International Record Review: outstanding. This recording by Bach Collegium Japan and Masaaki Suzuki features four cantatas composed by J.S. Bach during his second year in Leipzig: Du Hirte Israel, höre (BWV 104), Wo gehest du hin? (BWV 166), Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch (BWV 86), and Wer da gläubet und getauft wird (BWV 37). Each cantata was written for specific Sundays in spring 1724, spanning from the Second Sunday after Easter to Ascension Day. BWV 104 draws on the pastoral imagery of the Good Shepherd, richly colored with oboes and flowing 6/8 rhythms. BWV 166 opens strikingly with a question from Christ himself, “Whither goest thou?”, setting the tone for reflection on life’s direction and the hope of heaven. BWV 86 emphasizes Christ’s promise that prayers in his name will be answered, conveyed through bold motet-like writing and expressive arias. BWV 37, for Ascension Day, proclaims faith and baptism as the path to salvation, balancing theological clarity with restrained yet inventive orchestration. Together, these works reveal Bach’s ability to unite profound scriptural meditation with musical imagination, here performed with the clarity and expressive depth for which Bach Collegium Japan has become internationally renowned.