I thoroughly enjoyed all of the concerts that we were lucky enough to attend during the Princeton in Leipzig course, but I have to say that the Bach Cantata concert was truly my favourite!

In particular, my favourite of the three cantatas was . and I thoroughly enjoyed the counter-tenor arias and recitatives. The tone of the tenor arias was incredibly beautiful and I really enjoyed the intent behind the phrasing. Indeed having the English translations open on my phone during the concert really allowed me to have deeper appreciation for the phrasing and the ways in which the words were stressed or highlighted within their melodic contexts.

I also really loved having learnt about the cantatas and I think having the session with Professor Heller beforehand enhanced my listening experience, not only because I clearly recognised particular parts of the cantatas and had more familiarity with the piece, but also because I had a deeper understanding of how Bach composed the cantatas and how the piece fits within the wider timeline and context of Bach’s works.

Another aspect that made the concert a particular stand-out for me was having learnt two of the chorales prior to seeing the concert. I really enjoyed learning the chorales with the other Princeton in Leipzig students because I felt like having had the opportunity to make music together through singing, brought those of us who went to learn the chorales closer.