LFBM 2025 launches with unparalleled virtuosity.
J. S. Bach’s iconic ‘Brandenburg’ Concertos — played in full by the award-winning and internationally-acclaimed period ensemble Arcangelo, led by director Jonathan Cohen.
These concertos were presented to the Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt in 1721, but they were never performed at his court: a surprising fate for works now regarded as some of Bach’s greatest. Some have suggested the Margrave simply didn’t have the musicians capable of playing them. Others see the gift as a speculative job application from Bach that fell on deaf ears. Whatever the reason, the manuscripts sat untouched and unnoticed for well over a century.
The Brandenburg Concertos are built for collaboration at the highest level: each one a platform for virtuosic conversation between equals. This is music that demands alertness, nuance, and generosity from its performers: written not for soloists and accompaniment, but for musicians who listen, respond, and lead together. The surprises are constant — from the bold trumpet solos of No. 2 to the intimate, string-only texture of No. 3, or the wildly ambitious harpsichord cadenza in No. 5. It’s only with the finest players that these works truly come to life.
