Choir and Orchestra of the Berlin Bach Academy: J.S. Bach: Hunting Cantata & W.A. Mozart: Coronation Mass

Both works are in radiant major keys: Bach's cantata in the somewhat darker F major, Mozart's mass in the "Jupiter" key of C major. The second part of both works features two soprano arias, "Schafe können sicher weiden" (Sheep can graze safely) and the "Agnus Dei" (Agnus Dei), which have made it into the evergreen hit lists. Accompanied by two Flauti dulci, Marie Luise Werneburg will stir the audience with Bach's aria. And Mozart will later use the theme of the "Agnus Dei" in the famous aria "Dove sono i bei momenti" of the Countess in the "Marriage of Figaro", also heartfelt music.

Bach, in turn, parodied the bass aria "Ein Fürst ist seines Landes Pan", a quite common practice at the time: In the cantata for Whit Monday BWV 68, he has the bass sing: "Du bist geboren mir zugute".

Heribert Breuer prefaces both works with an instrumental overture from the late works of both composers. His orchestrations are heard for the first time today.

For Bach's radiantly optimistic organ prelude in C major, he uses the specific timbres of the cantata: The two horns and recorders are the protagonists here. Mozart's sombrely melancholy F minor Fantasy then forms the introduction to the "Kyrie".

Here Breuer has deliberately set the keys in order to emphasise the outer unity of his programme.

The Berlin Bach Academy: In the choir founded by Heribert Breuer in 1991, ambitious amateurs sing at a high level of music-making and are prepared to devote a large part of their free time to dedicated rehearsal work. Concerts in the Berlin Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus or on tour with highly professional orchestral musicians and prominent singers as soloists are the reward for this work.

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