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Venues: |
Rathausfestsaal, Fischmarkt 1
Thomaskirche, Schillerstr. 50
Reglerkirche, Bahnhofstr. 7
Kaufmannskirche, Anger 80
Predigerkloster, Refektorium, Predigerstr. 3
Kaisersaal, Futterstr. 15/16 |
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History & Mission: |
Without Erfurt, J.S. Bach would likely not exist. In Erfurt, the Bach family is synonymous with the profession of musician. No other city was as closely associated with the family as the present-day capital of Thuringia. Erfurt's musical life in the 17th century was significantly shaped by numerous members of the Bach family, three of whom successively led the Erfurt City Orchestra.
The sons of Johann Bach the Minstrel (1550-1626), Johann) [Hans] Bach (1604-1673) - who came to Erfurt in 1635 - and Christoph Bach (1613-1661), established the Bach family's musical reputation in Erfurt during the 17th century.
The people of Erfurt are well aware of this tradition. In the 1970's and 1980's, Erfurt was a center for the Bach-Tage of the Erfurt district and, since the founding of the Thüringer Bachwochen in 1992, has been a core organizer of this festival. Therefore, the state capital's pride in its connection to its Bach remains unbroken and justified.
The concerts of the Thüringer Bachwochen 2006 and the 2nd Erfurter Bach-Tage are intended to further spread Erfurt's reputation as a Bach city, in addition to promoting the works of the Bach family.
The division of labor between the Thüringer Bachwochen Association and the Erfurt City Administration's Cultural Department proved successful as early as 2005. Through the collaboration between the 2006 Thüringer Bachwochen and the 2nd Erfurter Bach-Tage, the City of Erfurt aims to combine performances of national and international renown with the preservation of regionally established traditions of J.S. Bach interpretation. This year (2006), too, the pooling of the financial and organizational resources of the association and the city will prove beneficial.
From March 21 to April 30, 2006, 12 concerts took place in Erfurt. The opening concert, held in St. Giles' Church (Ägidienkirche), celebrated Bach's birthday. This year (2016), as in previous years (2015), a focus of the Erfurt program was dedicated to children, both on stage and in the audience. The music school's Bach concert and the "Bach for Children" project aimed to foster talent and cultivate a discerning audience for the future.
The Thüringer Bachwochen culminated in a special highlight: a performance of one of J.S. Bach's most powerful and moving works -Johannes-Passion BWV 245 - by Dietrich Ehrenwerth.
During the Franco-German Year, the Capella Michael Altenburg brought together German and French Baroque composers in a concert entitled "Pioneers of the Baroque."
Established partners from previous years, such as Musica rara e. V., the Regler parish, and organists Matthias Dreißig and Andreas Strobelt, complete the program of the 2nd Erfurter Bach-Tage, thus also offering insights into diverse venues for Bach interpretation. The concert series in Erfurt culminates with a recital by star pianist Martin Stedtfeld at the Theater Erfurt.
A special and popular offering is the themed city tour entitled "The Bache in Erfurt." The meeting point was the Tourist Information Office at Benediktsplatz 1, two and a half hours before each concert. These tours, organized by Tourism GmbH Erfurt, also served as a kind of "pre-program" for the individual concerts. They always ended half an hour before the concert began at the respective venue.
This extensive program of the Erfurter Bach-Tage was made possible in particular by the financial support of the Sparkasse Mittelthüringen, to whom special thanks are due.
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Recent Festivals: |
2nd Festival: Mar 21-Apr 30, 2006
3nd Festival: Mar 15-Apr 13, 2008
4th Festival: Mar 21-Apr 26, 2009
4th Festival: Mar 21-Apr 25, 2010
5th Festival: Mar 21-Apr 17, 2011
6th Festival: Apr 1-22, 2012
The Festival is no longer active as an independent
festival |
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