Soloists: 
Isabel Jantschek, soprano
Maria Henrietta Reinhold, mezzo-soprano
Benedikt Kristjánsson, tenor
Tobias Berndt, bass

The famous Messe in B-minor – or “The Great Catholic Mass”, as it was called in the Romantic era – has never been performed in its entirety during Bach's lifetime. It was only in 1811 that the Berliner Singakademie included it in its repertoire. K.F. Zelter, then the head of chapel, once called it “the greatest masterpiece the world has ever seen”.

The first performance of the Messe took place in 1835, and now it is next to impossible to imagine a concert bill in any country without this genial music monument. Nevertheless, these concerts are always sold out. And it’s not about the perfection of Bach’s oeuvre only. On the one hand, it’s the mark of any singer’s high level; on the other hand, the Bach’s heritage is so unique that it endlessly provides the source for all kinds of interpretations.

Today the name of Gächinger Cantorey may not ring a bell with aficionados of authentic music, let alone wider audience. But the ensemble turns out to be no newcomers – indeed, they are exquisite experts of barocco music.

It is well known that there were two large world famous ensembles in the renowned Bachakademie Stuttgart, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1981. These groups are Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart and Bach Collegium Stuttgart. Hans-Christoph Rademann, Rilling’s kindred spirit, became the head of Academy in 2013. Under his direction during the season of 2017/17 both collectives united in one ensemble, a move that marked “the new era” of Academy’s concert activity.

The choir and orchestra Gächinger Cantorey with musicians play period instruments only, created a new style of interpreting Bach: the so-called Stuttgarter Bachstils (the Stutgart’s Bach-style). It is that style that we’ll get acquainted with during the forthcoming concert.