About Bach

Interpreters

Jan Čmejla . Piano (Bach Prize winner and SWR Young Talent)
Concertmaster Direction
Stuttgarter Kammerorchester

Programme

Max Reger
Aria “O Mensch, bewein dein’ Sünde groß” based on the chorale prelude BWV 622 by J. S. Bach

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
String Symphony No. 10 in B minor

Johann Sebastian Bach
Harpsichord Concerto in F minor, BWV 1056
Harpsichord Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052

Béla Bartók
Divertimento for string orchestra

“We are all amateurs compared to him.”
(Robert Schumann on Johann Sebastian Bach)

This programme traces the enduring influence of Bach across the centuries. At its heart is Jan Čmejla, winner of the Bach Prize and an SWR Young Talent, a young pianist who combines technical brilliance with stylistic clarity in his interpretation of Bach’s music. Together with the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, a dialogue between eras unfolds: from the heartfelt chorale “O Mensch, bewein dein’ Sünde groß” in Reger’s sonorous string arrangement, through Mendelssohn’s early homage to the revered master, to two dramatically virtuosic Bach concertos. Finally, Bartók’s Divertimento reflects Bach’s contrapuntal energy in the sound of the 20th century – a programme exploring origins, influence and the living transmission of musical heritage.