Bach today

Megan set off for London but I managed a slightly later train and a final Leipzig motette. It was the Sunday morning outing at Nikolaskirche. Last week it had largely been a repeat of the motette the day before at Thomaskirche although with a longer service. This week same same but different. Ensemble Amadeus was performing but this time up front behind the altar so I could see them. You don't see performers at Thomaskirche. And they had additional singers and maybe additional instruments. The director, organist and ensemble were listed in the program but this time also SATB singers and also two oboes and a horn. The service started with the first aria from the Bach cantata O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort BWV60.1 for alto and tenor, and the rest of the canatata appeared later along with various liturgical matters and a screed of Gemeindeliede. Nice. I enjoyed the music and also the singing, although my pronunciation or la-las admitting defeat were a little embarrassing in context of the German gentleman beside me. Some music was also written with no bar lines and I got some hang of how that works (repeated notes of a pitch seem to imply note length rather than repeats, and you just have to feel the pauses between lines). And the religious event was quite joyous, with children catered for by their own kindergottesdienst and this modern host dipped in wine and handed to the parishoner by female assistants ("lektoren": Google Translate suggests editors or lecturers?). All very different from my Catholic days, several decades and a pandemic ago. But this in not totally a meeting of the faithful and they know it. There are clear tourists who get out the camera as soon as the service ends but they/we remain dignified and respectful throughout and are welcomed, and several members of the ensemble did not stand with the parishioners. Thus is our diverse world. But a much enjoyed final 90-minutes of contemplation and quiet and music. As for the music, it just worked better today with several works of joy, not least a Bach movement of an oboe concerto nicely played and another movement form Mozart during communion. It wasn't particularly difficult music but pleasant and well received. And as for the ensemble, I counted 1xbass, 2xcello, 3xviola, 8xviolins 1&2 and added 1xhorn and 2xoboe. And pretty sure the four string bass and other strings were steel strung and played with modern bows. This was my lucky 5th and final and maybe last Leipzig cantata event. And to top it off, my first dachy alert in Leipzig and only my 4th in Germany for this visit: a wirehaired 7yo male called Kasimir walking in Marktplaz. Good outing all around.

Ensemble Amadeus performed Bach, Mozart and more at Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. EA were led by Nomann Kastner (conductor) and accompanied by Frank Berger (horn),Christian Weikert and Anne Schulze (oboes), Markus Kaufmann (organ, harpsichord) and singers Clara Beyer (soprano), Anna Schuch (alto), Christoph Pfaller (tenor) and Kurt Lachmann (bass). Dachy Kasimir was walking with his family in Marktplaz.