La Nativité selon la Famille Bach

Christmas Concert La Nativité selon la famille Bach Ensemble Arianna | soloists, choirs and instrumental ensemble Musical direction | Marie-Paule Nounou With the participation of Ars Vocalis – Pôle…

Christmas concert La Nativité selon la famille Bach Ensemble Arianna | soloists, choirs and instrumental ensemble Musical direction | Marie-Paule Nounou With the participation of Ars Vocalis – Pôle d'art vocal de l'Ensemble Arianna.

This Christmas concert takes as its theme the birth and childhood of Christ within the Bach family.

Usually performed with a great deal of trumpets and timpani, as well as numerous wind instruments, the instrumentation of the texts is here more intimate, in a light instrumental line-up. That does not prevent one from recognising the festivity, the joy and the dance.

Sacred music becomes more theatrical, more operatic, almost secular, yet always in the service of the divine.

We will present to the audience four eminent members of the family, the foremost of whom was undoubtedly the illustrious Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750), who did not hesitate to pay tribute to those of his cousins, near or distant, whose talent he readily acknowledged, such as Johann Ludwig Bach (1677 – 1731), the oldest on our programme, or Johann Ernst Bach (1722 – 1777).

He had, among his numerous descendants, four sons who in turn became famous composers and played an important role in the history of music.

Among them was Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732 - 1795), the youngest of our quartet, whose small oratorio Die Kindheit Jesu, written in 1777, is a true masterpiece that will lead us to the threshold of Classicism, in the colours of Mozart or Haydn.

In the very beautiful Basilica of Notre-Dame-Des-Tables in Montpellier, Ensemble Arianna will perform these magnificent jewels, with the participation of Lucile Magnan, soprano, Sophie Hanne, mezzo, Bertrand Dazin, countertenor, Raphaël Bremard, tenor, and Eric Martin-Bonnet, bass, specialists in the baroque repertoire, under the direction of Marie-Paule Nounou.

A prestigious concert that will delight lovers of vocal music.