Albrecht Mayer, oboist, and Vital Julian Frey, harpsichordist and artistic director of the Bachwochen Thun.

From the Baroque 
to the Orient

In late summer, the Bachwochen Thun will bring the churches and concert halls of the Thun region to life. A particular highlight will be the concert by star oboist Albrecht Mayer and the violist Liisa Randalu, with Vital Julian Frey on the harpsichord. In «Bach Trinity», they will perform three trio sonatas by J.S. Bach and three intermezzos, including two world premieres by composer Gordon Hamilton, who was also 
featured at last year’s Bachwochen. This concert will thus combine the works of J. S. Bach with contemporary music – a treat for fans of a wide variety of musical genres.

Deutsch

Since 1987, the Bachwochen have been presenting the works of Johann Sebastian Bach in the context of other composers. This year’s opening concert by the Bern-based ensemble Les Passions de l’Âme, conducted by Meret Lüthi, will feature works by Bachs friend and contemporary Georg Philipp Telemann, thereby showcasing a second key figure in Baroque music. With the Czech soprano Hana Blažíková and the Zurich trumpeter Dominic Wunderli, the «Ouverture – Jauchzet!» promises to be a musical extravaganza of the highest order.

 

Hana Blažíková performs with Les Passions de l’Âme.

Viola player Liisa Randalu is the third member of the «Bach Trinity».

The Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali lives in Belgium. She is a big influence on contemporary Arabic music and is well-known for her links to many different genres.

Artistic director Vital Julian Frey and managing director Séverine Payet, the team behind the Bachwochen Thun since 2021.

The concert by the Ensemble Zefiro Torna, the Vokalconsort Berlin and the singer Ghalia Benali will combine Western music with Oriental works. «The Allegory of Desire» was inspired by numerous musical interpretations of the «Song of Solomon» from the Old Testament, whose verses have Arabic origins. The combination of these sounds in the thousand-year-old church Amsoldingen is guaranteed to give you goosebumps.

 

Ouverture – Jauchzet!, 
28. August, Stadtkirche Thun

 

The Allegory of Desire, 
30. August, Kirche Amsoldingen

 

Bach Trinity, 5. September, 
Kirche Amsoldingen

 

The complete program 
can be found here.

Bachwochen Thun
Geschäftsstelle, 3600 Thun
077 444 39 29
mail@bachwochen.ch