Christoph Graupner was appointed court conductor at Darmstadt in 1711 and continued in the post for the rest of his life. His focus there moved to sacred vocal music, which explains his extraordinary output of 1,400-plus cantatas. In 1723 the Leipzig city magistrates were looking for a new cantor at the St Thomas School, and Graupner was their first choice. Graupner’s patron, however, would not release him from his contract, and so the authorities went on to hire J.S. Bach instead.

Although Graupner was widely celebrated during his lifetime, he was soon forgotten after his death. As we rediscover more of his works, however, we can understand the esteem in which he was held by his contemporaries. This recording spans the liturgical arc from Maundy Thursday via Good Friday and Easter Sunday to Easter Monday, presenting one liturgical work for each festive day in a world-premiere recording.