Wanted! Bachfest Patrons

The young Johann Sebastian was an organist through and through: an enthusiast who ardently assimilated the works of his favourite composers and modelled his own style on them; ungovernable, highly virtuosic and obsessed with his objective of sounding out the mysteries of harmony and counterpoint. His most famous organ work today, the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, symbolises all these characteristics – and in the index of Bach’s work bears the number 565.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION: 565 Euros p. A. / (Membership for couples +14 percent: 644 Euros p. A.)

YOUR EXKLUSIVE ADVANTAGES AS AN ORGANIST

• Reservation of two tickets in exclusive seating areas for up to three concerts
• Attendance of one dress rehearsal with a chance to meet and greet festival artists
• Exclusive Patrons´ meeting during the Bachfest with Lunch or Dinner (unaccompanied)

When Bach became Thomaskantor in Leipzig in 1723, he had come full circle. In his younger days, he had once said he regarded it as the »ultimate goal« of his life to perform a »well-regulated church music to the glory of God«. This task became the main focus of his work for 27 years, until his death. Between 1723 and 1750, cantor Bach wrote numerous pieces that are now monuments of music history: music »for the recreation of the soul« and of timeless validity, which every year form the central point of the Bachfest.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION: 3.473 Euros p. A. (1.723 + 1.750) / (Membership for couples +14 percent: 3.960 Euros p. A.)

YOUR EXCLUSIVE ADVANTAGES AS A CANTOR

• Reservation of two tickets in exclusive seating areas for up to ten concerts
• Attendance of two dress rehearsals with a chance to meet and greet the festival artists
• Exclusive Patrons’ meeting during the Bachfest with Lunch or Dinner (accompanied)

Whether as capellmeister in Köthen or court compositeur to the electors of Saxony, Bach spoke all the musical languages of Europe – yet as a composer was comparable to none. This is why in many compositions he hid his musical signature: the famous B-A-C-H motif – at theend of the Art of Fugue, for example (in German the note B flat is written »B«, and B natural »H«). Moreover, the number 14 had special significance for him – it is the sum of the notes according to their place in the alphabet: B(2)+A(1)+C(3)+H(8). Multiplied by his annual income in Leipzig of around 1,000 guilders, »Capellmeister Bach« is worth 14,000 Euros. At least!

YOUR CONTRIBUTION: 14.000 Euros p. A. / (Membership for couples +14 percent: 15.690 Euros p. A.)

YOUR EXCLUSIVE ADVANTAGES AS A CAPELLMEISTER

• Reservation of two tickets in exclusive seating areas for up to 14 concerts
• A hassle-free, all-inclusive package for your visit to the Bachfest: ticket support, hotel reservation, shuttle service
• Two tickets for the Christmas Oratorio by the Thomanerchor in December, including an invitation to the annual Donors Feast of the Bach Archive and a briefing by the artistic director on the upcoming Bachfest
• Invitation to the reception held by the Mayor of Leipzig at the opening of the Bachfest
• Attendance of four dress rehearsals (accompanied) with a chance to meet and greet the festival artists
• Exclusive Patrons’ meeting during the Bachfest with Lunch or Dinner (accompanied)
• A personal tour (accompanied by the artistic director or the director of the Bach Archive) of the Bach Museum including a private presentation of Bach autographs: on the date of your choosing and for up to eleven people

Thomaskantor Bach was also director musices Lipsiensis, that is, the director of music for the whole of Leipzig. He was the head of all the musical activities in the town. No other person enjoyed the same privileges and powers. Similarly, Bach is regarded as the ›director‹ by generations of musicians – in the sense of the ruler of the realm of harmony. In the 24 preludes and fugues of his Well-Tempered Clavier – which Robert Schumann called the »daily bread« of all pianists and composers – he is the supreme master of all 24 keys.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION: 24.000 Euros p. A. / (Membership for couples +14 percent: 27.360 Euros p. A.)

YOUR EXCLUSIVE ADVANTAGES AS A DIRECTOR MUSICES

• Reservation of two tickets in exclusive seating areas for all concerts
• A hassle-free, all-inclusive package for your visit to the Bachfest: ticket support, hotel reservation, shuttle service
• Two tickets for the Christmas Oratorio by the Thomanerchor in December, including an invitation to the annual Donors Feast of the Bach Archive and a briefing by the artistic director on the upcoming Bachfest
• Invitation to the reception held by the Mayor of Leipzig at the opening of the Bachfest
• Attendance of four dress rehearsals (accompanied) including an evening meal with the president of the Bach Archive (currently Ton Koopman) or the artist-in-residence
• Exclusive Patrons’ meeting during the Bachfest with Lunch or Dinner (accompanied)
• A personal tour (accompanied by the artistic director or the director of the Bach Archive) of the Bach Museum including a private presentation of Bach autographs: on the date of your choosing and for up to eleven people
• Use of the Summer Hall in the Bach Archive for private events

Throughout his life, Bach was supported by patrons of the arts – wealthy music lovers from the aristocracy, politics and business who time and again encouraged him to achieve musical feats of strength. And turned many of his works into gold. One of these best-known patrons was Count Keyserling – a diplomat who suffered from insomnia. He commissioned Bach to write a keyboard work which was to be played to him every night by his musician, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg. Bach delivered a series of variations, the now immortal »Goldberg Variations«. Thecount was delighted. He rewarded Bach with a golden cup filled with 100 louis d’or – gold coins that at his time were worth five thalers each.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION: from 5.000 Euros p. A. (renewable annually)

YOUR EXCLUSIVE ADVANTAGES

• Free use of the Bachfest logo for your own website/publications
• Reservation of two tickets in exclusive seating areas for up to five concerts
• Invitation to the reception held by the Mayor of Leipzig at the opening of the Bachfest
• Attendance of a dress rehearsal (accompanied by up to ten persons) with a chance to meet and greet the festival artists
• Exclusive Patrons’ meeting during the Bachfest with Lunch or Dinner (accompanied)
• Sponsorship of a young artist of your choice, including meeting her/him in person
• Use of the Summer Hall in the Bach Archive for your own events