Bach, the Handel Oratorio Choir and the organist Oyarzabal

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) took more than a quarter of a century to write one of his greatest works, the Mass in B minor, considered by many specialists to be the most difficult piece in the history of music. As such, it is now five years since UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site, an acknowledgement of its status as a true musical masterpiece. 

It can therefore be considered a real event that this work will be performed in Madrid on 5 and 6 November, and that the setting chosen is precisely a church, the Pontifical Basilica of St. Michael, in accordance with the wishes of the German composer himself, who, despite being a Lutheran, set all the parts of the Catholic Mass to music in this work, to the extent that it is also known as the most solemn accompaniment to this Eucharistic ceremony.  

Organised by the Handel Oratorio Society, the concert will feature the principal organist of the Orquesta Nacional de España, Daniel Oyarzabal from Vitoria, considered one of the best organ and harpsichord players in the world. This performance in Madrid will follow in the wake of other concerts in the Mariinski in St. Petersburg, the Düsseldorf Opernhaus, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, and the cathedrals of Moscow, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Florence, León and Seville.

Specialists such as Mario Guada (Cadalario) consider that "having a keyboard player of this level is a luxury for Spain", a judgement shared by Daniel de la Puente (Scherzo), who analyses his interpretations and considers that "the transparency in the execution of the themes, the exact use of tempos and the very high conception of Oyarzabal's music take us to territories close to genius".  

Oyarzabal will be accompanied by the Handel Oratorio Choir, created by Oscar Gershensohn in 2017 "with the will and enthusiasm to perform in all its breadth and richness the symphonic-choral legacy of G.F. Handel, especially his Biblical Oratorios, including at the same time the compositions of the other great masters of the Baroque period". In this first stage of its history, the Handel Oratorio Choir has already won the favour of the public after performing with the Orquesta de la Capilla Real de Madrid and other venues in the capital.  

The symbiosis now between Oyarzabal and the choir in Bach's greatest work is, therefore, one of the great events to open the musical year. It is what could be called a grand entrance. It is up to them to see where they set the bar at the start of the season.