This concert season brings a rare Bach convergence. I dare you to take advantage of it.
In any given season, Bach's music is far from difficult to locate on the calendar. Not only are you guaranteed a superb cantata performance each Sunday morning in the Back Bay, courtesy of Emmanuel Music, you'll also find more Bach on the programs of the Handel and Haydn Society, the Celebrity Series of Boston, and many others.
But this season, no fewer than four of Boston's major presenters and ensembles have programmed one of the true pillars of Bach's music, the Mass in B minor. As if you needed any more evidence of how special a music environment Boston is, that means you have four chances to hear stellar, world-class interpretations of a mind-blowing two hours of music.
Check them out:
- Boston Baroque, with conductor Martin Pearlman (Oct. 21 & 23)
- Boston Early Music Festival, presenting the combined forces of the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and Juillliard415, with conductor Ton Koopman (Nov. 18)
- Boston Symphony Orchestra, with conductor Andris Nelsons (Feb. 2-4 & 7)
- Cantata Singers, with conductor David Hoose (Feb. 24 & 26)
So let's take advantage of the situation. I'm making it a point to hear each of these programs, I hope you'll join me! My guess is that Bach would consider four performances of one of his greatest masterpieces reward enough for going to all the effort. But I'm not Bach, so I've got another incentive.
If you go to all four of these presentations, you'll get free admission to a WCRB classical music event at our Fraser Performance Studio in the spring (specific event and date to be determined). And when we all gather there to share our experiences of this incomparable piece of music, I'll make sure everyone walks away with a surprise gift, a sort of badge of honor for what you might call a Bach marathon in four stages.
How will we know you were at the concerts? You'll tell us, via Instagram and Twitter! Just post some photographic evidence that you were there, tagged with #BachBostonMass. In early March we'll be in touch with you to make arrangements for you to join us at WCRB.
