Name: Bach at St. Bart’s
Start: 2025-01-24T20:00:00
Location: CSI St. Bartholomew’s Church

Experience the profound synergy of history and music as the American Symphony Orchestra presents a series of unforgettable performances. From the U.S. premiere of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's oratorios to Edgard Varèse's cosmic exploration and Richard Strauss's operatic debut, these events promise to captivate audiences with both familiar and rare compositions. Join us for a journey through the ages, showcasing the brilliance of renowned composers and the enduring impact of their works.

A Symphony of Rarities: ASO's Celebration of Musical Masterpieces

Leon Botstein

American Symphony Orchestra

Long associated with the instrumental genre, Carl Phillipp Emanuel Bach is most well-known for his concertos, sonatas, and symphonies. These works earned him a leading position in the years of the Rococo period, bridging the Baroque and Classical eras. Less well-known are his vocal compositions: his oratorios—a genre he explored only twice—are rarely, if ever, performed. For the first time in the U.S., the ASO presents Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu (The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus) (1774). First performed during Easter in 1774, the work illustrates some of the unique features of the Rococo period, such as abrupt changes in mood, fluid dynamics, and highly chromatic harmonic writing that point less to the music of C.P.E. Bach’s illustrious father, and more strongly to the innately expressive, passionate flavor of the Romantic period’s music. Accompanying the oratorio in its U.S. premiere is C.P.E. Bach’s choral work Heilig ist Gott (Holy is God) (1776). The composer thought highly of the work, cheekily writing that it “may serve to ensure that I am not too quickly forgotten after my death.”

Bach at St. Bart’s

Articles & News