»Bach300«. 300 Years of Bach in Leipzig

Anniversary Concert July 2023

Freitag, 28. Juli 2023 · 20.00 Uhr · Thomaskirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Ein ungefärbt Gemüte«, BWV 24 · »Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht«, BWV 186 · »Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe«, BWV 167 · Magnificat, BWV 243

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Anniversary Concert August 2023

Mittwoch, 16. August 2023 · 20.00 Uhr · Nikolaikirche

Erhard Bodenschatz: Audi Domine hymnum · Johann Sebastian Bach: »Schauet doch und sehet, ob irgend ein Schmerz sei«, BWV 46 · Roman Haubenstock-Ramati: Multiple 5 · Sethus Calvisius: Unser Leben währet siebzig Jahr · Johann Sebastian Bach: »Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht«, BWV 105 · Sylvain Devaux: Sillages · Hans Leo Hassler: Pater noster · Johann Sebastian Bach: »Siehe zu, daß deine Gottesfurcht nicht Heuchelei sei«, BWV 179

Teilnehmende der Summerclass mit Mitwirkenden von Ensemble, Recherche, Freiburger Barockorchester und Vox Luminis

Anniversary Concert September 2023

Freitag, 29. September 2023 · 20.00 Uhr · Thomaskirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Du soll Gott, deinen Herren, lieben«, BWV 77 · »Es ist nicht Gesundes an meinem Leibe«, BWV 25 · »Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz«, BWV 138 · »Christus, der ist mein Leben«, BWV 95

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Christian Drosten

Gerline Sämann, Sopran · Kristina Hammarström, Alt · Georg Poplutz, Tenor · Stephan MacLeod, Bass · Thomanerchor Leipzig · Gewandhausorchester Leipzig · Leitung: Thomaskantor Andreas Reize

Anniversary Concert October 2023

Freitag, 27. Oktober 2023 · 20.00 Uhr · Nikolaikirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens«, BWV 148 · »Ach! Ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe«, BWV 162 · »Nur jedem das sein«, BWV 163 · »Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen«, BWV 48

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Robert Schneider

Catalina Bertucci, Sopran · Benno Schachtner, Altus · Benedikt Kristjánsson, Tenor · Tobias Berndt, Bass · Gaechinger Cantorey · Leitung: Hans Christoph Rademann

Anniversary Concert November 2023

Freitag, 24. November 2023 · 20.00 Uhr · Thomaskirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim?«, BWV 89 · »O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort«, BWV 60 · »Es reißet euch ein schreckliches Ende«, BWV 90 · »Wachet! Betet! Betet! Wachet!«, BWV 70

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Sebastian Feydt

Ilse Eerens, Sopran · Maarten Engeltjes, Altus · Tilman Lichdi, Tenor · Klaus Mertens, Bass · Amsterdam Baroque Choir & Orchestra · Leitung: Ton Koopman

Anniversary Concert December 2023

Freitag, 29. Dezember 2023 · 20.00 Uhr · Nikolaikirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Nun komm der Heiden Heiland«, BWV 61 · Magnificat D-Dur Dur (inkl. weihnachtliche Einlagesätze), BWV 243.2 · »Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes«, BWV 40 · »Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget«, BWV 64

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Reinhard Marx

Dorothee Mields, Sopran · Christina Roterberg, Sopran · David Erler, Altus · Patrick Grahl, Tenor · Tobias Ay, Bass · Bach Consort Leipzig · Sächsisches Barockorchester · Leitung: Thomaskantor a. D. Gotthold Schwarz

Anniversary Concert January 2024

Freitag, 26. Januar 2024 · 20.00 Uhr · Thomaskirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Sie werden alle aus Saba kommen«, BWV 65 · »Schau, lieber Gott, wie mein Feind«, BWV 153 · »Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren«, BWV 154 · »Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange«, BWV 155 · »Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied«, BWV 190

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Peter Wollny

Solisten · Chor und Orchester capella cracoviensis · Leitung: Jan Tomasz Adamus

Anniversary Concert February 2024

Freitag, 23. Februar 2024 · 20.00 Uhr · Nikolaikirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Herr, wie du willt, so schick’s mit mir«, BWV 73 · »Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen«, BWV 81 · »Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin«, BWV 144 · »Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde«, BWV 83 · »Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister«, BWV 181

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Dr. Skadi Jennicke

Veronika Winter, Sopran · David Erler, Altus · Georg Poplutz, Tenor · Matthias Vieweg, Bass · Rheinische Kantorei · Das Kleine Konzert · Leitung: Hermann Max

Anniversary Concert April 2024

Freitag, 26. April 2024 · 20.00 Uhr · Thomaskirche

Johann Sebastian Bach: »Der Himmel lacht! Die Erde jubilieret«, BWV 31 · »Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ«, BWV 67 · »Wo gehest du hin«, BWV 166 · »Du Hirte Israel, höre«, BWV 104

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Thomas de Maizière

Miriam Feuersinger, Sopran · Elvira Bill, Alt · Daniel Johannsen, Tenor · Matthias Winckhler, Bass, Thomanerchor Leipzig · Gewandhausorchester Leipzig · Leitung: Thomaskantor Andreas Reize

