Early Music Festival
Bach’s Leipzig Audition
Friday, May 7, 8pm
Saturday, May 8, 8pm
Holy Family Church, Rohnert Park
Sonoma State University Chamber Singers
Jubilate Baroque Orchestra
Directed by Robert Worth
In 1722, Johann Kuhnau, the longtime cantor of the principal churches in Leipzig, Germany, passed away. The town council naturally turned to Georg Philip Telemann, the most prominent local composer and leader. He turned them down. Next the council selected Christoph Graupner, a musician in the court at Darmstadt. His prince offered a raise and turned them down. Finally, as one of the council-members said: “Since the best could not be obtained, a mediocre one would have to be accepted.” This concert explores this fascinating piece of music history by presenting gorgeous cantatas by Kuhnau, Telemann, Graupner, and the “mediocre” one: Johann Sebastian Bach.
Bach and The German Motet
Friday, May 14, 8pm
Saturday, May 15, 8pm
Holy Family Church, Rohnert Park
Sonoma County Bach Choir
Sonoma State University Chamber Singers
Sonoma State University Chorus
Charles Rus, organist
Directed by Robert Worth
Bach’s motets, primarily written during his Leipzig years, are among his finest compositions. The first half of this concert traces the German motet from the double-choir pieces of Michael Praetorius, through the outstanding works of the Heinrich Schütz’ Cantiones Sacrae, to Bach’s magnificent Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf. The second half picks up the tale with Bach’s ebullient Lobet den Herrn and forges into the 19th century with fine neo-Baroque works by Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms.
Buxtehude, Böhm, Bruhns and Bach
Sunday, May 16, 3pm
Church of the Incarnation, Santa Rosa
Featuring Charles Rus, organist
Organist Charles Rus plays a fascinating recital on the Casavant organ at the Church of the Incarnation, featuring Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in F Major, his transcription of the Vivaldi Concerto in D Minor, and works by three prominent composers of the previous generation who influenced the young Bach: Dieterich Buxtehude, Nicolaus Bruhns and Georg Böhm.
Jahrgang II: Bach’s Second Leipzig Cantata Cycle
Friday, May 21, 8pm
Saturday, May 22, 8pm
Holy Family Church, Rohnert Park
Santa Rosa Children’s Chorus
Sonoma County Bach Choir
Jubilate Baroque Orchestra
Directed by Robert Worth
Bach was eager to serve as Thomascantor at Leipzig because he could begin to fulfill his dream of a ‘wellregulated’ church music. One of his means for carrying out this dream was to compose and produce annual cantata cycles, including pieces for each Sunday and special festival of the church year. By the end of the 1720s he had completed an astounding five complete cycles. In this concert, we will explore his second cycle (Jahrgang), in which he concentrated exclusively on a chorale-based format. First and last movements from fourteen great cantatas will be performed, circling around the year from the first Sunday after Trinity to Easter Sunday.
TICKETS
All Tickets will be held at will-call at each concert
FESTIVAL PASS
Includes all four concerts
$40 - General / $24 - Students/Seniors
To purchase a Festival Pass, please call the Sonoma State University School of Performing Arts Box Office - (707) 664-2353.
$12 - General / $10 - SSU Falculty/Staff/Alumni / $8 - Students/Seniors
|
|
|
and Bach
|
|
© 2009 Sonoma County Bach Society. All Rights Reserved.