In Johann Sebastian Bach’s repertoire, there are glorious cantatas with timpani and trumpets, as well as more emotional pieces that touch the heart. To find out which are the most beloved cantatas of the global Bach community, the Leipzig Bach Festival conducted a large-scale poll. The top 50 of this “Bach hit parade” will be performed by renowned ensembles at this year’s Bach Festival, from June 11–21. 

The Bach top 50 hit parade

More than 7,000 Bach fans from 20 countries voted for their favorites from Johann Sebastian Bach’s liturgical cantatas. Just like in the Eurovision Song Contest, they were able to award points: 12 points for their first choice, 10 for second place and so on. However, the final ranking will not be revealed until each concert.

Artistic director Michael Maul only revealed this much: “I was surprised that it wasn’t necessarily the most grandiose, loudest and major-key cantatas that made it into the top 10, but rather the pieces that strike a very quiet and contemplative note, where the text deals with existential questions.”

Maul believes this also says something about why Bach is so important to people today.

However, he did add that well-known cantatas such as “Lobet den Herrn” (Praise the Lord) or “Nun kommt der Heiden Heiland” (Savior of the nations, come) definitely have a place among the top 50.

The New Bach Society as a model 

Johann Sebastian Bach worked as the Thomaskantor in Leipzig from 1723 until his death in 1750 and, among other things, directed the famous St. Thomas Choir, which opens the Bach Festival every year.

Leipzig is also home to the New Bach Society, whose mission includes preserving and promoting the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. 

With this in mind, the idea first arose in 1901 to organize regular Bach festivals in different cities throughout Germany, focusing primarily on his liturgical music. Some of these cities subsequently began arranging their own Bach festivals.

The concept of regular Bach festivals with a wide variety of concerts was also adopted abroad.

However, since the festivals could not always take place on a regular basis — due to wars, for example — the New Bach Society is celebrating its 100th Bach Festival this year that is part of the Leipzig Bach Festival.

How Bach festivals have spread worldwide

To mark the occasion, museum director Jörg Hansen has curated the exhibition “Bach Festivals: A Phenomenon” at the Bachhaus in Eisenach, the city where Bach was born in 1685. Hansen and his team identified 82 Bach festivals worldwide that take place regularly or have taken place over an extended period.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has hosted the most Bach festivals to date, says Hansen: “Since 1912, they have organized 118 Bach festivals.”

The youngest Bach festival was founded 10 years ago in Jerusalem, Israel, and the largest Bach festivals outside Germany take place in Malaysia and the US state of Oregon.

The exhibition at the Bachhaus features historical items such as programs, photos, autographs, films and audio recordings. “We also have a display case full of souvenirs and program booklets, and there are the latest Bach Festival posters from 58 Bach Festival events worldwide,” says Hansen.

Who owns Bach?

But the exhibition is also part history lesson, such as on how Bach’s music was put to nefarious use by the Nazis during the Third Reich.

Then there was the dispute after World War II, when the two halves of a divided Germany each sought to claim Johann Sebastian Bach for themselves. “In communist East Germany, Bach was seen as a comrade of the workers and peasants who rebelled against the authorities and the church,” Hansen explains.

In fact, Bach did have a dispute with his employer, the church, but that was over his salary and the selection of boys for the St. Thomas Choir.

By contrast, during West Germany’s post-war economic boom, Bach was viewed as a commercial commodity, and stars and international ensembles were brought in for the Bach festivals.

The New Bach Society was nevertheless allowed to hold its festivals annually, alternating between East and West. “However, church services were no longer permitted in the official program of the Bach festivals,” explains Jörg Hansen.

At the 2026 Leipzig Bach Festival, Bach’s religious cantatas will be celebrated in particular. Not only in the hit parade, but also this year under the baton of conductor and organist Ton Koopman with the “Family Choir.” Altogether, 122 people from 20 countries are coming to Leipzig specifically to sing Bach’s cantatas.

This year’s artist-in-residence is the Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, and Bach is his favorite composer. He is currently recording Bach’s complete harpsichord works for the Hyperion label and will perform selections from Bach’s secular repertoire in seven high-profile harpsichord concerts at the Leipzig Bach Festival. Deutsche Welle will record the concert “Piano Exercises on the Harpsichord I” on June 11. It will be available on the YouTube channel DW Classical Music.

The Leipzig Bach Festival, themed “In Dialogue,” takes place from June 11 to June 21 in Leipzig. The exhibition “Bach Festivals: A Phenomenon” runs through November 1, 2026, at the Bachhaus in Eisenach.

This article was originally written in German.