Bachstiftung St. Gallen

The J. S. Bach Foundation of St. Gallen, recipient of the 2026 Bach Medal, will perform for the first time at Berlin Cathedral under the baton of the internationally acclaimed musician Rudolf Lutz. The concert is part of a tour that will also include stops in Vienna and Zurich.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s expressive solo and dialogue cantatas rank among the highlights of his church music oeuvre. The finely orchestrated works on the tour program, set to texts by the Darmstadt court librarian Georg Christian Lehms, revolve around comfort and hope amidst suffering and inner trials. The soprano cantata “Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut” (BWV 199) traces a moving journey through the human emotional landscape, marked by suffering from one’s own imperfection and the search for a merciful God. The cantata “Selig ist der Mann, der die Anfechtung duldet” (BWV 57), a heartfelt dialogue between the faithful soul and the comforting Savior, also follows the stages of inner realization and sincere self-acceptance.

German premiere
The program is complemented by the new bass cantata “Willkommen, wertes Heil,” based on arias by Johann Sebastian Bach from Cantatas BWV 36, 66, and 73. New recitatives by librettist Anselm Hartinger and composer Rudolf Lutz link the arias into a coherent dramatic arc, inspired by the biblical figure of the blessed Simeon and the readings for the Feast of the Purification of Mary. Drawing on Bach’s parodic technique, the result is a work that keeps Bach’s spirit alive and enriches his rare solo bass cantatas with a melodious and profound contemporary contribution.

Thursday, May 21, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Longing for Heaven and Comfort for the Soul – Solo and Dialogue Cantatas by J. S. Bach
Orchestral Concert
J. S. Bach: BWV 199 “Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut” (1714)
J. S. Bach: BWV 57 “Selig ist der Mann, der die Anfechtung duldet” (1725)
J. S. Bach/Rudolf Lutz: “Willkommen, wertes Heil” (1724/1731/2026), German premiere
Julia Doyle, soprano
Matthias Helm, bass
Chamber Ensemble of the J. S. Bach Foundation St. Gallen
Conductor, harpsichord, and host: Rudolf Lutz

Tickets: 25 to 45 euro:
https://shop.berlinerdom.de/Event/Kalender/27135/54720?typ=Vorlage

We look forward to your visit!