Last month, I threw down a challenge, one that, for those who embrace it, will result in extraordinary concert experiences... and maybe a surprise gift. Now it's time to cowboy up for round 2. Are you up for it?
To review, four different major presentations of Bach's Mass in B minor are happening in Boston this season:
- Boston Baroque, with conductor Martin Pearlman (Oct. 21 & 23)
- Boston Early Music Festival, presenting the combined forces of the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and Juilliard415, with conductor Ton Koopman (Nov. 18)
- Boston Symphony Orchestra, with conductor Andris Nelsons (Feb. 2-4 & 7)
- Cantata Singers, with conductor David Hoose (Feb. 24 & 26)
My challenge to you is to attend all four presentations! Let us know when you're at one of these concerts via Instagram and Twitter with a post that's tagged with #BachBostonMass. And if you weren't able to make it to Boston Baroque's performances last month, let us know when you attend the others anyway!
Zoë Madonna reviewed the first in the series, from Boston Baroque, for the Boston Globe, and she wrote, "the circling power of Boston Baroque transported. 'Sanctus,' an infectious celestial dance, saw swaying in the seats. The piece’s final words, 'Dona nobis pacem,' overlapped and melted together, distilling the phrases into pure devotion and hope. In an increasingly cynical world, such unashamed expression is to be treasured."
If you listen to The Bach Hour, you already know how terrific Ton Koopman's interpretations are. So join me on Friday at St. Paul Church in Cambridge to hear his vision channeled through the young musicians of Juilliard415 and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. See you there!