Bach and his predecessors

Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 8:30 PM

OTHER PERFORMANCES

Estimated Run Time: 1 hour

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

The imposing figure of the Leipzig cantor sometimes obscures the fact that Baroque Germany saw the birth of a rich musical tradition long before him, carried forward by key figures such as Schütz, Schein, Pachelbel, and Buxtehude. Each of them developed a deeply expressive language, rooted in spirituality, without ever compromising on formal rigor: a solid foundation on which Bach would build his genius. At the crossroads of styles and synthesizing the best of European traditions, he took the art of counterpoint and the sense of musical architecture to their highest peaks. The Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris, conducted by Henri Chalet, offers a dialogue between these founding composers, between fervor, light, and depth.

Photo by ©Dirk Guldner_Musikfestspiele Saar

Program

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Wir eilen mit schwachen, excerpt from Cantata BWV 78 Jesu, der du meine Seele
O Jesu Christ, mein's Lebens Licht BWV 118
Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229
Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe, excerpt from Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248

Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672)
Selig sind die Töten
Verleih uns Frieden
O bone Jesu
Aus der Tiefe ruf ich, Herr, zu dir SWV 25

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654)
Jauchzet Gott, alle Land

Johann Ludwig Bach (1677-1731)
Das ist meine Freude

Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
In te, Domine, speravi

Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630)
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
Magnificat

Cast

Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris
Yves Castagnet, organ
Henri Chalet, conductor
 

Download the program

Other performances

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - 8:30 PM - Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris