Johann Sebastian Bach’s »Mass in B Minor«
NDR Chor / Concerto Köln
»The greatest work of art the world has ever seen!« – thus conductor and composer Carl Friedrich Zelter on Bach’s B minor Mass in 1811. In this light, it’s no surprise that Klaas Stok, the new principal conductor of the NDR Chor, wanted to perform the Bach at his first concert with the choir. He is ably supported by a line-up of top-ranking soloists and by Concerto Köln, one of the leading early music ensembles.
Bach’s B minor Mass is rightly seen as a milestone in music history; the manuscript was only recently classified as part of the world’s cultural heritage. Bach’s style achieves new heights in the score: he had been planning the music in his mind for many years, and the result is so varied that the Mass is nothing short of a compendium of choral and vocal music. No less remarkable is the instrumentation: the orchestra not only accompanies the vocalists, it also supplies elaborate comments on the story.
Performers
NDR Vokalensemble
Concerto Köln
Robin Johannsen soprano
Sophie Harmsen mezzo-soprano
Jakob Pilgram tenor
Andreas Wolf bass
director Klaas Stok
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach
Messe h-Moll BWV 232
Subscription
NDR Chor
Live Broadcast
The concert will be broadcasted live on NDR Kultur.