J.S. Bach’s cantatas dedicated to the rulers of Lithuania and Poland

Tuesday 9 June, 19:00, Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius

Performers
WROCŁAW BAROQUE ORCHESTRA (Poland)
Artistic Director JAROSLAW THIEL

Soloists
KATHERINE MANLEY, IWONA LEŚNIOWSKA-LUBOWICZ, ALDONA BARTNIK (sopranos)
KATALIN KAROLYI, MARKÉTA CUKROVÁ, PIOTR OLECH (altos)
NICHOLAS MULROY, MACIEJ GOCMAN, KAROL KOZŁOWSKI (tenors)
HUGO OLIVEIRA, JAROMÍR NOSEK, JERZY BUTRYN (basses)
Conductor ANDRZEJ KOSENDIAK (Poland)

Programme
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH – Cantatas:

Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!, BWV 214
Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl (Trauer-Ode), BWV 198
Interval
Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206

The National Forum of Music, Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, soloists and conductor Andrzej Kosendiak bring special programme to the Vilnius Festival featuring Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685–1750) so-called Polish cantatas composed in Leipzig and dedicated to Augustus III, the then ruler of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Prince-Elector of Saxony, his spouse and the Queen Mother. With his secular cantatas Bach paid tribute to the Wettin Dynasty, one of the oldest ruler dynasties in Europe.

Cantata (funeral ode) Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl (Let, Princess, let still one more glance) was composed in 1727 to the memory of Christiane Eberhardine, the king’s mother. Bach wrote Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! (Resound, ye drums! Ring out, ye trumpets!, 1733) to honour the 34th birthday of Maria Josepha, the Queen of Poland and Electress of Saxony, while cantata Schleicht, spielende Wellen, und murmelt gelinde (Glide, O sparkling waves and murmur softly,1736) – the birthday of Augustus III of Poland.

Wrocław Baroque Orchestra was founded in 2006 by conductor Andrzej Kosendiak, General Director of Wrocław Philharmonic. The ensemble is Poland’s only baroque orchestra performing on period instruments. It is regularly invited to appear in various festivals including Wratislavia Cantans, Mozartiana, Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, Uckermärkische Musikwochen, and Poznań Baroque; collaborates with Collegium Vocale Gent, Cantus Cölln and Taverner Consort.