Concert: Luther Cantatas, J. S. Bach

Christoph Spering, one of the most renowned conductors of early music and founder of the two ensembles 'Chorus Musicus Köln' and 'Das Neue Orchester', has taken the anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 as an occasion to take a new look at and make a new recording of all the Luther Cantatas from Bach’s various phases. In his new interpretations, Spering wanders through the liturgical year and in the process imparts how imaginatively Johann Sebastian Bach impressively avoided all formulas or repetitions. Until today, the combination of the music of the composer and the texts by Martin Luther is regarded as a cultural milestone.

On 29 October 2017, Christoph Spering will be awarded this year’s Echo Klassik prize for this new recording. We are extremely pleased that just one week later, on 4 November 2017, starting at 7:30 p.m., he and his ensemble will perform three of the newly interpreted Luther Cantatas in the hall at Draiflessen for us to enjoy and perhaps also discover anew both the classic 'Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu Dir' (From Deep Affliction I Cry Out to You) as well as the two less well-known works 'Nun komm der Heiden Heiland' (Come Now, Saviour of the Heathen) and 'Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darin' (Oh God, Look Down from Heaven).

Musicam semper amavi (I have always loved music), avowed Martin Luther, who himself sang and composed with a passion. He reworked psalms and wrote hymns and set them to music, convinced that Christian texts could be communicated more directly by means of singing: Sic Deus praedicavit evangelium etiam per musicam (God also preaches his gospel through music). Two hundred years later, Johann Sebastian Bach drew on the works of the reformer and composed the thirteen so-called Luther Cantatas. 

Soloists: Merle Bader (soprano), Marion Eckstein (alto), Cornel Frey (tenor), Lucas Singer (bass)

Tickets € 25, admissions€ 20 | free seating
Booking points: Draiflessen Collection (05452.9168-0, info@draiflessen.com), Gerbus W., Geschwister-Voß-Straße 3, Mettingen Touristinformation, Clemensstraße 2, Mettingen