BACH QUATTRO STAGIONI

The seasons are an eternal source of change and contrast. In the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, we find a wealth of colorful and theatrical compositions that, according to the ecclesiastical calendar, are sometimes oriented towards the seasons and depict the human condition in its metaphorical environment. In the musical excerpts of this program, elements of nature become protagonists in their own right: the cold of winter gives way to the warmth of spring, and the gray color palette of autumn replaces the rumble of a storm at the end of summer. Each aria illuminates the multifaceted expression of the human condition in the face of the forces of nature. The sinfonias articulate the unfolding of expressive pasticcio like theater backdrops. The final chorale «Gott hat die Erde zugericht» from the New Year’s Cantata BWV187 crowns the four seasons with a thanksgiving for the past year.