Bach: Early cantatas

Correspondances, which has devoted itself to French music since its creation in 2009, entered German territory ten years later via the shores of the Baltic Sea. The ensemble has performed the music of 17th-century North German masters, as well as that of many of the travelling musicians who sailed from court to court from the Hanseatic League to Denmark. Dietrich Buxtehude, the celebrated organist of St Mary's in Lübeck, was the undisputed master of these lands at the time.

From Paris and Lübeck, the convergence of these two streams naturally leads us to the music of the young Johann Sebastian Bach. This musician, shaped largely by his insatiable curiosity about the musical creations that preceded him and those of his time, was familiar with a considerable repertoire from his earliest years. His music library bears witness to this: French music features prominently, with works by François Couperin and Nicolas de Grigny. In Lüneburg, he met a number of French musicians, including a pupil of Lully. Throughout his life, Bach had a special affinity with French music. Along with Charpentier and Rameau, he had a particular taste for intertwined musical lines, a delicate blend of raw sensitivity, absolute understanding of the text and a science that far surpassed his contemporaries. In fact, this is another thing these three geniuses had in common: while they were still alive, they were all considered to be great composers.

Johann Sebastian Bach took up his post in Mülhausen in 1707, and it was here that he composed his very first cantatas (the very first would be BWV131). This genre was to have a lasting influence on his career and his work, forming the backbone of the whole. In these early works, his own genius happily rubbed shoulders with the inspiration of his masters, first and foremost Buxtehude. Bach only held his post in Mülhausen for a few months before moving on to a better position at the court in Weimar. It was during this short stay that the four splendid cantatas on this programme were written.

Programme BWV4 Christ lag in Todesbanden BWV150 Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich BWV106 Actus Tragicus BWV 131 Aus der Tiefe ruf'ich Herr zu dir