In honor of the coffeehouse as a place of artistic and social freedom, this performance features works composed for and performed at the 18th century musicians’ local cafe. Bach performed the Coffee Cantata in 1735 at Café Zimmermann, the famous community gathering place in Leipzig where Bach and other musicians enjoyed stimulating new drink and played music for another. Former law student Georg Philip Telemann moved his group of fellow musicians to the coffeehouse in 1720 to play secular music, and Johann Sebastian Bach joined the group when he arrived in 1723. Although women were not allowed to frequent coffeehouses at the time, they were allowed to attend public concerts at Zimmermann’s–and as the Coffee Cantata demonstrates, they sipped a little coffee as they listened.
About SECC
SECC’s mission is to provide quality educational resources to learners of all ages in the greater Sacramento community primarily through video and other information and communication technologies via cable systems and networks. SECC is a collaborative effort of the K-20 education community all working together toward this mission.
