The Standard Cantatas is George P. Upton’s handbook to the great choral works of the cantata and oratorio repertory, recounting their stories, their music, and the lives of their composers. The book guides the concert-goer and choral singer through the principal sacred and secular cantatas of the tradition.
Upton supplies the texts and subjects of the works, describes their musical character, and sketches the composers who wrote them, from Bach and Handel onward. One of a popular series of musical handbooks, it served generations of choral societies and audiences. As a clear and convenient guide to the standard cantata repertory, the book remains a useful companion for lovers of choral music.