Bach's 'Mass in B Minor'

Gunta Gelgote, soprano
Ilze Grēvele-Skaraine, soprano
Doroteja Bīnerte, mezzo-soprano
Nicolas Mulroy, tenor
Richard Millers, bass-baritone
Latvian Radio Choir
Sinfonietta Rīga
Conductor Kaspars Putniņš 

 July 8, 20:00
Program: Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Mass in B Minor'

Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B Minor (also known as the 'Mass in B Minor') is considered one of the pinnacles of sacred music worldwide. It is both the culmination of the composer's creative legacy and a personal summary of spiritual experience—a work that transcends the boundaries of time, style, and denomination. Composed over nearly a quarter of a century, the mass was completed towards the end of J. S. Bach’s life (1748–1749).
This monumental mass consists of 27 sections—from the majestic Kyrie to the triumphant Dona nobis pacem. Alongside chorales, arias, duets, and virtuosic fugues, richly orchestrated ensembles shine, creating for the listener a stunning cathedral of sound through the blend of diverse vocal and instrumental timbres.
Although today the 'Mass in B Minor' is regarded as a structurally and emotionally unified work, its creation was a lengthy and creatively diverse process. Johann Sebastian Bach combined newly composed sections with previously written fragments, often reworking existing music.
During J. S. Bach’s lifetime, the mass was never performed in its entirety—only individual parts were played in specific liturgical contexts. It is symbolically and historically significant that the complete work was first performed almost a century after the composer’s death, at a time when Europe was rediscovering J. S. Bach’s music. Leipzig, and especially St. Thomas Church, where J. S. Bach had been a long-time leader of musical life, became the place of the revival of his creative legacy.
Today, the 'Mass in B Minor' is no longer just liturgical music—it is a monumental concert piece: musically theatrical, emotionally charged, and deeply spiritual. Today, we have the privilege of hearing Johann Sebastian Bach’s life’s work as a unified whole—transcending time and space, to be experienced as a masterpiece of art.

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