Gloria! / Inauguration of the festival by Vivaldi, Bach, J. S., ket 26 rgs 2024, Nuo (2024/2024), Dirigentas Krzysztof Garstka, Bazylika Świętego Krzyża, Warsaw, Poland

Among the many sacred works by Antonio Vivaldi, Gloria RV 589 is one of the most frequently performed. The special charm of the twelve contrasting movements lies in the skillful use of a plethora of baroque musical means. Vivaldi, who achieved mastery in composing concert music, excels in using the expressive possibilities of the orchestra, which cooperates and, at times, competes with the soloists and choir. The spirited beginning with the characteristic octaves played in unison by the oboe, trumpet, and strings is answered by the no less energetic outcry of the choir: “Glory!” In the remainder of the piece, we will find captivating melodies, contemplative dialogues, and refined fugues, such as the solemn Cum sancto spiritu closing the composition. The second part of the concert will feature works by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the Orchestral Suite in D major, BWV 1068, the composer reaches the heights of melodic inventiveness and contrapuntal artistry. The French-style overture is followed by a sophisticated movement, popularized in the 19th century as the Aria on the G string. The listener is transported back from this mood of reflection by the subsequent movements – full of vitality and the joyful exultation of the dance forms of gavotte, bourrée, and gigue. The concert will end with Gloria in excelsis Deo BWV 191 – the only cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach written in Latin. Today, we do not know what circumstances prompted the master to make such a choice. Suffice it to say that the composition from 1742 contains almost the entire musical material (with the necessary abbreviations and transformations) from the second movement of the Missa, expanded at the end of his life into the famous Mass in B minor. The original was created in order for Bach to obtain the title of court composer to the Elector Augustus III of Saxony.