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Funerary cantatas are highly individual works within the German Protestant liturgy, often calling for specific instruments such as the recorder and the viola da gamba. This includes not only J.S. Bach's youthful Actus Tragicus but also three other works that belong to this genre and that make full use of all it's characteristics, including the string pizzicati that imitate the tolling of the funeral bell. Ricercar, to seek, has been the underlying motto of the Ricercar Consort ever since it's foundation. It was in 1985, with J. S. Bach's Musical Offering, that the ensemble made it's first concert tour, having already acquired a solid international reputation with it's recordings, notably in German Baroque cantatas and instrumental music. Today, under the direction of Philippe Pierlot, the Ricercar Consort continues to explore the Baroque repertoire, from chamber music to opera and oratorio, and to enthrall music-lovers with performances that are both profound and rigorous.
