The two ensembles will dedicate the first half of the evening to Bach, while paying tribute to Handel in the second. And even though the programme includes no opera, the genre will still make itself felt with pieces that share its characteristic complexity, since Bach elevated the passion and the cantata to such a lofty artistic plane that it is no exaggeration to refer to them as concert-format operas. "A mighty fortress is our God” - these were the words the evangelists used to greet each other, and Bach work would be better celebrate the five centuries since the Reformation than the cantata Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, with its arrangement of the Lutheran chorale and exquisitely beautiful arias? Closing the first half of the concert will be the Orchestral Suite No. 3, which rewards a close listening beyond simply its famous Air movement.
Also capable of passing for an opera is one of Handel's last oratorios: Solomon depicts the royal court of the Hebrew king in cheery tones. Nevertheless, its most famous movement - generally played separately - is a purely instrumental interlude: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Following this sinfonia for two oboes and strings to close the concert will be the Dettingen Te Deum, which is actually technically a "grand martial panegyric”. This work containing movements for both soloists and chorus was written in honour of George II's great victory at the Battle of Dettingen, with the king himself attending its première.

Presented by: Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, Müpa Budapest