Choral giants which rank alongside the B minor Mass and the two Passions, Bach’s Six Motets tower above the landscape of sacred music in baroque Germany. Mathieu Romano has conceived a spatialized concert for his Aedes ensemble in the form of  a “spiritual” journey of homage to early music, based on the famous motet “Jesu, meine Freude”.

Mendelssohn, who played a large part in reviving Bach’s music, composed many religious works including a cappella motets which are regarded as masterpieces of vocal writing. In the 20th and 21st centuries, other composers were to turn to earlier geniuses for inspiration: Maurice Duruflé (Four motets on Gregorian themes) ; Sven-David Sandström (Es ist genug) ; and Knut Nystedt, whose famous choral work Immortal Bach glorifies the eternal nature of the great German composer.

Following the form of the motet, around and within the arch of its structure, the audience can listen to other treasures of sacred music which express mankind’s fervour and our yearning for eternal life.

Knut NYSTEDT
Immortal Bach

Maurice DURUFLÉ
Four motets on Gregorian themes, Op. 10
interspersed with Gregorian chants Ubi Caritas, Tota pulchra es, Tu es petrus, Tantum ergo

Antoine FORQUERAY
Suite n°4 in G minor :  La Sarabande : « La d’Aubonne »
A work for viol solo

Felix MENDELSSOHN
Herr, nun lässest du deinen Diener in Frieden fahren, Op. 69 No.1

Jean-Sébastien BACH
Prelude from the Cello suite n°1 BWV 1007
A work for viol solo

Sven-David SANDSTRÖM
Es ist genug

Jean-Sébastien BACH
Motet Jesu, meine Freude BWV 227
interspersed with two ricercare composed by Robin Pharo on the motet Jesu, meine Freude 

Heinrich SCHÜTZ
Selig sind die Toten

Ensemble Aedes
Etienne Floutier viol
Mathieu Romano conductor