Anniversary Concert May 2024

Freitag, 24. Mai 2024 · 20.00 Uhr · Nikolaikirche

Sethus Calvisius: Quaerite primum regnum Dei · Johann Sebastian Bach: »Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch«, BWV 86 · Valentin Haussmann: Man wird zu Zion sagen · Johann Sebastian Bach: »Wer da gläubet und getauft wird«, BWV 37 · Hans Leo Hassler: Pater noster · Johann Sebastian Bach: »Sie werden euch in den Bann tun«, BWV 44

Reflexion über die Kantatentexte: Dr. Anselm Hartinger

Carine Tinney, Sopran · Sophia Faltas, Alt · Raphael Höhn, Tenor · Vincent Berger, Bass · Lionel Meunier, Bass · Vox Luminis · Leitung: Joshua Rifkin

Many of Bach's most famous works were composed in Leipzig, including the St. John and St. Matthew Passions, the Christmas Oratorio and the Mass in B minor. In his first years in office, he composed new “cantatas” - often on a weekly basis. These works were performed in the church services in St. Thomas' or St. Nicholas' Church and functioned as musical sermons on the Bible texts that were read on the individual Sundays and feast days. Their content belongs to the core of our canon of values: e.g. justice between rich and poor, young and old, charity, mercy, honesty, openness to the world and much more. Bach's 200 or so surviving church music works are performed around the world today and continue to shape the musical work of the St. Thomas Boys Choir to this day. As part of the anniversary program, Bach's cantatas from the first Leipzig year were performed during the church services on the respective Sunday of the church year at the place of their first performance - usually alternately in St. Thomas' and St. Nicholas' Churches. The majority of the performances were given by the Thomanerchor (Bach's own choir) and the
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, but many guest ensembles also took part in the project.

The year 2023 marks the 300th anniversary of what was probably the most momentous change of office in the history of Leipzig's St. Thomas Cantorate. The death of Johann Kuhnau († June 5, 1722) made it necessary for the city council to fill the most important municipal music directorship in central Germany. The significance of this decision can hardly be overestimated. After Georg Philipp Telemann, Johann Friedrich Fasch and Christoph Graupner withdrew their applications for various reasons, the way was clear for Johann Sebastian Bach, whose artistic work has had a decisive influence on the definition of the Thomaskantorat to this day.

The processes of staffing have been repeatedly analyzed and interpreted from various perspectives. Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered. In addition, the change of position is paradigmatic of an important caesura in the history of the Protestant church cantata that has hardly been considered to date. Right at the beginning of his career, Johann Sebastian Bach decided to perform almost exclusively his own newly composed works; the works of his predecessor were thus relegated to the sidelines. Georg Philipp Telemann made a similar decision in 1721 when he took up the post of music director in Hamburg, as did Johann Friedrich Fasch and Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel when they took up their posts as Kapellmeisters in Zerbst and Gotha. With this development, the genre of the so-called madrigal church cantata entered a new phase.

The conference (Leipzig, June 15-17, 2023), organized by the Bach Archive Leipzig together with the Musicology Department of the Institute of Music, Media and Speech Sciences at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the Musicology Department of the Institute of Art History and Musicology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, took a closer look at the briefly outlined range of topics. It took place in Leipzig during the Bach Festival and in close coordination with its artistic program and is part of the “Bach300” festival year.

Supported by the City of Leipzig, by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and co-financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.

You can find more information about the conference here.

An Exhibition in Three Acts

In 1723, a new chapter began in the history of music when Johann Sebastian Bach was appointed cantor of St Thomas’s Church. In his 27 years there, he created a unique body of work which is now considered part of mankind’s cultural heritage. And it was from there that his compositions began their triumphal march around the world. But what exactly is the secret of Bach’s music? What makes it so special and so innovative? And why was his move to Leipzig so significant for his composing?

These questions were addressed in this tricentennial exhibition, which invited visitors to explore Bach’s musical cosmos. In three acts, it prepared a stage where we could see, hear and explore his inexhaustible art.

Act 1: Church Music in Praise of God, 21 March 2023 – 9 July 2023
Act 2: In Search of Perfection, 22 July 2023 – 5 November 2023
Act 3: Bach’s Music Sets the Tone, 16 November 2023 – 24 March 2024

The exhibition is kindly co-funded by

An online catalogue has been published for the exhibition, which you can view here.

In August 2023, the Bach Archive Leipzig hosted a summer class with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Recherche and the Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis.

The aim of the three internationally renowned and specialized ensembles was to combine the ensembles' focus on older and newer music and to incorporate this experience into the preparation and performance of three Bach cantatas (BWV 46, 105, 179) as well as baroque and contemporary chamber music. The Vox Luminis course focused on the vocal music of J. S. Bach and excerpts from the Florilegium Portense.

Around 100 participants in 13 subjects were invited to the summer class. Together, they performed two workshop concerts in Leipzig, a musical church service in the Bach300 series and the final concert on August 16 in the Nikolaikirche. We would like to thank the participating ensembles and all participants for this wonderful experience and the shared exchange!