The music of Johann Sebastian Bach was at the center of Karl Richter's
life. Karl Richter breathed new life into Bach's music by bringing it to
new circles of listeners. The church musician Karl Richter (1926-1981)
founded the Munich Bach Orchestra and Bach Choir in the 1950s and thus put
into practice his new ideas of Bach interpretation. He departed from
oppressively large orchestral arrangements, introduced a new simplicity,
allowing the notes to turn directly into music. He kindled a blaze of
enthusiasm for Bach that goes on to this day. "The Legacy of Karl Richter"
documents the main milestones, events and people in the life of this great
artist and personality. It shows his roots in the Saxon-Thuringian musical
tradition and conveys something of the splendor of Karl Richter's
interpretations of Bach and Handel, which remain unsurpassed to this day.
Light is also shed upon the versatility of Richter's musical talent, which
ranged far beyond Bach and Handel.
