From Bach to Mozart
Sun 05 Oct
|La Coursive, La Rochelle
Café Zimmermann pays tribute to Gottfried Van Swieten with works by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Mozart and Haydn. Van Swieten was a passionate arts patron who played a key role in the evolution of music of the 18th century as the waning days of the Baroque era gave way to the dawning Classical period.
Heure et lieu
05 Oct 2025, 17:00 – 18:30
La Coursive, La Rochelle, 4 Rue St Jean du Pérot, 17000 La Rochelle, France
À propos de l'événement
Who was this man was who introduced the young Mozart to the works of the great Johann Sebastian Bach?
Baron Gottfried Van Swieten was one of the most influential patrons of the arts in the 18th century, and more than anything, a passionate music lover. In addition to providing considerable financial support, the Dutch diplomat played an essential role in the musical development of the times.
As librarian to the imperial court in Vienna, Van Swieten facilitated access for the precocious Mozart to J.S. Bach's works, thus helping usher in a new musical era. In 1773, he commissioned a collection of six symphonies from Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, inviting the composer to give free rein to his imagination, without any technical constraints nor any particular need to please.
Van Swieten, who was very close to Haydn as well, played an active role in the development of “The Seasons” and…