Some sixty years separate the death of Johann Sebastian Bach from the birth of Mendelssohn Bartholdy - yet each would prove significant to the other's advancement. While Mendelssohn Bartholdy brought his forgotten idol back into the public consciousness in the nineteenth century, Bach exerted a formative influence on Mendelssohn's own creative work. An impressive testimony to this is the oratorio «Paulus», performed in Grafenegg on Easter Sunday with a star-studded cast of soloists that includes the captivating soprano Nikola Hillebrand. Taking the podium is the Frenchman Fabien Gabel, presently one of the Tonkunstler-Orchestra's favourite conductors. The exhilarating choruses of this glorious work are sung by the Arnold Schoenberg Choir.