1734–1735: A Season in the Life of J.S. Bach

Choral Arts Philadelphia will present 1734–1735: A Season in the Life of J.S. Bach, a recreation of 18 rarely-performed cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed as originally intended: in an arc spanning the Christian church calendar and secular seasons. Bach performed the sacred cantatas between 1734 and 1735, while he served as director of music at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany. The concert series will be performed in Philadelphia's Saint Clement's Church, which shares Gothic and Romanesque elements with St. Thomas. The three-season sequence will comprise four concerts/eight cantatas in the fall; three concerts/six cantatas in late winter; and two concerts/four cantatas at springtime, offering audiences a chance to immerse themselves in the artist's vision from beginning to end. A series of discussions by period experts will illuminate important aspects of Bach's life and legacy, and contextualize the musical, historical, and theological aspects of each cantata.