Choral Splendours: Bach & Zelenka at Jeanne Lamon Hall

The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir reveals baroque choral treasures by Zelenka and Bach.

Amongst the composers Bach most admired was the Bohemian composer Jan Dismas Zelenka. It was a mutual admiration that was enriched by friendship. This program celebrates that friendship, pairing a selection of lesser-known, intimate gems from Bach’s Lutheran cantatas with an extravagant Catholic mass by Zelenka.

Tafelmusik has performed four of the five highly original high Masses Zelenka composed in the final decade of his life. Our performances of the Missa Sanctissimae Trinitatis complete the cycle of these extraordinary works. With its virtuosic demands on the performers, vivacious rhythms, eccentric harmonies, and deep emotional impact, the Mass bears Zelenka’s unmistakable personal stamp.

Joining the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and director Ivars Taurins is the Montreal soprano Myriam Leblanc, singing a beguiling aria from Bach’s Cantata 150, and displaying vocal fireworks in the Zelenka Mass.