In the latest instalment of his complete Bach survey, Masaaki Suzuki tackles the first 11 pieces from the so-called ‘Leipzig Chorales’, an autograph collection that Bach worked on around 1739, selecting his earlier Weimar works with great care and clearly with an eye to his musical legacy. What a satisfying, hour-long collection this is, featuring a wide spectrum of treatments – Bach in the first flush of creative endeavour and keen to demonstrate the importance of the chorale to spread his Lutheran beliefs.

Suzuki plays the large three-manual instrument in the Martinikerk in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, a popular destination for Baroque organ recordings by several artists. At its core it is a late 17th-century organ built by Arp Schnitger. In many ways this is the ideal Bach organ, since it has sufficient power and gravitas to cope with the grandest constructions, such as the opening whirlwind-like Fantasia super ‘Komm, Heiliger Geist’, BWV651, which Suzuki sends rolling around the acoustic in a sparkling swirl, as well as the hushed intimacy of Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele, BWV654, one of Bach’s most sublime sarabandes.

As one might expect, the playing is flawless and meticulous without sounding contrived or sterile. Even (dare one write) in a dull, more meandering piece such as BWV652 – a fugal treatment of Komm, Heiliger Geist lasting almost nine and a half minutes – Suzuki maintains interest by his innate sense of flow and delicacy. He also relishes the contrapuntal glories of the G minor Trio super ‘Nun komm der Heiden Heiland’, BWV660, while avoiding muddiness. Perhaps the most harmonically audacious moment occurs in the prelude on O Lamm Gottes unschuldig, BWV656, where Bach restrains himself from employing the pedals until the final third verse, when there is an astonishing chromatic ‘collapse’. The final track is full of jubilation, even in G minor, where Suzuki gives us a proper organo pleno, with a glorious thunderous pedal line.

A triumph of audio engineering, first-class playing and highly recommended.