Johann Sebastian Bach鈥檚 famous Mass in B Minor, which the 91探花Chamber Singers will perform in two locations next week, shows off many of the master composer鈥檚 finest styles and skills almost as a musical portfolio might, the concerts鈥� director says.
Geoffrey Boers, the 91探花associate professor of music who will conduct the 36-voice Chamber Singers and members of the University Symphony in performances on June 1 in Meany Hall and June 4 in Suzzallo Library, said Bach created the Mass in B Minor partly to display his talents and promote his career.
Hear Bach at his best: The 91探花Chamber Singers, accompanied by members of the University Symphony, will perform Bach鈥檚 Mass in B Minor in two locations. Note: Tickets for the two concerts are $8 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors, but are bought in different ways: 鈥� 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, at Meany Theater. Tickets at the door or at 91探花Arts Ticket Office, 206-543-4880. 鈥� 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 4, in the Suzzallo Library Reading Room. Tickets sold only at the concert, starting at 6:45 p.m. in the library lobby. |
鈥淗e was really showing his stuff,鈥� Boers said. 鈥淚t shows off his ability to write for virtuoso instrumental playing. Each solo movement shows off different instruments and different kinds of voices and choruses will sing virtually every kind of music they had available, from very old styles to really modern dance music.鈥�
Bach鈥檚 smorgasbord-of-styles approach was far from random, however. Rather, Boers said, the composer built Mass in B Minor with multiple layers of meaning and complexity, both in the breadth of his music and the depth of its presentation.
鈥淏ach had an incredible mind. Some think of him as maybe the greatest musician because of his ability to wed so many different aspects,鈥� Boers said. 鈥淲e have composers who are incredible melody writers or who excel at harmony construction 鈥� but Bach does all of that, and yet weds in spirituality and mathematics and even numerology.鈥�
Boers described how Bach created underlying themes with his choice of notes and their numerological meaning, and that even the notes鈥� location on the page helped build imagery and tell a story.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 this guy!鈥� Boers said with admiration. 鈥淗e was a total package musician, and I think he expected listeners to experience it as a total package as well,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey were supposed to get it on several levels.鈥�
But though modern audiences might view the Mass in B Minor as a complete work unto itself, it is partly a compilation of several of Bach鈥檚 earlier efforts 鈥� a sort of musical repackaging.
At about two hours in total length, the piece is too long to have been used in a real Catholic mass. In fact, Bach himself, a lifetime Lutheran, never heard the work performed straight through, and may never have intended it to be played that way. Its first full performance is said to have been in 1859, more than 100 years after the composer鈥檚 death (he lived from 1685 to 1750).
Boers said that major works traditionally are performed with one set of soloists, but not this time. In next week鈥檚 concerts, several student soloists will be allowed to shine. He said that not only provides more opportunities for students, it brings a certain historical truth as well, since many of the work鈥檚 components were originally performed as separate pieces.
91探花audiences can hear this Bach masterpiece in two different ways and locations 鈥� in the traditional theater setting of Meany Hall, or in the high-ceilinged Gothic ambience of the Suzzallo reading room.
Calling Bach鈥檚 life work one of the finest collections in the world, Boers said, 鈥淚t is a depiction of the human story, the joy of dance, the tragedy of loss, the fear of death, the exhilaration of praise, the science of life, and the mystery of the journey.
鈥淚t is beautiful music, and each listener can take from it whatever they can, as it can be many things to many people. That is his genius.鈥