J.S. Bach: a journey of music and place
posted on 07/03/19
The word ‘journey’ is a little overused – it is now applied to so many life experiences (particularly by marketeers and reality television stars) that its meaning has become less potent. This doesn’t seem fair on the travel industry, where we still transport people from A to B as per the original sense of the word, as well as often providing the opportunity for some sort of inner transformation.
Our J.S. Bach Journey couldn’t be more appropriately named. We begin in Mühlhausen and Eisenach, where partially timbered buildings, surrounding rural countryside and an unmistakable sensation of having been part of former East Germany coalesce to create a charming and provincial start to the week. As Bach did, we then move to the city of Weimar, lively and cosmopolitan, and then to Leipzig for the culmination of the festival (among the works performed is Bach’s B-Minor Mass, one of the greatest achievements in the history of music).
It is difficult to describe the sense of scale and proportion that this geographical sequence imparts – coming directly from a bigger city, for example, the bustle and grand buildings of Leipzig could pale. Yet having attuned one’s mind to the small towns of Thuringia, the impact of this, Bach’s ‘journey’, is deeply felt.
It is all the more meaningful because of the absolute correlation between our locations and Bach’s life and works. To hear his music performed in these places, and furthermore to have time to explore them – to share glimpses of streetscape, a view of the countryside, or a church spire – is to experience it in a much deeper sense than is possible in a concert hall. Add this heightened state to the genius of Bach’s profound works, performed by top international artists, and this really is an inner journey as well as a physical one. We hope that you will join us.
By Lizzie Watson
Product Development Manager | Music
A choice of pre-festival tours and London Days include:
When Bach went AWOL (7–13 May 2019)
Organs of Bach’s Time (8–13 May 2019)
The London Backstreet Walk (10 May 2019)
View itinerary for The Johann Sebastian Bach Journey
