The Cologne Academy under the artistic direction of Michael Alexander Willens presents "Lutheran Masses" BWV 233-236 by Johann Sebastian Bach. These are the four Kyrie Gloria masses composed in the 1730s, a time of profound artistic consolidation. They showcase Bach at his most imaginative. The masses are largely drawn from his finest cantatas and exemplify his unparalleled ability to transform earlier material through refined counterpoint, rich orchestration, and a deep sensitivity for Latin prosody. Long overshadowed by the B Minor Mass, these so-called "Lutheran Masses" emerge here as brilliant creations, each designed with architectural clarity: six movements that strike a perfect balance between choral grandeur and intimate arias. In this cycle, Bach combines theological tradition with innovative musical craftsmanship. Whether reworking festive choruses, expanding expressive arias, or integrating earlier settings with newly conceived timbral colors, he elevates the reshaping of previous works into a profound creative process, producing music that feels both familiar and entirely fresh. By bringing the four masses together in a unified artistic vision, the Cologne Academy illuminates their shared structural features, vibrant instrumentation, and emotional range.

The Cologne Academy is an ensemble, including choir, with a varied repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music, for which it has received numerous awards. The Cologne Academy performs at international festivals and can also be heard on television and radio—even beyond Germany. It has recorded the complete piano concertos of, among others, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Carl Maria von Weber, and Felix Mendelssohn—all very favorably received by the press.