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The art of improvisation was highly valued at the time J.S. Bach embarked on his prodigious career. The 18th-century German musician was himself a master not only of composition but also of this creative form. BACHcelona payed hommage to the work and spirit of the Baroque virtuoso in July 2013, with the first Barcelona music festival dedicated to his brilliance, celebrated through an array of activities and concerts. There were chamber music and instrumental performances of J.S. Bach’s compositions, as well as song and dance productions. Adding some vital historical context to J.S. Bach’s music, musician and historian Joan Vives gave a talk explaining J.S. Bach’s experience when he arrived in Leipzig in 1723, which served as a prelude to the cantata BWV 105, was performed at Santa Maria del Mar.
The festival took place in beautiful historical venues across the city, including the Cathedral, the Palau de la Música, Plaça del Rei and the Monestir de Sant Pau del Camp. The festival closes on July 28, 2013 marking the annual commemoration of J.S. Bach’s death.
BACHcelona is organised by Bach Zum Mitsigen, a vibrant Bach community established in Barcelona that strives to bring J.S. Bach out of the somewhat stuffy setting of the concert hall and instead focus on the participatory, the interpretative, the living experience of J.S. Bach. |
