Passion for Bach - APPLICATION IN LEIPZIG

After the death of Johann Kuhnau in 1722, the city council of Leipzig needed to find a new Thomascantor.

The choice initially fell on Telemann, the most famous composer in Germany at the time, but he was working in Hamburg for a salary that Leipzig could not match. The next candidate was Christoph Graupner, who was employed at the court in Darmstadt, but the Landgrave of Hesse was unwilling to let his kapellmeister go. Ultimately, the decision was made to settle for a 'mediocre' candidate. Johann Sebastian Bach was invited to perform two trial cantatas (BWV 22 and 23) at the Thomaskirche on February 7, 1723. The music was well received, and the newspaper praised it as 'very laudable.' Shortly thereafter, Bach and his family settled in Leipzig, where he would work until his death.

For the fifth season, Phion, Orchestra of Gelderland & Overijssel, and Wilminktheater and Muziekcentrum Enschede are collaborating on the Passion for Bach series. In four themed concerts on Sunday mornings at the Grote Kerk, Ensemble Himmelsburg will present a selection of well-known and lesser-known works by Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries.

Ensemble Himmelsburg, named after the Schlosskirche in Weimar where Bach worked for several years, is composed of Phion musicians with a deep passion for Bach, supplemented by violinist Carla Leurs and harpsichordist and organist Pieter Dirksen, who also serves as the musical director. On Sunday, February 23, at the Grote Kerk in Enschede: Passion for Bach - APPLICATION IN LEIPZIG.

The Passion for Bach series is a co-production of Phion, Orchestra of Gelderland & Overijssel, and Wilminktheater and Muziekcentrum Enschede.