Founded: 1922 - Amsterdam, Holland

De Nederlandse Bachvereniging (The Netherlands Bach Society) owes its existence and fame to the performances of Bach's St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) which it has given since 1922, in the Grote Kerk, Naarden. These performances are greatly beloved by the Dutch public, and they attract a yearly audience of more than 12,000. Since 1983 De Nederlandse Bachvereniging (The Netherlands Bach Society) (NBV) is working with its own Choir and Baroque Orchestra. The present-day Netherlands Bach Society consists of a group of professional singers and instrumentalists who are specialized in the performance practice of 17^th and 18^th century repertoire. The artistic director, and chief conductor of The Netherlands Bach Society, is Jos van Veldhoven.

The Netherlands Bach Society gives about 50 concerts a year, primarily with works of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries and predecessors. There is a wide range of programming, ranging from the major Baroque works to lesser known compositions and the smaller-scale repertoire. The flexibility of the ensemble enables it to give performances with both large and small settings, of both religious and secular choral and orchestral music. The Netherlands Bach Society has therefore performed an impressive number of works including many compositions receiving their first-ever present-day performances. This creative programming is inspiring for both musicians and public.

'The playing was lively and fresh, and the small choir floated over it with perfect clarity'
(New York Times)

Most of the concerts take place in the Netherlands. The Choir and Baroque Orchestra of The Netherlands Bach Society have frequently appeared at festivals in the Netherlands and abroad. Concert tours have brought the choir to France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Poland, Norway, Japan, and the USA. Intensive co-operation with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra under Ton Koopman has resulted in many joint projects. The Netherlands Bach Society also co-operates regularly with ensembles such as Concerto Palatino and l’Ensemble vocal Sagittarius.

About half of the yearly projects are conducted by artistic director Jos van Veldhoven. On other occasions, the Netherlands Bach Society (Choir and Baroque Orchestra) has collaborated with prominent early music conductors such as Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman, Paul McCreesh, Marcus Creed, Jos van Immerseel, Philippe Herreweghe, Hermann Max, René Jacobs, Frans Brüggen, Andrew Parrott, Monica Huggett, Roger Norrington, Iván Fisher, Paul van Nevel and Masaaki Suzuki.

The Netherlands Bach Society has made several CD-recordings in a successful cooperation with Channel Classics Records. These series of innovative recordings of lesser known works include music by Netherlands and Italian composers. All of these CD's have also received high praise from the critics.

Christmas Oratorio: 'Anyone looking for a classy present need look no further than this deluxe set'; 'The performance is unfailingly stylish, moving in the retelling of the Nativity and appropriately joyful'.
(Sunday Times);

' played and sung with great urgency and stylishness by the voices and period instruments'
(The Guardian)

Death & Devotion: This is one of the most successfully made discs I've heard in a very long time'
(Classics today.com)

Source: Liner notes to the 3-CD album ‘J.S. Bach: Matthäus-Passion’ conducted by Jos van Veldhoven (Channel Classics, 1997); De Nederlandse Bachvereniging Website (March 2003); Hans Schimmel - The Netherlands Bach Society (May 2206)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2001), Hans Schimmel (May 2006)

Anthon van der Horst: Short Biograpy | Nederlandse Bachvereniging | Recordings

Jos van Veldhoven: Short Biography | Nederlandse Bachvereniging | Recordings | General Discussions
Individual Recordings: BWV 232 - Veldhoven | BWV 244 - Veldhoven | | BWV 245 - Veldhoven | BWV 248 - Veldhoven

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Ton Koopman

Choir

BWV 244, BWV 245

Gustav Leonhardt

Choir

BWV 232

André Vandernnot

Choir

BWV 245

Charles de Wolff

Choir

BWV 244

Links to other Sites

De Nederlandse Bachvereniging - The Netherlands Bach Society [Mostly Dutch]

Netherlands Bach Society – biography (Channel Classics)

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