This collection is a selection of excerpts from Bach cantatas, chosen not only for the beauty of their musical content but because from the pedagogical point of view too they deserve a place in a publication intended for educational purposes. The excerpts embrace two distinct areas of Baroque vocal music, the melodic realms of the aria and the recitative.

The aria and arioso quotations in the collection, generally presented without accompaniment, are intended for sight-singing. The aria and ...