Messe in h-Moll Berlin Concert

In October 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, took a very surprising and positive decision for all friends of Bach: they included the handwritten manuscript of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor in the international register “Memory of the World”. The list, which was initiated in 1992, currently contains some 500 outstanding documents of world history – from the Golden Bull to the Gutenberg Bible to the founding paper of the Polish trade union Solidarność. With the inclusion of Bach’s Mass in B minor in the world's documentary heritage, the committee recognised Bach’s extraordinary art of composition which – even more than 250 years after the work was composed – exerts an “inspiring influence on humanity”.

This unique position of the Mass in B minor among Bach’s works, as well as among many other compositions of European music history, was already recognised relatively early in its reception. While most of Bach’s other vocal works remained largely forgotten after his death in 1750, the Mass continued to be performed in the 18th century, at least partially, and to be called by the audience “one of the most sublime musical pieces ever heard”. In 1818, the music researcher Hans Georg Nägeli even called the composition the “greatest musical artwork of all times and all peoples”. The romantic composers Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms engaged intensively with the score as well. Today, the Mass is among the most popular works of sacred music, and numerous performances and recordings repeatedly make its inner content accessible. Since the era of Uwe Gronostay, principal conductor of the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin from 1972 to 1986, the choir has regularly performed Bach’s Mass in B minor. 1984 was the last time it appeared on the programme of the traditional New Year’s concert. In addition, there are two CD recordings of the work from 2006 and 2022, both conducted by René Jacobs. Principal conductor Justin Doyle will wield the baton at the concert kicking off the season.

The concert will be recorded by Deutschlandfunk Kultur.