Sir John Eliot Gardiner, known as a "master of period performance," returns to South Korea after 22 years to present the essence of Bach and Mozart's sacred music. Period performance is an approach that restores the playing methods, vocal techniques, and acoustics of the era to get closer to the essence of early music.
According to concert promoter Presto Company on May 2, Sir Gardiner will perform at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on May 3 and 4 with his Springhead Constellation choir and orchestra.
On the first day, he will perform Bach's "Mass in B minor," followed by Mozart's "Requiem" and "Mass in C minor" on the second day. The "Mass in B minor" is considered the culmination of Bach's sacred music world, evaluated as the essence of Baroque music combining meticulous counterpoint with majestic spirituality. Mozart's "Requiem" is an unfinished posthumous work left by the composer facing death, completed after his death by his student Süssmayr. The "Mass in C minor" also remains an unfinished masterpiece after the composer abandoned work on it. Both works represent the essence of Mozart's late sacred music, capturing the tension between human anxiety, longing for salvation, and faith.
This program, placing all three works side by side, attempts to survey the flow of European sacred music from the Baroque to the Classical period. It offers an opportunity to appreciate how Mozart expanded human emotion and dramatic expression upon the God-centered musical order that Bach constructed.
The performances will feature various instruments authenticated to the period. String instruments including violins, violas, and cellos use "gut strings" made from animal intestines instead of metal strings, and the bows are curved outward unlike modern bows. Woodwind instruments are made of pure wood, percussion instruments are covered with animal skins, and harpsichords replace pianos for keyboard parts. These period instruments create an overall natural and transparent sound.
Notably, these performances will apply period-specific pitch standards to create unique acoustics rarely heard in modern performances. Bach's Mass in B minor on May 3 will be performed at Baroque pitch with the reference note A tuned to 415 hertz. This tuning, approximately a half-tone lower than today's standard pitch of A=440Hz, produces a softer, more flexible, yet agile sound. Mozart's program on May 4 will be tuned to A=430Hz, delivering the bright and balanced timbre characteristic of the Classical era.
Sir Gardiner, who received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 1998, is a conductor who has built his reputation through wide-ranging interpretations from Baroque to Classical repertoire. He is particularly regarded as an authority on Bach interpretation. In his book "Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven," he wrote that "Bach's music is the voice of God revealed in human form, and a profound prayer that explores the meaning of human existence and life beyond mere beauty." He has served as guest conductor with the world's leading orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic. Last year, he released a complete recording of Brahms symphonies with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon, drawing significant attention.
The Springhead Constellation choir and orchestra joining this performance is an ensemble Sir Gardiner founded in 2024. The group covers Baroque music as well as Classical and contemporary repertoire, aiming to extend the tradition of historically informed performance with contemporary sensibilities.
A Presto Company official said, "He views Bach not as a preserved saint but as a passionate, anguished human being," adding, "This performance will be an excellent opportunity to experience Bach's music as Sir Gardiner expresses it."
