Die Wege Bachs - Pygmalion - Membra Jesu Nostri

In the organizer's words:

Festival The Paths of Bach (Chemins de Bach)
Conductor: Raphaël Pichon

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Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Membra Jesu nostri

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sacred songs and arias from "Schemellis Gesangbuch" BWV 439-507

Dieterich Buxtehude
I love you dearly, O Lord BuxWV 41

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Dietrich Buxtehude's Membra Jesu Nostri , composed in 1680 to a medieval text by Arnaud de Louvain, comprises a cycle of seven cantatas dedicated to the crucified body of Christ. Unique in the 17th century repertoire, the work is characterized by its simple and at the same time extremely theatrical composition: Each cantata reflects on one of the wounds of the crucified, starting with the feet and ending with the face, and places the audience in a direct relationship with the suffering Christ on the cross. The Membra Jesu Nostri invites devotion and contemplation. The work is characterized by Lutheran spirituality after the Thirty Years' War and transports the audience into an individual and at the same time deeply embodied experience of the sacred.

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About "The Ways of Bach"

In 1705, Johann Sebastian Bach was twenty years old. As a young organist from a modest background, he wanted to perfect his musical education - and so he set off from Arnstadt to Lübeck to meet the composer Dietrich Buxtehude, an undisputed master of his craft. Few details are known about his journey of more than 400 kilometers, which must have been partly on foot along the Roman salt road. For Bach, however, it represented a personal and artistic awakening that would shape his entire future work. Pygmalion was founded in 2006 by Raphaël Pichon. To mark its 20th anniversary, the French ensemble Pygmalion is undertaking a similarly formative journey, partly on foot, which includes concerts as well as encounter projects. The Ways of Bach was accompanied by ARTE Concert and France Musique in 2024. Join us on the last leg of our journey!

Pygmalion Choir & Orchestra

Founded in 2006 by Raphaël Pichon, Pygmalion is made up of singers and instrumentalists who perform on period instruments. The ensemble focuses on tracing musical connections between composers, for example Bach's legacy with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy or the proximity of Heinrich Schütz and Johannes Brahms. The ensemble regularly performs concerts and opera productions in the most prestigious concert halls in France and internationally, and its numerous recordings are released by harmonia mundi. Recent releases include Bach's motets, St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, the album Mein Traum with baritone Stéphane Degout, Monteverdi's Vespro della Beate Vergine and a Bach-Händel album with Sabine Devieilhe.

Price information:

Free choice of seats, Free admission for pupils & students