John Nelson conducts Bach's Mass in B minor at Notre-Dame de Paris
With Joyce DiDonato, Ruth Ziesak, Paul Agnew, Dietrich Henschel, and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris
Cast
Ruth Ziesak — Soprano
Joyce DiDonato — Mezzo-soprano
Paul Agnew — Tenor
Dietrich Henschel — Bass-baritone
John Nelson — Conductor
Program notes
J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor transcends categories: neither religious nor profane, it is contemplative and meditative but full of ardor and emotion. Performing this piece at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris with the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, which he has conducted since 1998, was a longtime dream of the conductor John Nelson: a monument of music performed inside a monument of art history. For the occasion, he was joined by an all-star vocal lineup including mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, tenor Paul Agnew, soprano Ruth Ziesak, and baritone Dietrich Henschel. Stage director Olivier Simonnet provided a splendid set design for the performance: the cathedral is not merely a setting for the concert, but an artistic element in the performance itself.
