Sat, 26.09.2026
PEARLS OF BAROQUE SOUND ART

Johann Sebastian Bach "Praise the Lord, my soul" BWV 69a;
Antonio Vivaldi "Magnificat" RV 610;
George Frideric Handel "Dixit Dominus" HWV 232.

With works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel, this concert unites three outstanding examples of Baroque vocal music from Germany, Italy, and England – simultaneously expressing an era that, despite national influences, was characterized by a shared musical vision.
Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata "Praise the Lord, my soul" (BWV 69a) was composed in Leipzig and is one of his festive sacred works. The text takes Psalm 103 and unfolds, in an impressive sonic architecture, a musical praise of God, reflected in radiant choruses and moving arias.
Antonio Vivaldi's "Magnificat," presumably composed for a Venetian girls' school, sets Mary's hymn of praise from the Gospel of Luke to music. In concise, contrasting movements, Vivaldi combines poignant simplicity with dramatic intensification, creating a characteristically Italian musical language that oscillates between devotion and theatrical impact.
George Frideric Handel's "Dixit Dominus," composed in 1707 during his time in Italy, is among the composer's earliest major sacred works. This setting of Psalm 110 impresses with its extraordinary energy, virtuosic choral passages, and stark contrasts that already hint at Handel's later mastery.
The juxtaposition of these three works reveals the diversity of the European Baroque: different national traditions enter into a vibrant dialogue, merging into a multifaceted portrait of sacred music that encompasses solemnity, profound expression, and sonic splendor.