Brandenburg Concertos: Orchestra Barocca Zefiro

Seville, Teatro de la Maestranza — Sala Principal

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About the Event

Experience the enchanting melodies of Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concertos at the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville. These masterpieces, presented to the Margrave of Brandenburg‐Schwedt in 1721, have since become one of the most cherished collections of Baroque music. Composed for a diverse array of instruments, Bach pushed the boundaries of orchestral music, showcasing the virtuosity of the musicians of that time.

Musicians like Philip Pickett have delved into the deeper meanings within these concertos, suggesting symbolic and allegorical elements that elevate the music to a grand tableau. By praising the Margrave as a heroic figure, Bach simultaneously reminds him of the transient nature of glory and the mundane realities of life. The concertos serve as a powerful vanitas, prompting reflection on the impermanence of existence.

Leading the Zefiro Baroque Orchestra is renowned oboist Alfredo Bernardini. This exceptional ensemble, born out of the Historically Informed Performance movement in the 80s, showcases Bernardini, Paolo (oboe), and Alberto Grazz (bassoon) as outstanding interpreters of Baroque music. With a focus on wind instruments, Zefiro has received international acclaim and numerous awards for their recordings of 18th century repertoire. Bernardini, an acclaimed Baroque oboist himself, is actively involved in prestigious festivals and collaborates with esteemed ensembles such as the Baroque Orchestra of Seville (Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla).

Program

Johann Sebastian Bach – Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1‐6, BWV 1046‐1051

Program is subject to change

Artists

Orchestra:	Orchestra Barocca Zefiro
Conductor:	Alfredo Bernardini

Johann Sebastian Bach

The name Bach and the word musician had long been synonyms in Germany as the world saw 56 musicians from this kin. But it was Johann Sebastian Bach, a genius composer and virtuoso organ player, who shed lustre on his family name. He was born on th 31st of March 1685 in Eisenach, a small town in Thuringia. At the age of 10 he became an orphan and was brought up by his elder brother Johann Christoph, who was an organist in a neighbouring town. His brother was the one to teach music to the young Johann Sebastian. Later he moved to Luneburg where he attended a church school and mastered the techniques of playing violin, viola, piano and organ by the age of 17. Besides that, Bach was a choir singer and later after his voice broke he became a chanter’s assistant. In 1703 Bach was hired as a court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst III. He earned such a good reputation there that he was later invited to Arnstadt to be an organist at the New Church, where he wrote his best organ works. In 1723 he moved to Leipzig to be a chantor at St. Thomas Church where he stayed until his death of a stroke in 1750. In the year of his death he had undergone unsuccessful eye surgery which lead him to lose his eyesight. During that strenuous time his second wife Anna Magdalena helped him to write his last musical pieces. Bach’s artistic legacy is vast. He created compositions in all genres of the time: oratorias, cantatas, masses, motets, music for organ, piano and violin.

Address

Teatro de la Maestranza, Paseo de Cristóbal Colón, 22, Seville, Spain — Google Maps