8 Great Reasons To Visit Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt And Thuringia

84. Bachfest Mühlhausen/Thuriniga October 2009

• In 1707-08 Johann Sebastian Bach lived in Mühlhausen where he was the organist at the Divi-Blasii church. The sheet music for a composition her wrote there is still preserved. During this time, Bach developed a modification for the church’s organ, and it was rebuilt by Johann Friedrich Wendler in 1709. The organ was heavily damaged during the Second World War, but with help from people like Heinz Sawade and Albert Schweitzer, the organ was rebuilt according to Bach’s design.
• On May 24th 1959 the new organ was inaugurated, making 2009 not only the organ’s 50th anniversary, but also the 300th anniversary of the original inauguration of the Bach organ. Both will be celebrated during the 84th Bach festival (August 7th-16th 2009).
• Besides organ concerts, exhibitions and excursions, visitors can experience Bach’s music, as well as organ works from Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy for his 200th birthday anniversary and the 250th anniversary of Händel’s death. (His famous “Wassermusik” and “Feuerwerksmusik” -- including a large firework display -- will be played.)
• Fur further information please see: http://www.muehlhausen.de/