Sunday
February 28 at 3:00 PM
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Saturday
February 27 at 7:30 PM
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2026-27 Season > Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater
Join Boston Baroque for an evening exploring two distinct voices of the eighteenth century: J.S Bach and Pergolesi.
The first half centers on two solo cantatas by Bach. Composed during his years in Leipzig, Vergnügte Ruh', beliebte Seelenlust, and Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen demonstrate the remarkable range of his vocal writing. One is intimate and reflective, the other celebratory and extroverted, yet both reveal Bach's ability to shape theological ideas into music of extraordinary clarity and invention.
The second half is devoted to Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, composed in 1736 during the final months of the composer's life. Written for two voices and a small ensemble, the work sets a medieval poem describing Mary's grief at the crucifixion. Its combination of Italian lyricism, expressive immediacy, and concise musical structure helped make it one of the most widely performed sacred works of the eighteenth century. The piece became so influential that Bach later reworked its music into his own cantata Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden.
Together, these works offer two perspectives on sacred music in the Baroque era: Bach's deeply considered musical architecture and Pergolesi's direct, melodic approach. Nearly three centuries after their composition, both remain central works in the choral and vocal repertoire.
Experience these enduring masterpieces performed by Boston Baroque and conductor and Music Director Marc Minkowski in the remarkable acoustics of Jordan Hall and Sanders Theatre.
Date/Time
Feb 27 & Feb 28, 2027
Location
(Feb 27) New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall | 30 Gainsborough St, Boston, MA 02115
(Feb 28) Harvard’s Sanders Theatre | 45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Ticket Prices
$25 - $110 | 10% off for subscriptions
PROGRAM
J.S. Bach, TBD
J.S. Bach Vergnügte Ruh', beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170
J.S. Bach Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51
- Intermission -
Pergolesi Stabat Mater
Estimated Run Time
2.5 HRS | One 20-Minute Intermission
Sung In | Translations in the Program Book
GERMAN & LATIN | ENGLISH
ARTISTS
COMPOSERS
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
One of the most profound and influential composers of the Baroque era, Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, into a distinguished musical family. Throughout his life, he served as a court musician, organist, and cantor in various German cities, producing an extraordinary body of work that spans sacred cantatas, orchestral suites, keyboard works, and large-scale choral compositions. Bach’s music is celebrated for its intricate counterpoint, structural brilliance, and deep spiritual intensity, reflecting both intellectual rigor and emotional depth.
The program highlights Bach’s mastery of sacred vocal writing through two contrasting cantatas. Vergnügte Ruh', beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170, offers an intimate meditation on spiritual peace and inner contentment, unfolding with expressive lyricism and refined orchestration. In contrast, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51, showcases dazzling virtuosity for soprano and trumpet, expressing exuberant praise and jubilant energy in one of Bach’s most brilliant sacred works.
Together, these works reveal the breadth of Bach’s sacred imagination—from contemplative introspection to radiant celebration—demonstrating his unparalleled ability to unite theological depth with musical invention.
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736)
A gifted Italian composer of the early 18th century, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi achieved remarkable fame despite his brief life, dying at just 26 years old. Born in Jesi, Italy, he studied at the Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesù Cristo in Naples, where he quickly distinguished himself as a composer of opera, sacred music, and instrumental works. Pergolesi’s style is marked by graceful melodic lines, expressive simplicity, and a poignant sense of lyricism that helped shape the emerging Classical style.
Composed near the end of his life, the Stabat Mater is Pergolesi’s most enduring work and one of the most celebrated sacred compositions of the 18th century. Setting the medieval Latin text that reflects on the sorrow of the Virgin Mary at the crucifixion, the work alternates between moments of tender intimacy and dramatic intensity, capturing profound emotional contrast within a restrained and elegant musical language.
Originally written for a Neapolitan confraternity, the Stabat Mater quickly spread across Europe, admired for its expressive immediacy and melodic beauty. Its blend of devotional sincerity and operatic sensitivity secured Pergolesi’s lasting legacy, influencing generations of composers long after his untimely death.