March 03, 2006 -

Ottawa, Canada -- The legendary German conductor Helmuth Rilling, one of the leading choral conductors and Bach specialists in the world today, will lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra, choirs and soloists in Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor on Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 16 at 20:00. Johann Sebastian Bach’s B-minor Mass is a lofty summation of his art with as wide a range of forms and techniques and variety of expression as the size of the work itself. The towering masterpiece was composed over a period of a quarter century and finally assembled during the composer’s last years. Helmuth Rilling is considered to be the world’s leading interpreter of this work.

The Bach B-minor will be brought to life by three German soloists in their NAC debuts – soprano Sibylla Rubens, mezzo-soprano Lioba Braun, and baritone Markus Eiche – together with American tenor Lawrence Wiliford, also making his NAC debut in place of James Taylor who has had to cancel for reasons of health. The chorus is made up of the Vancouver Chamber Choir (Jon Washburn, director) and the Ottawa Festival Chorus made up of members of local choirs (Laurence Ewashko, director) with Duain Wolfe from the Chicago Symphony Chorus as chorus master.

Combining the roles of pedagogue and conductor, Helmuth Rilling has devised a system of “lecture concerts” in which he says he “peers over the composer’s shoulder” as he explains to the audience certain aspects of a work by means of musical examples. He will present one of these, entitled The B-minor Mass – Bach’s Heritage to Mankind, as part of the NAC’s International Masterclass Series at the University of Ottawa on Thursday, March 16 from 12:00 to 13:30 in Freiman Hall in the Perez Building at 610 Cumberland St.

“Music should startle people and reach deep down inside them forcing them to reflect. It should never be merely ‘comfortable,’ never fossilized, never soothing.” This is Helmuth Rilling’s Credo. Born in 1933 in Stuttgart, Rilling is active as a conductor, pedagogue, and an ambassador for the music of J. S. Bach worldwide. He founded the Gächinger Kantorei in 1954, and in 1965 founded the Bach Collegium Stuttgart as the choir’s regular orchestral partner. It was from that time that Rilling began the intensive involvement with the works of Bach that has linked composer and conductor together ever since. In 1981 he founded the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart dedicated to furthering the music and personality of J. S. Bach through public concerts, masterclasses for singers and conductors, symposia, and residencies all over the world, in addition to special annual projects such as the Bach Week Stuttgart and the European Music Festival Stuttgart.

From 1970 to 1984, Helmuth Rilling was the first musician to record all of Bach’s Cantatas (Hänssler Classic). Furthermore, his was the guiding hand behind the Internationale Bachakademie’s critically-acclaimed project to record the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach (172 CDs) for Hänssler Classic which was released in 2000 to coincide with the 250th Anniversary of Bach’s death. He won a coveted Grammy Award in 2000 for his recording of Krzystof Penderecki’s Credo and was again nominated in 2001 for his recording of Wolfgang Rihm’s Deus Passus.

German soprano Sibylla Rubens frequently collaborates with Helmuth Rilling who has engaged her both for tours and for many of his recordings with the Bachakademie, amongst them various Bach Cantatas, the Christmas Oratorio and the Mass in B Minor. She has also made award-winning recordings of both Bach Passions under Philippe Herreweghe, and Ton Koopman engaged her for his reconstruction of Bach’s St. Mark Passion.

German mezzo-soprano Lioba Braun, after winning prizes in major national and international singing competitions, began her career at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. In 1989 she became a member of the Vienna Volksoper, and then in 1991 began two years with the Vienna State Opera. Since then she has appeared in major roles at the State Theatre of Mannheim.

American-born tenor Lawrence Wiliford received his Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Toronto. Last fall he began his first season as a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. He has sung Bach Cantatas conducted by Helmuth Rilling with the International Bach Festival, and Bach’s St. John Passion with Chorus Niagara, the Iseler Singers and Orchestra London.

The German baritone Markus Eiche was among the prize-winners of the Robert Saar Competition and the Francesco Vinas Competition. He has been a member of the Nationaltheater Mannheim since 2001, where he has appeared as in a number of leading roles. In concert he has been heard in works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Britten, and Carl Orff, among others.

Tickets for these Ovation Series concerts on March 15 and 16 are on sale now at $27.00, $47.50, $58.00 and $60.00, with box seats at $79.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s web-site at www.nac-cna.ca.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca. Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card.

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For more information please contact:
Jane Morris, Communications Officer,
National Arts Centre Orchestra
(613) 947-7000, ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca