emotional pieces that touch the heart. To find out which cantatas are the global Bach community’s most beloved cantatas, the Leipzig Bach Festival conducted a large-scale survey. The top 50 of this “Bach Hit Parade” will be performed by renowned artists at this year’s Bach Festival from June 11 to 21.
Bach Top 50 Hit Parade
Over 7,000 Bach fans from 20 countries voted for their favorites from Johann Sebastian Bach’s literary cantatas. Like the Eurovision Song Contest, they were able to award points: 12 points for their first choice, 10 points for second place and so on. However, the final rankings will not be revealed until each concert.
Artistic director Michael Maull revealed only this: “I was surprised that it was not necessarily the grandest, loudest and major-key cantatas that made it into the top 10, but rather pieces that strike a very quiet and contemplative note, where the text deals with existential questions.”
Maul believes it also says something about why Bach is so important to people today.
However, he also said that famous cantatas such as “Lobet den Herren” (Praise the Lord) or “Now comes the Gentile Heiland” (Savior of the Nations, Come) definitely deserve their place in the top 50.
New Bach Society as a model
Johann Sebastian Bach served as Thomaskantor in Leipzig from 1723 until his death in 1750 and, among other things, directed the famous St. Thomas Choir, which inaugurates the Bach Festival every year.
Leipzig is also home to the New Bach Society, whose mission includes preserving and promoting the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
With this in mind, he first came up with the idea of organizing regular Bach festivals in various cities across Germany in 1901, focusing primarily on his religious music. Some of these cities later began to arrange their own Bach festivals.
The concept of regular Bach festivals with a variety of musical programs was also adopted abroad.
However, since festivals cannot always take place on a regular basis – for example, due to wars – the New Bach Society is this year celebrating its 100th Bach Festival as part of the Leipzig Bach Festival.
How have Bach festivals spread around the world?
To mark the occasion, museum director Jörg Hansen has organized the exhibition “Bach Festivals: A Phenomenon” at the Bachhaus in Eisenach, the town where Bach was born in 1685. Hansen and his team have identified 82 Bach festivals around the world that occur regularly or over an extended period.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has by far hosted the most Bach festivals: “Since 1912, they’ve hosted 118 Bach festivals,” says Hansen.
The smallest Bach festival was established 10 years ago in Jerusalem, Israel, and the largest Bach festivals outside Germany take place in Malaysia and the US state of Oregon.
The Bachhaus’s exhibits include historical objects such as programs, photographs, autographs, films and audio recordings. “We also have a display case full of souvenirs and program booklets, and the latest Bach Festival posters from 58 Bach Festival programs around the world,” says Hansen.
Who is the owner of Bach?
But the exhibition is also part of a history lesson, such as how Bach’s music was nefariously used by the Nazis during the Third Reich.
Then there was the dispute after World War II, when both parts of divided Germany sought to claim Johann Sebastian Bach for themselves. “In communist East Germany, Bach was seen as a comrade of the workers and farmers who rebelled against the authorities and the church,” explains Hansen.
In fact, Bach had a dispute with his employer, the Church, but over his salary and the selection of boys for the St. Thomas Choir.
In contrast, during West Germany’s postwar economic boom, Bach was seen as a commercial commodity, and stars and international artists were brought in for Bach festivals.
Nevertheless the New Bach Society was allowed to hold its festivals, alternating between East and West. “However, church services were no longer allowed in the official program of the Bach festivals,” explains Jörg Hansen.
At the 2026 Leipzig Bach Festival, Bach’s religious cantatas will be especially celebrated. Not only in the hit parade, but also this year with the “Family Choir” under the direction of conductor and organist Ton Koopman. In total, 122 people from 20 countries are coming to Leipzig specifically to sing Bach’s cantatas.
This year’s artist-in-residence is Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, and Bach is his favorite composer. He is currently recording Bach’s complete harpsichord works for the Hyperion label and will perform selections from Bach’s secular repertoire in seven high-profile harpsichord concerts at the Leipzig Bach Festival. Deutsche Welle will record the concert “Piano Exercises on the Harpsichord I” on June 11. It will be available on YouTube channel dw classical music.
The Leipzig Bach Festival, theme “In Dialogue” takes place in Leipzig from 11 June to 21 June. The exhibition “Bach Festivals: A Phenomenon” will run at the Bachhaus in Eisenach until November 1, 2026.
This article was originally written in German.