January 2023 Intensive:
Public Events

How might we understand the harmonic complexities of Bach's writing from a historical perspective? How were his dissonances perceived and understood?

The arioso movements, short orchestrated pieces that often precede arias in the cantatas and oratorios, are little masterpieces of instrumentation, expression, and harmony. We will explore four of these gems with our vocal Fellows in a masterclass setting; led by Bach Institute directors Pamela Dellal and Ryan Turner.

In the space of less than 20 years, the norms regarding Bach orchestras and Bach instrumental forces have flipped; whereas it was once a novelty to hear this music played on instruments from the 18th century, now it is novel to hear Bach played on modern instruments. We will take up this question in light of Emmanuel Music's continued practice of performing the cantatas and other works on instruments designed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

We know that Bach composed his cantatas almost exclusively for men and boys; nonetheless, if we listen to his arias for soprano and alto in the context of Lutheran theology, we hear how Bach expressed a sense of femininity that is palpable to listeners today. We will explore many of the rhetorical strategies that Bach uses in these arias as we consider how a more embodied approach to both listening and singing might bring these works to life for twenty-first century performers and audiences.