Johann Sebastian Bach

The Mass in b minor is one of Bach’s profoundest works and a landmark of sacred composition. Many musicians and critics, such as trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, have called it, simply, “the greatest piece of music ever written.” Although Bach almost certainly never heard it performed, the Mass, in manuscript form, became a legend following his death. Both Haydn and Beethoven tried (unsuccessfully) to obtain copies; and the modern Early Music Revival is usually considered to have begun with Mendelssohn’s 1829 performance of this work. A landmark of the Baroque Era, the Mass presents the full spectrum of human spiritual experience, from the deepest pain and despair to the dizzying heights of divine ecstasy, achieved through Bach’s use of contrasting vocal textures and instrumental colors.

In 1991, David Babbitt led the Bach Choir in the first West Coast performance of the Mass to restore Bach’s original instrumentation, and this March’s reprise of that ground-breaking performance will feature some of the finest baroque performers in the world. Soprano Judith Nelson, contralto Dana Marsh, tenor Jeffrey Thomas, and bass David Newman all have been widely praised for their performances and recordings. The instrumental ensemble will include baroque specialists drawn from around the country, including John Thiessen, natural trumpet.

Featured Soloists:
Judith Nelson, Soprano
Dana Marsh, Alto
Jeffrey Thomas, Tenor
David Newman, Baritone