Resonance Works Presents Bach's B Minor Mass

Resonance Works's tenth anniversary season continues this spring with Bach's profound Mass in B Minor. This spectacular masterwork, representing the culmination of Bach's colossal musical legacy, will be performed at three iconic religious spaces around Pittsburgh.

"Although the complete Mass was never performed during Bach's lifetime, it embodies his incredible skill as a composer and incorporates music he created throughout his career," says Maria Sensi Sellner, Resonance Works' Artistic & General Director. "With musical motives imbued with specific meaning and elaborately layered voices, the Mass brings the audience through a deeply spiritual exploration that ranges from quiet meditation to exhilarating joy. Hearing the B Minor Mass performed live is a rare and unforgettable experience."

The B Minor Mass is the fourth program in the dynamic 2022-23 season that features the depth and range of classical music performance, including two world premieres, orchestral favorites, and awe-inspiring masterworks. This 10th anniversary season will close with a fresh interpretation of Verdi's Macbeth on May 18 and 20 at the Charity Randall Theatre at the University of Pittsburgh.

Bach Mass in B Minor
Friday, April 28, 7:30 p.m.
Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church

Saturday April 29, 7:30 p.m.
Coraopolis United Methodist Church

Sunday April 30, 3:00 p.m.
Heinz Memorial Chapel

Run time: approximately two hours
Tickets: $12.50-$50.00

Johann Sebastian Bach's profound and magnificent Mass in B Minor is the summation and culmination of a life's work. The Resonance Chamber Orchestra, Festival Chorus, and an impressive cast of soloists bring this magnum opus to three inspiring spiritual spaces across the Pittsburgh region.

Unlike Bach's previous sacred works, the B Minor Mass was not written for the urgency of an impending performance, but instead was the creation of a spiritual testament that became his ultimate legacy. It is the masterful assemblage of earlier works, transformed pieces, and newly composed movements written across a quarter-century, and likely among the final compositions of his life.

The Resonance Works performances of this astonishing masterwork bring together more than the usual number of soloists, with alums from throughout its history including sopranos Katy Shackleton Williams, Charlene Canty, Amelia D'Arcy, and Lara Lynn McGill, mezzo-sopranos Timothi Williams and Thespina Christulides, tenor Javier Abreu, and bass-baritone Matthew Scollin.