Music concert

Life and Death

The great themes of life

Johann Ludwig Bach
"Wir wissen, so unser irdisches Haus"
Johann Christoph Bach
"Ach dass ich Wassers g'nug hätte"
Kalle Kalima
Lamento of Dry Rivers (commissioned by B’Rock)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Erbarme Dich, mein Gott, from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Johann Christoph Bach
"Es ist nun aus mit meinem Leben"
Kalle Kalima
Halbvoller Reue (commissioned by B’Rock)
Johann Sebastian Bach
"Tief gebückt und voller Reue" from "Cantata "Meine Herze schwimmt im Blut", BWV 199
Kalle Kalima
Remember Me: Quintuplet Variation, Guitar Variation & Overture, from: “Dido & Aeneas, Remembered”
Henry Purcell
Overture, The Grove, The wiches dance, Dance of the furies, Thy hand Belinda, When I am laid, With drooping Wings from Dido and Aeneas, Z 626
Henry Purcell
An evening hymn, Z 193
Kalle Kalima
May my mistakes make me
Thomas Morley
I heard a voice from Heaven
Thomas Morley
I know my Redeemer liveth
John Blow
A Ground, With solemn pomp, Mourn for thy servant from Venus and Adonis
Andreas Küppers
Artistic Director
Olivia Vermeulen
Mezzo Soprano
Kalle Kalima
Electric Guitar (selected concerts)
B'Rock Vocal Consort

The Great Themes of life invariably lead to Great Art. And what subjects are more essential than life and death? The foundations of our existence, the mystery of life and death, have been the creative impetus for countless composers.

In a delicately balanced program, you together with B’Rock navigate between frisky joy and intense sorrow, between exuberant jollity and hushed consolation, between, well… life and death. Top Dutch mezzo Olivia Vermeulen excels in the most expressive arias from German and English baroque music. Not only father Bach, but just about every scion of the rich composer family is featured. From across the Channel, John Blow and Thomas Morley are represented, with moving excerpts from operas and funeral music. Grandmaster Purcell is not missing either, with the best passages from Dido & Aeneas.

And because B’Rock never stays in the comfort zone for too long, Kalle Kalima once again joins the ranks. The Finnish jazz guitarist – and his music – shone in the acclaimed Dido & Aeneas Remembered. From that groundbreaking opera production, Kalima brings some of his own works, which he complements with new compositions commissioned by B’Rock.

The premiere of this production is realized with the support of the Tax Shelter measure of the Belgian Federal Government through Flanders Tax Shelter

tax shelter

Life & Death

In the 23/24 season, B'Rock's artistic family member Zoé Komkommer translates our programmes into her own language, based on associations and triggers she encounters in our musical plans. This is the artwork that she made for Life & Death.
Past shows
September 2, 2023 Saturday 16:00
Bonn, DE Festival Centre Kreuzkirche
April 10, 2023 Monday 19:30
Erfurt, DE Zughafen (Thüringer Bachwochen)
February 8, 2023 Wednesday 20:15
Gent, BE Handelsbeurs
February 7, 2023 Tuesday 20:00
Den Haag, NL Amare
November 15, 2020 Sunday 16:00
Den Haag, NL - CANCELLED Zuiderstrandtheater
November 15, 2020 Sunday 14:00
Den Haag, NL - CANCELLED Zuiderstrandtheater
November 13, 2020 Friday 20:00
Antwerpen, BE - CANCELLED deSingel
November 4, 2020 Wednesday 20:30
Clermont-Ferrand, FR - CANCELLED La Comédie de Clermont
November 3, 2020 Tuesday 20:00
Rouen, FR - CANCELLED Chapelle Corneille