Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor performed by the famous Collegium Vocale Gent, under the baton of Philippe Herreweghe, opens the 45th Wratislavia Cantans Festival, Saturday.

Over 1000 artists will take part in 30 concerts in Wrocław and several towns in the surrounding region. The event’s highlights include two other great oratorios: Utrenya by the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki and Grande Messe des Morts Op. 5 by Hector Berlioz.

The latter work is performed very rarely as it is scored for large orchestra, including woodwind and brass sections, as well as vast large choral forces, a total of 420 instrumentalists and singers.

The live recording of Berlioz’s work, to be conducted by the Artistic Director of Wratislavia Cantans Paul McCreesh, is to be released on CD.

Featured ensembles and artists at the nine-day festival also include Sinfonia Varsovia under Marc Minkowski, the Akadenie fur Alte Musik from Berlin and the British conductor and harpsichord player Trevor Pinnock.

Wratislavia Cantans is one of the oldest music festivals in Poland. Founded in 1966, it is a member of the Geneva-based European Association of Music Festivals and of the International Society for Performing Arts Foundation in New York. (mk)

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