Tafelmusik: A Bach Celebration. Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Choir, with Myriam Leblanc, soprano and James Reese, tenor, Ivars Taurins, conductor. March 12 to 15, 2026, Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre.
For those Torontonians — yours truly included — tired of the lingering winter, there’s nothing quite like attending a good concert to lift the spirits. Well, opening night of Tafelmusik’s A Bach Celebration was just the doctor ordered.
After a sublime two hours, I walked out into the chilly night air with feather light steps.
The Concert
The Trinity St. Paul Centre audience, while not sold out, was respectable-sized and very enthusiastic. (That said, we were told to save our applause to the end of each half.)
The audience was treated to a felicitous mix of arias, duets, and choral numbers drawn from the 200+ Bach cantatas. The focus was on the less familiar pieces. I can’t claim to be a Bach aficionado, yet the pieces all sounded familiar to me, wonderful and quintessentially Johann Sebastian Bach.
A total of 17 selections, beginning with the lovely and lively opening five-minute chorale of Cantata 11, “Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen,” featuring the marvellous Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and Orchestra.
The bright and jubilant trumpet-dominated opening was thrilling, setting the mood for the rest to come. Ivars Taurins was the conductor — or more suitably called the director. He’s someone I have always enjoyed watching. He wears his enthusiasm on his sleeves, or should I say in his body language. Unlike some who tend to be placid or almost inert, Maestro Taurins’ vigorous and emphatic gestures underscore his passion for the music, and it is positively infectious.
Soloists
This concert featured two excellent guest soloists, both making welcomed returns to Tafelmusik: Canadian soprano Myriam Leblanc and American tenor James Reese.
They both possess the ideal instrument for the Baroque genre: beauty of tone, purity of sound, surefire agility, firm technique with a well controlled vibrato, a must in this genre. Leblanc’s silvery tone was wonderful in her aria “Die Seele ruht in Jesu Handen” from Cantata 127, aided in no small way by the gorgeous oboe playing.
It was followed by the buoyant and vigorous choral writing from Cantata 19, “Es erhub sich ein Streit,” a hit to be sure. Despite its breakneck tempo, Taurins maintained perfect control.
Tenor James Reese showed off his attractive lyric timbre complete with fine coloratura in the brisk tempo of “Die schaumenden Wellen”. The two soloists joined forces in “Wohl aber uns” from Cantata 130, their voices blending beautifully.
Final Thoughts
Rather than citing more highlights — yes, there were plenty more! — let’s just say that it was a scintillating performance in a repertoire that shows off Tafelmusik at its very best.
With a 20+ minute intermission, the concert was almost exactly two hours, a bit on the short side in my book, especially when it’s so enjoyable.
I look forward to several upcoming Tafelmusik performances this season, including a most unusual outing, in Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande for Opera Atelier at Koerner Hall next month. Talk about playing a work that is completely outside its usual repertoire. I can’t wait!
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