The magnificent baroque city of Dresden, residence of the Saxon Court with its legendary love of music and art, is the final destination in this season’s tour of Bach’s cities. Multiple choirs, period brass, and strings re-create the 17th-century musical splendor of Schütz and Praetorius. J.S. Bach – who rather bluntly pointed out the superior conditions in Dresden to his Leipzig employers – is represented with the joyous cantata Sehet, welch eine Liebe, BWV 64. The Bach Choir Houston is joined by soloists of the Houston Boychoir, Mercury (on period instruments), and soloists Sharlu Melville, Rebecca Seekatz, and Jackson Felder. For the complete program and information on the performers, please visit the Bach Society Houston’s website.
The Bach Vesper series presents complete sacred cantatas along with choral motets and psalm settings in an evening prayer service related to a single theme. This gives them a context similar to their original performance, with chorales and readings chosen to give deeper insight into Bach’s theology. Listeners are also invited to sing and participate as Bach’s congregation did.
A pre-concert lecture (at 5:15pm) by Matthew Dirst will look at the Italian composer Giovanni Gabrieli’s style of composing for multiple choirs, and how it made its way to Dresden. There is no admission charge for either event; a free-will offering will be accepted.