Saisoneröffnung in Bamberg by Bach, J. S., Fiala, P., Janáček, Vin 22 Sept. 2023, De la (2023/2023), Dirijor Jakub Hrůša, Konzerthalle, Bamberg, Germany

»Adorn yourself, O beloved soul, forsake this dark den of sin, enter into the bright light, and begin to gleam gloriously!« Thus goes a favorite hymn for the Lord’s Supper centuries ago, from which Bach created a wonderfully tranquil organ work – about which Mendelssohn commented, »If life had taken everything from me, this piece would bring me comfort again.« After this, our opening concert is all about the city of Brno, the home of our Principal Conductor. Also Petr Fiala, founder of the famous Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno and composer himself, was born here in 1943. It was his heart’s desire for Jakub Hrůša to conduct his »Stabat Mater« one day: A colourful setting of the medieval poem, focusing on the mother of Jesus in her mourning for her crucified son. We will also perform Janáček's highly original »Glagolitic Mass«, premiered in Brno in 1927: when the composer, aged 72, wrote the piece shortly before his death, he deliberately wanted to distinguish himself from Western practices and therefore spoke of a »joyful mass« – inspired by the nature spectacle of a thunderstorm and spreading an utterly secular atmosphere. And while the traditional ordinarium from Kyrie to Agnus Dei is adhered to here, the text is not in Latin but in the old Church Slavonic from the 9th century – for Janáček loved to occupy himself with different types of human tonality, which he described as his »little windows to the soul«. Musically, the agitated events are sometimes contrasted with tender passages – and just before the finale there is a brilliant organ solo, which brings this unique mass to an end like a joyful celebration.