In 1726, his third year in Leipzig, Johann Sebastian Bach interrupted his production of cantatas to perform about 18 by his distant cousin, Johann Ludwig, including the four on this disc. Leipzig’s churchgoers would not have been disappointed: the quality of these works is high, even if they would have found them a little old-fashioned in structure and musical language. Mache dich auf, for example, concludes with a chorale set in a brilliant, bustling orchestral accompaniment as finely crafted as any by Bach. All four cantatas also brim with rich ideas and entrancing melodies.

Born in 1677, Johann Ludwig, worked for the Court at Meiningen from 1699 until his death in 1731, first as simple musician, then director of church music and finally court Music Director. His portrait on the cover is by the younger of his two organist and pastel-painter sons, Gottlieb Friedrich.

Hermann Max has returned to Johann Ludwig three times since making this recording more than 20 years ago, when his Rheinische Kantorei were still the Jugendkantorei Dormagen. Yet his later accounts have never really bettered these engaging performances. The choir sounds larger than now customary for Bach (although probably no larger than Koopman’s or Suzuki’s), but it sings with lithe sensitivity. The period instrument Das Kleine Konzert is also in top form, as is the quartet of vocal soloists. Barbara Schlick has her usual sweet brilliance; Mary Nichols’ smooth, dark alto is gorgeous, despite fleeting lapses of intonation; Wilfried Jochens and Stephen Varcoe are especially confident and supple, the latter unburdened by his now unremitting broad vibrato. CHRISTOPHER PRICE