The beloved choral work will be presented in two concerts on Nov. 4 and 5 at two Cincinnati churches. Tickets available through the CCM Box Office.
CCM’s Chamber Choir and Philharmonia Orchestra combine forces for two monumental performances of J.S. Bach’s grand choral-orchestral achievement, Mass in B Minor. Under the direction of Earl Rivers, the work will be performed in concert at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Christ Church Cathedral and at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, at Knox Church.
The Mass in B Minor is the Mount Everest of the Late Baroque period. It represents Bach’s supreme achievement of universality, assembling a monumental setting of the Ordinary of the Mass that presents a breadth of musical style greater than any other choral-orchestral work in the Western canon. “The Mass in B Minor is a synthesis of every stylistic and technical contribution Bach made to music,” Rivers says.
“Audience members unfamiliar with Bach’s Mass in B Minor may be surprised by the range and variety of musical styles within the 27 movements,” Rivers says. “Full-throttled chorus and orchestra movements with high Baroque trumpets, flutes, oboes, bassoons, timpani, organ, harpsichord and strings are contrasted with solo and duet movements that reflect the virtuoso operatic arias that were beloved in the Late Baroque.”
The two performances of the masterwork will showcase different student soloists from CCM’s opera and voice programs. Baroque specialists Adriana Contino, cellist, and Garry Clarke, violinist, have coached the CCM Philharmonia and vocal soloists in preparation for the concerts.
The Nov. 4 performance will feature BM Voice student Page Michels, soprano; second-year MM Voice student Abigail Hoyt, mezzo-soprano; second-year DMA Voice student Jill Phillips, mezzo-soprano; second-year MM Voice student Dongwhi Baek, tenor; and second-year MM Voice student Samson McCrady, baritone.
The Nov. 5 performance will feature first-year AD Opera student Murrella Parton, soprano; first-year AD Opera student Kayleigh Decker, mezzo-soprano; second-year AD Opera student Amber Fasquelle, mezzo-soprano; first-year AD Opera student Benjamin Lee, tenor; and second-year DMA Voice student Matthew Worth, baritone.
“Enabling CCM students to study, rehearse and perform Bach’s Mass in B Minor is an essential component of CCM’s commitment to providing our students a comprehensive immersion in Baroque performance practices,” Rivers says. “As Mass in B Minor represents the highest musical achievement of the Late Baroque, it is a filing work to perform in CCM’s 150th Anniversary Season.”
Event Information
4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4
Location: Christ Church Cathedral, 318 East 4th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5
Location: Knox Church, 3400 Michigan Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to both performances of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor are $15 for adults, $10 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with a valid ID.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online now through our e-Box Office. Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice for CCM Box Office hours and location.
Directions
Christ Church Cathedral is located at the corners of Fourth and Sycamore Streets in Cincinnati, Ohio. For directions and additional information, please refer to cincinnaticathedral.com/belong.
Knox Church is located at the corner of Michigan and Observatory avenues, one block off Hyde Park Square in Cincinnati. For directions and additional information, please refer to knox.org.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Choral Studies Sponsor: Jan Rogers
Choral Studies Sponsor: Willard and Jean Mulford Charitable Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation
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