Bach Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, BWV106 II Rachel Naomi Kudo, Piano

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (“God's time is the very best time”)
Cantata BWV106 'Actus Tragicus' (1707-08)
Recorded March 18, 2022
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Bach’s Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (God’s Time is the Best Time), BWV 106, is one of his most profoundly moving cantatas, often referred to as the Actus Tragicus. Composed early in his career, this meditation on life, death, and divine time unfolds with a rare combination of tenderness and inevitability, weaving together scripture and Lutheran chorales into a seamless tapestry of devotion.

I sought to preserve the cantata’s luminous stillness and spiritual depth, translating Bach’s vocal and instrumental textures into the expressive possibilities of the keyboard. The opening Sonatina, with its intertwining lines of recorders and violas da gamba, becomes a delicate interplay of voices at the piano, evoking the work’s gentle yet deeply poignant character. Throughout the arrangement, I aimed to highlight Bach’s harmonic richness and his ability to express profound emotion through the simplest of means.

At its core, Gottes Zeit is a work of consolation—a reminder of time’s unfolding according to a higher order, where sorrow and peace exist in quiet equilibrium. It is Bach’s intimate reflection on mortality, yet suffused with an overwhelming sense of trust and transcendence. In bringing this music to the piano, I hope to preserve its essence while offering a personal and heartfelt reimagining of its timeless message.

© 2025 Rachel Naomi Kudo
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Engineer: Federico Furlanetto
Editing & Mastering: Giorgio Fiori
Piano Technician: Domizio Nardin
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