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This Month, ‘Bach Ties the Knot’ in Vancouver

The new cantata by soprano Dorothee Mields, inspired by the Baroque composer, arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day.

A light-skinned woman with long, straight blonde hair looks directly at the camera. She is wearing an elegant emerald green dress and shawl with matching necklace. Behing her is a blurred building with classic columns.
Soprano Dorothee Mields performs in Bach Ties the Knot, one of three concerts at EMV’s LUMEN Festival, running from Feb. 14 to 16 in Vancouver. Image submitted.
Early Music Vancouver 7 Feb 2025The Tyee

Early Music Vancouver is delighted to present Bach Ties the Knot, a captivating exploration of J.S. Bach’s wedding-related works that features a new fictive wedding cantata performed by acclaimed German soprano Dorothee Mields.

Part of EMV’s 2025 LUMEN Festival, this concert will feature Mields alongside EMV’s in-house orchestra, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, under the direction of Alexander Weimann. The performance is Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver.

Mields, one of the leading interpreters of 17th- and 18th-century music, is beloved by audiences and critics alike for her unique timbre and moving interpretations.

EMV has long enjoyed a close collaboration with Mields, whose spellbinding performances have captivated Vancouver audiences in earlier performances. This season, Mields will perform Bach’s beloved Cantata BWV 202 “Weichet nur,” possibly composed by Bach for his own wedding to Anna Magdalena, alongside the world premiere of her newly crafted fictive wedding cantata, “O großes Hochzeitsfest!”

“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.”

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.

Bach Ties the Knot is one of three unique concerts featured in EMV’s LUMEN Festival, which takes place Feb. 14 to 16. The other two concerts in the festival are Draw on Sweet Night, with U.K. ensemble VOCES8 on Feb. 14, and El Parnasso: La Música de Estevan Daça, featuring soprano Perrine Devillers and vihuelist Ariel Abramovich, performed on Feb. 16.

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

For information and tickets, visit the Early Music Vancouver website.  [Tyee]

Read more: Music

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