Back to Bach: September promises a rich Baroque revival

This September, Korea’s concert halls will echo with Baroque music performed as it was three centuries ago. The month offers an exceptional number of historically informed performances, with period instruments and authentic styles recreating the sound world of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and more.

The Baroque era of the 17th and 18th centuries was a transformative period in Western music. Tonal harmony took shape, new instrumental forms such as the concerto, suite and sonata flourished, and opera established itself as a major art form. Sacred music also thrived, from grand oratorios to intimate cantatas.

Historically informed performance groups, also known as period-instrument ensembles or early music ensembles, use gut strings made from animal intestines instead of metal ones on violins, and harpsichords in place of pianos.

“Performing on period instruments is not about nostalgia or purism — it’s about finding the sound world Bach imagined," conductor Philippe Herreweghe said in a recent e-mail interview.

Herreweghe, the Belgian conductor hailed as a living legend of early music, will perform Bach’s Mass in B Minor from Sept. 18-20 at Seoul Arts Center, Daejeon Arts Center and Art Center Incheon. It marks the first time in 19 years the ensemble has performed the piece in Korea.

Composed late in Bach’s life, the Mass is widely regarded as a summation of his sacred vocal writing, a masterwork that weaves together monumental fugues, expressive arias, and powerful choral passages into a spiritual and musical testament. Herreweghe has recorded the piece three times, each with evolving insight, making his Korean performances a much-anticipated highlight for classical audiences.

Korea’s own Collegium Musicum Seoul will spotlight the brilliance of Vivaldi in its upcoming Viva Vivaldi! concert at Banpo Sinsan Art Hall on Sept. 3. Part of the ensemble’s “Viva” series, which explores the oeuvre of individual composers, the program will feature works such as Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in A minor, Concerto for 4 Violins in B minor, and the fiery "L'Estate" (“Summer”) from The Four Seasons.

Adding to the program’s depth is the duo Fernandez Violons, comprised of French Baroque violinist Francois Fernandez and Korean Baroque violinist Kim Yoon-kyung.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of its foundation, Camerata Antiqua Seoul will join forces with Richard Egarr, the renowned British conductor and harpsichordist, on Sept. 6 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall.

Egarr, a leading interpreter of Baroque repertoire, brings a wealth of experience from his tenure with the Academy of Ancient Music. Together, they will recreate the grandeur of 17th- and 18th-century European courts, presenting a program featuring Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in D Major, Op. 6 No. 1 and Handel’s Concerto Grosso in B-flat Major, Op. 3 No. 2, followed by his Water Music Suite No. 2 in D Major. After intermission, Hasse’s "Cleofide" overture leads to the finale, Handel’s "Music for the Royal Fireworks," showcasing the brilliance and grandeur of the Baroque.

For a more intimate encounter with the era, the ensemble Idioma della Musica will perform Handel’s complete recorder sonatas at the Seoul Arts Center IBK Chamber Hall on Sunday. Founded last year by recorder player Jeon Hyeon-ho and Baroque cellist Cho Hyun-kun, the group specializes in early music repertoire.

For this concert, they are joined by harpsichordist Lee Han-na to deliver the six sonatas, works that blend charm, virtuosity and lyrical warmth.

Countertenor David DQ Lee will perform on Sept. 30 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, marking the release of his new album “BaroQ’Log.” He will be joined by French theorbist Bruno Helstroffer, jazz pianist Cho Yoon-seung and bassist Sung Min-je.

The program includes both rarely heard Baroque gems by composers such as Monteverdi, Kapsberger and Rossi and fresh reinterpretations of familiar tunes by composers such as Handel and Vivaldi.

Lee, a self-taught countertenor, won first prize at the 43rd Francisco Vinas Competition in Barcelona, the Musica Sacra Competition in Italy and the George London Competition in New York. Lee has since appeared on leading opera stages worldwide, including the Vienna State Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid and La Scala in Milan.