In the 18th century, Leipzig was famous for its university, its fairs, coffee houses, amusement gardens and temples. In this lecture, we will briefly glance at the city's churches, but mainly talk about Bach's secular music and the fashionable concert venues where he has performed.

We will read the memoirs of former Leipzig students, see what the famous city coffee houses looked like, remember the famous concerts of the Collegium of Music, which Bach has directed since 1729. We will not ignore the city festivities – in particular, the visit of the Saxon Elector August III in 1734: on October 5, after a procession with torches, the whole city gathered in the market square to listen to Bach performing a new cantata under the windows of Apel's house, where he stayed Saxon prince.

Anna Andrushkevich is a musicologist, producer of the Zaryadye Hall, curator and author of the idea of ​​the “Music in Space” cycle.