Bach cantatas inspire in Leipzig: Gardiner enchants the Nikolaikirche!

Bach cantatas inspire in Leipzig: Gardiner enchants the Nikolaikirche!

Leipzig, Deutschland - On June 13, 2025, an impressive concert by the Constellation Choir and Orchestra took place in the Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. Under the direction of the renowned conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the ensembles presented three important cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. These works, which were composed especially for the Sunday anniversaries, mixed gloomy texts with hopeful and lively music.

The opening cantata "You will cry and howl", BWV 103, from 1725, begins with a joyfully sounding fugal choir, which conveyed both emotion and energy to the audience. The tenoraria "Recovers you, dirty senses", which symbolizes the pursuit of happiness, was particularly touching. These uplifting moments were reinforced in the subsequent cantata "cry, complaints, worries, concerns", BWV 12. The piece opens with a meditative symphony, which is led by a sensitive oboens game. The impressive choral becomes a remarkable part in Bach's later work, the H minor fair, which illustrates the connection of his music to liturgy.

powerful performance

The concert was characterized by an impressive performance of the choir, which shone with great feeling and control. The voices of countertenor Alexander Chance and bass baritone Florian Störtz filled the room with an excellence that captivated the audience. Particularly noteworthy was the tenor Thomas Hobbs, who in the emotional aria "be faithful, everyone shone" and made the concerns and needs of the texts tangible with his voice.

The third cantata, "We have to go through a lot of tribulation", BWV 146, complements the concert with powerful sentences that were taken from the D minor-Cembalo concert, BWV 1052. After an impressive four -part choir, a dramatic performance by soprano Marie Luise Werneburg followed, which caused goose bumps with her soulful aria. The impressive conclusion of the concert was a lively tenor and bass duet with the request to be happy and to be happy, followed by a final choir that triumphed with flawless expression.

an innovator of music

The musical visions of Sir John Eliot Gardiner are unique. As one of the leading innovators in historically informed performance practice, he is known for his work with ensembles such as the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists. In September 2024, Gardin announced the foundation of Springhead Constellation, which includes both the Constellation Orchestra and the Constellation Choir. These ensembles have already completed their first tour through world -famous concert halls, which underlines Gardiner's permanent place in the world of classic music work.

to remember: Gardiner worked with some of the leading symphony orchestras in the course of his career, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. His repertoire extends over several epochs, including the works of composers such as Mozart and Berlioz, and relies on innovative interpretations.

The performance in the Nikolaikirche was not only a musical highlight, but also an impressive example of the continuing relevance and strength of Bach's music, which shone again by the committed performance of Gardiner and his ensembles. As reports opera magazine, Gardiner's approach is characterized by the use of historical instruments and small choirs, which creates a special atmosphere that a tribute to Bach's original intention represent.