‘Ricercar Consort’

The Ricercar Consort takes us to the gates of Jerusalem, the many-faceted Biblical city. For Bach and the believers of his time, the holy city was both the scene of Christ's Passion and a symbol of hope: the New Jerusalem, representing eternal life. The first two cantatas on this programme (BWV 75 and 22) date from 1723 and express the consolation offered by the belief in an afterlife. In Cantata BWV 127 of 1725, Bach presents a sombre portrait of the human condition. Philippe Pierlot and his ensemble offer a subtle, varied selection of the great master's works.