In the summer of 2022, the European Music Trails start their second instalment with a focus on Leipzig’s famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach, and the historic movement of ideas and media in terms of, e.g., books and sheet music. While musicians in later centuries travelled quite a lot through Europe to play concerts and acquire new audiences, Bach mainly stayed put. But like his fellow musicians of the 18th century, such as Antonio Vivaldi, Domenico Scarlatti, François Couperin, and Jean-Philippe Rameau, he was strongly influenced by other European composers (in particular Antonio Vivaldi) and what was popular in Europe at the time. During Bach’s creative period, dance and dance music from France played an important part at the noble courts all over Europe and strongly influenced his work. The project aims to investigate the influences of international composers on Bach’s work as well as his influence on international composers that came after him and how their ideas spread through the continent.

On the basis of this historical background, partners Teatro Comunale di Modena from Italy, Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu from Lyon/France and Notenspur Leipzig e.V. from Germany will create a number of activities that focus on audience development as well as transnational creation and circulation and connect Bach’s baroque time to our present and to modern forms of music and movement. To learn more about the partners go to Current Projects > Project Partners.

The activities aim to reach a younger and more diverse audience by combining different formats and genres such as slam poetry or hip hop dance with baroque music, by creating an exhibition for highly frequented public places and by moving live music from conventional concert venues to public, green spaces, such as parks or the countryside and combining them with outdoor activities, such as picnics, hiking or bicycling.
At the same time the European Music Trails encourage collective transnational creation and an exchange of artists, ideas and music between the three countries by organizing concerts, two Bach Academies for young musicians, artist residencies, workshops for children and young people and a touring exhibition. For more details on the activities go to Current Projects > Project Activities.