Weihnachtskonzert – Philharmonie Berlin

Program

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Magnificat Wq 215
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mass in C minor, K. 427 (R. Maunder edition)

Brief Description

Music full of splendor and gratitude for the Christmas season
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’sMagnificat ishis first major sacred composition. Completed in 1749 in Potsdam, he was able to perform it in Leipzig before his father’s death. The work is among the most sonically magnificent and vocally demanding settings of the “Magnificat” from the Gospel of Luke. Its grandeur, dignity, the emotive arias, the polyphonic choruses, and the rich instrumentation convey Mary’s joy and devotion in a striking manner. The imposingMass in C minorwas Mozart’s personal wish and a great expression of love and gratitude to his wife Constanze. Composed in the run-up to their wedding, it was performed a year later, in October 1783, in Salzburg, though the Credo remained unfinished. Nevertheless, this outstanding setting of the Mass continues to move listeners with its immediate expressiveness.