Bach’s Coffeehouse: Café Zimmermann

Mountainside Baroque presents “Bach’s Coffeehouse,” an intimate, informal concert at Café Mark in downtown Cumberland on Sunday, November 8. This concert re-imagines Café Zimmermann, the famous 18th-century Leipzig establishment that hosted weekly concerts by such illustrious city residents as Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Phillip Telemann.

As the largest and best-known “Kaffeehaus” in Leipzig, Cafe Zimmermann became a social center for the middle classes and gentlemen and women of the city, in part by offering free entertainment. Further, musicians paid nothing for use of the venue. Thus, it was a showcase for Bach and Telemann, who frequently directed chamber music there. Gottfried Zimmermann, owner of the café and patron of the arts, naturally offset his expenses with coffee sales.

There will be two seatings for Mountainside Baroque’s November 8 concert, one at 4:00 PM and another at 7:00 PM. Joseph Yungen and Marc Bellassai are featured performing pieces for two harpsichords. One piece, Bach’s “Concerto in C minor for two Harpsichords,” was likely originally performed by J.S. Bach and one of his sons. The other was composed in a slightly later style by J.C. Bach, one of Bach’s sons.

The Zimmerman performances also included music by other celebrated composers of the time such as Antonio Vivaldi and Gottfried Stölzel, whose music will also be heard on this program, especially in the vocal music performed by soprano Brooke Evans. A string quartet composed of Maria Romero, Brian Ford, Caitlin Cribbs and Erin Ellis will feature violinist Romero from Vanderbilt University and violoncellist Ellis from West Virginia University. Lyle Nordstrom will accompany on Baroque guitar and lute.

Concert tickets are available at MountainsideBaroque.org and also at the door. Audience members are invited to arrive ahead of concert time to purchase coffee and such before taking a seat in Café Mark’s expanded dining space.

Mountainside Baroque’s 2026-2027 season— titled “Tales from the Baroque” — continues with its traditional annual “Festival of Lessons and Carols” celebration on Sunday, December 20 at 5:00 PM at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. A free will offering will be taken.

The Mountainside Baroque season concludes in 2027 with J.S. Bach’s iconic “Passion According to St. John”. This major concert will be on March 14 at the Pealer Recital Hall on the Frostburg State University campus. Dr. Ryan Mullaney, Mountainside Co-Artistic Director, will conduct.

Mountainside Baroque is an early music collective established in Cumberland in 2011 by co-directors Ryan Mullaney and Lyle Nordstrom. It is known for its excellent, dynamic performances, drawing on the finest early music specialists from across the country. These professionals return to Mountain Maryland for great music, fresh air, and the great vibe here, features that also attract audiences from around the mid-Atlantic region. Visit Mountainside Baroque for additional information.  See performance highlights at youtube.com/@mountainsidebaroque4336.

Photo Cutline: Clockwise, from upper left: Marc Bellassai, Joseph Jungen, Brooke Evers, Maria Romero.