Early Music Vancouver Celebrates The Season Of Love With BACH TIES THE KNOT

Early Music Vancouver will present Bach Ties the Knot, a captivating exploration of J.S. Bach’s wedding-related works on February 15, 2025 at 3pm, at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church. Part of EMV’s 2025 LUMEN Festival, this concert will feature renowned German soprano Dorothee Mields alongside EMV’s in-house orchestra, Pacific Baroque Orchestra (PBO) under the direction of Alexander Weimann.

“We’re delighted to present a concert that celebrates the timeless themes of love and union through some of Bach’s most exquisite music,” says Suzie LeBlanc, Artistic and Executive Director of EMV. “Dorothee Mields’ artistry and deep connection to this repertoire promise an unforgettable experience, bringing to life the emotional depth and brilliance of these works.”

EMV has long enjoyed a close collaboration with Mields, whose spellbinding performances of Bach Cantatas and other early music selections during the 2019/20 season have previously captivated Vancouver audiences. Described as “one of the finest, most genteel singers of our time” (Jens F. Laurson), Mields will perform Bach’s beloved Cantata BWV 202 “Weichet nur,” possibly composed for Bach’s own wedding to Anna Magdalena, alongside the world premiere of her newly crafted Fictive Wedding Cantata, “O großes Hochzeitsfest!”.

Inspired by Bach’s technique of Parodie – reworking his own compositions – Mields has curated a cantata from a selection of Bach’s sinfonias, recitatives, arias, and one chorale. This artfully constructed work expands on the limited number of Bach cantatas for solo soprano, while simultaneously shining a spotlight on rarely performed yet exceptionally beautiful pieces from the composer’s vast and rich collection.

Dorothee Mields is one of the leading interpreters of 17th- and 18th-century music and is beloved by audiences and critics alike for her unique timbre and moving interpretations. She appears regularly with the Collegium Vocale Gent, Netherlands Bach Society, L’Orfeo Barockorchester, Freiburger Barockorchester, RIAS Kammerchor, Bach Collegium Japan, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Lautten Compagney Berlin, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Toronto, The English Concert and Klangforum Wien under conductors such as Stefan Asbury, Beat Furrer, Michi Gaigg, Paul Goodwin, Philippe Herreweghe, Emilio Pomàrico, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Andreas Spering, Masaaki Suzuki and Jos van Veldhoven.

EMV’s presentation of Bach Ties the Knot will also feature a pre-concert chat at 2:30pm at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church with Dorothee Mields and Alexander Weimann hosted by Suzie LeBlanc.

For information and tickets, visit earlymusic.bc.ca

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