Bach’s rich musical legacy as we know it today is partly the result of a historical accident. When he applied for the position of Kantor at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche in 1722, Bach was only third choice for the post. Telemann turned the offer down after some deliberation and Graupner was not released from his post of […]
The B Minor Mass is one of Bach’s greatest curiosities. A true piece of musical patchwork, this extraordinary amalgamation of arrangements, recomposed fragments and new ideas together spans more than 25 years of Bach’s career. And yet, Bach never heard it performed. Nor did he expect to - since it fits neither the Catholic or […]
In 1610, some 28 years after he had last composed anything for the church, Monteverdi quietly published what is now celebrated as one of the greatest pillars of the sacred Baroque repertoire. The Vespers of the Blessed Virgin is conceived on such a monumental scale, with such heartrending dramatic and theatrical effects, that it has […]
From the intractable swell of the opening chorus to the profound solemnity of the last, its tone one of quiet resignation, the Matthew Passion is a work with the power to move us like no other. Bach conceived it on a grand scale, allowing for double chorus and double orchestra, and the themes it explores are just […]
In 1610, some 28 years after he had last composed anything for the church, Monteverdi quietly published what is now celebrated as one of the greatest pillars of the sacred Baroque repertoire. The Vespers of the Blessed Virgin is conceived on such a monumental scale, with such heartrending dramatic and theatrical effects, that it has […]
The first in a major, six-part International Festival concert series, exploring the complete keyboard concertos by J S Bach performed here by Aapo Häkkinen and Mahan Esfahani. Some of today’s finest harpsichordists join forces with the exceptional players of Scotland’s Dunedin Consort for a major, six-part International Festival concert series, exploring the complete keyboard concertos – for one, […]
The second in a major, six-part International Festival concert series, exploring the complete keyboard concertos by J S Bach performed here by Mahan Esfahani. The second of six concerts in the International Festival’s complete survey of J S Bach’s keyboard concertos features a work that’s rarely heard. Bach left just a fragment of his D minor Concerto […]
The third in a major, six-part International Festival concert series, exploring the complete keyboard concertos by J S Bach performed here by Masato Suzuki. In a very special six-concert series at International Festival 2019, some of today’s most exceptional harpsichord players join the fine musicians of Scotland’s Dunedin Consort for a complete survey of J S Bach’s […]
The fourth in a major, six-part International Festival concert series, exploring the complete keyboard concertos by J S Bach performed here by Christine Schornsheim and Andreas Staier. Two of Germany’s most renowned harpsichordists join the exceptional musicians of Scotland’s Dunedin Consort for the fourth in the International Festival’s major six-concert survey of J S Bach’s complete keyboard concertos. […]
The fifth in a major, six-part International Festival concert series, exploring the complete keyboard concertos by J S Bach performed here by Richard Egarr and Diego Ares. A charismatic, captivating musician, Richard Egarr – currently Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music, and a regular and much-loved International Festival visitor – imbues all he performs with a […]
