Cantores Minores. Photo: Ilkka Harjula.
Thu 10.11.2022 7.00 pm Helsinki Cathedral, Helsinki
Sun 13.11.2022 4.00 pm Cathedral, Tampere

Mass in b minor

Cantores Minores celebrates its 70th anniversary

J. S. Bach

Tuuli Lindeberg, soprano
Teppo Lampela, contratenor
Tuomas Katajala, tenor
Tommi Hakala, bass
Cantores Minores (coach Hannu Norjanen)
Leipzigin Tuomaskuoro (coach Thomas cantor Andreas Reize)
Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Andreas Reize (10.11.) / Hannu Norjanen (13.11.), conductor

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The choir Cantores Minores celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, culminating during the 70th anniversary weeks in October and November. For their performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor, Cantores Minores are joined by the Thomanerchor from Leipzig, founded in 1212. Along with them, the Thomanerchor brings a glimpse of their long Bach tradition, and at the same they time they will get to know the Bach tradition of Cantores Minores, which on a Finnish scale is significant. Both choirs have around 60 singers, making the total amount of choristers around 120.

Bach’s Mass in B minor is considered his musical testament. In his composition, Bach has skilfully used (parodied) themes from his earlier works, as the work wasn’t composed all at once. The first two movements, Kyrie and Gloria, were completed already in the years 1724 and 1731, and the other movements during the following twenty years. Bach finalized the Mass in B minor in 1749 during the last year of his life (he died in 1750). The Mass in B minor differs from the passions that Bach composed as sacred music. The work follows the mass of the catholic church and the text is in latin, which made the work unsuitable for use in the official lutheran church services during the 18th century. Therefore, the work wasn’t performed as one single entity for a long time. The first confirmed complete performance was only in 1859 in Leipzig. At that point, 110 years had already passed since the conception of the mass.

Duration: 2 h 15 min (no intermission)

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