No festival would be complete without a generous sampling of Bach’s matchless vocal music, and our final concert How Brightly Shines will not disappoint. We’ll hear two settings of the beautiful chorale “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” (“How brightly shines the Morningstar”), one by Johann Kuhnau, Bach’s predecessor at the Thomas Kirche, and one by Bach himself. The artistry of guest soloist Yeree Suh will be featured in several arias, and there will be other cantatas to bring the festival to a joyous conclusion - not to be missed!

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How Brightly Shines

Eastminster United Church

Who loved the music of J. S. Bach during the eighteenth century? Who hated it? This presentation will offer two contrasting examples. First, Dr. Andrew Talle will illuminate the musical life of a professional organist, who collected as many of Bach's works as he could while simultaneously working at an orphanage, buying gifts for his fiancée, and managing his own private students. Second, Dr. Talle will discuss the lives of two teenage girls who had little interest in the music of J. S. Bach but transcended the expectations of their time in other ways, not least by composing music that was more to their taste.

Annual Lecture

Following a highly acclaimed debut at last year’s festival, we are pleased to present our Kaffeehaus concert again this year. Join us in a relaxed café setting as we regale you with a complete performance of Bach’s Hunt Cantata, including the famous aria “Sheep may safely graze,” together with movements from Brandenburg Concerto No. 1. We are also looking forward to presenting guest soloist Yeree Suh, the noted soprano now established in Stuttgart, in her Toronto Bach Festival debut. The spacious acoustic of the Church of the Holy Trinity (by the CF Toronto Eaton Centre) will provide an excellent location for our recreation of Zimmermann’s Leipzig coffee house, and the beloved Canadian actor R.H. Thomson will once again preside as Herr Zimmermann.

Kaffeehaus

Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto

We are proud to feature Toronto organist Aaron James at the festival, as he presents a recital of Bach favourites, including the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor, together with masterpieces of the north German repertory that Bach certainly knew. Mr. James will present his program on the dazzling Karl Wilhelm organ at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.

Organ Recital

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

The festival will open with The Game of Threes, as we welcome guest violin soloist and leader Adrian Butterfield to our stage. The concert will feature the magnificent Concerto for Three Violins, as well as the Concerto in A minor for solo violin, and will also examine some composers who influenced Bach, including Albinoni and Vivaldi. The concert will conclude with the masterful Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, a work in which Bach takes the concept of a triple concerto to the next level, as he writes for three groups of three instruments (violins, violas, and cellos), each with an independent part.

The Game of Threes

One of Britain’s most distinguished harpsichordists, festival guest artist Steven Devine will offer a complete performance of the iconic Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. Although these preludes and fugues were composed over a period of years, Bach revised many of them and assembled them into a magnificent manuscript copy in the year 1722, just before his move to Leipzig in 1723. Mr. Devine is the principal keyboardist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and is a frequent soloist with many ensembles around the world. His critically acclaimed recording of The Well-Tempered Clavier was released in 2019.

The Well-Tempered Clavier

We are pleased to welcome this year’s guest artist, harpsichordist Steven Devine, as he makes his Toronto Bach Festival debut in one of Bach’s most striking concertos, the powerful Concerto in D minor for harpsichord. The program, taking place downtown Toronto at the beautiful Church of the Holy Trinity, will also include the rarely performed Concerto in C major for two harpsichords, featuring Mr. Devine alongside our own Christopher Bagan. Rounding out the evening will be the beloved Concerto in E major for violin, featuring festival concertmaster Julia Wedman, and a new transcription of Bach’s Italian Concerto, arranged and performed by Artistic Director John Abberger.

Toronto Bach Festival

May 26, 2024

How Brightly Shines

May 26, 2024

Annual Lecture

Toronto Bach Festival