Burkhard Jung, mayor of Leipzig and former president of Eurocities, argued that Johann Sebastian Bach's music can encourage dialogue. In his opening address at the 2026 Leipzig Bach Festival, he criticized the fast pace of modern life, stating, 'The world is full of voices, but they don't really talk to one another.'

'In Bach's works, one can see how voices should interact,' Jung emphasized, expressing hope that polyphonic structure could serve as a model for political debates.

The festival opens annually with the St. Thomas Boys' Choir and Gewandhaus Orchestra at St. Thomas Church, conducted by Andreas Reize. This year's theme 'In Dialogue' inspired a special Marian Vespers service featuring works from four centuries.

The program included pieces by Claudio Monteverdi, Jan Sandström, and Vytautas Miškinis. 'This is a conscious choice to present a dialogue in a completely different contemporary musical language, a 21st-century soundscape,' Reize explained.

A highlight is the 300th anniversary of Bach's 'Clavier-Übung' (Keyboard Practice). Hungarian pianist Sir András Schiff and Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani are performing the cycle.

Esfahani, the festival's artist in residence, will give seven concerts. He told DW, 'Everyone says the harpsichord is only for early music, but that's not true. The harpsichord is so versatile; you can play anything on it.'

Festival director Michael Maul praised Esfahani: 'What fascinates me most about him is that he really delves deep into the works and engages very intensively with the pieces, their origins and their structure.'

Deutsche Welle, as media partner, recorded the concert; the recording will be available on the DW Classical Music YouTube channel.

Source: www.dw.com