Orchestra of St. Luke's Presents Bach at Home
Delightful Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 Launches Series
By: Susan Hall - Jun 24, 2020
Bach at Home
Orchestra of St. Luke's
Streaming through July 14
The first week of Bach at Home 2020 explores Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and Cello Suites with performances, interviews, videos, and more featuring Principal Conductor Bernard Labadie, cellist Pieter Wispelwey, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and individual OSL musicians. In Bernard’s Bach, Labadie illuminates well- and lesser-known works by J.S. Bach.
An ensemble of trumpet, flute, oboe and violin perform as soloists in the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. They are an unusual grouping, but also unusually different in tone and texture. The instruments sound so different that it is easy to distinguish one from another. Instrumental distinctiveness is one of the many pleasures of the Concerto.
In the opening movement.we hear Bach's invention at play. The soloists stand out from the superb ensemble at big moments. The ear easily picks up each instrument as it goes its own way.
The bright, dynamic trumpet is put aside in the second movement, which is quieter thanth first. Now the cello comes forward in lovely lines. A feeling of intimacy tucks us into our sofas.
We herald the trumpet's return in the third movement. Its fanfare is the melodic line in a joyful future. In statements and answers, oboe responds to the trumped and the flute responds to the violin.
Week one also includes Bach cello sonatas and the Fugue from Violin Sonata No. 1
This is beautiful music played beautifully by the members of the St. Luke's Orchestra. In weeks that follow, the following programs can be heard:
Goldbergs Transformed June 30
Pierre Hantaï Performs the Goldberg Variations as Written by Bach
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Aria
No. 3 (Canone all’Unisono)
No. 5
No. 14
No. 28
Pierre Hantaï, harpsichord
Filmed, recorded, and produced at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in June 2019
Bach While Away
Amanda Forsythe Performs
Bist du bei mir, BWV 508
Amanda Forsythe, soprano
Filmed and Recorded May 2020
OSL Musicians Perform
Violin Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Preludio
Krista Bennion Feeney, violin
Filmed and Recorded 2014
Violin Partita No. 3, BWV 1006: Gavotte en Rondeau
Sylvain Bergeron, lute
Filmed and Recorded April 2020
Bach Today
Jean Rondeau Performs
J.S. Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No.1, BWV 1052
J.C. Bach: Harpsichord Concerto, W C73
Jean Rondeau, harpsichord
Released in 2017, courtesy of Warner Classics
Amanda Forsythe Performs
St. John Passion, BWV 245: Zerfliesse, mein Herze
Amanda Forsythe, soprano
Recorded in 2016, courtesy of Apollo’s Fire
Paul Taylor Dance Company Performs
Junction (including a performance by Paul Taylor) performed to Cello Suite No. 4, BWV 1010: Prélude, Gigue; and Cello Suite No. 1, BWV1007: Prélude, Menuets, Gigue
Released in 1966
Goldbergs Transformed July 7
OSL Performs the Goldberg Variations as Arranged by Bernard Labadie
Introduction by Bernard Labadie
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Aria, arr. Labadie
No. 3, arr. Labadie (Canone all’Unisono)
No. 5, arr. Labadie
No. 14, arr. Labadie
No. 28, arr. Labadie
Filmed, recorded, and produced at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in June 2019
Bach While Away
Bach Family Album – Pedja Muzijevic
C.P.E. Bach: Sonata in e minor, Wq. 59/1
W.F. Bach: Fantasy in c minor, FK 15
J.S. Bach: Duet in e minor, BWV 802
J.S. Bach: Duet in G Major, BWV 804
Pedja Mužijevi?, piano
Filmed and Recorded May 2020
OSL Musicians Perform
The Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Ricercar a 3
Robert Wolinsky, harpsichord
Filmed and Recorded June 2020
Cello Suite No. 2, BWV 1008: Sarabande
Myron Lutzke, cello
Filmed and Recorded May 2020
Bach Today
OSL and Paul Taylor Dance Company Perform
The Musical Offering, BWV 1079: Andante from Trio Sonata
Filmed, recorded, and produced at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in January 2019
Special Dance Collaboration: Varone, Trusnovec, and Cerutti July 14
Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 5, BWV 1011, with Michael Trusnovec. Performed by OSL Ensemble Member David Cerutti; choreography by Doug Varone
Bach Today
Bach Inspired World Premieres
Nicky Sohn: Home-Body, Home-Bach for solo cello
Daire FitzGerald, cello
Jeremy Rapaport-Stein: Jig/saw for solo bassoon
Marc Goldberg, bassoon
Charles Peck: Cloak for solo viola
Katarzyna Bryla-Weiss, viola
William Gardiner: Quarantine Fragments for solo violin
Eriko Sato, violin
Bach While Away
OSL Musicians Perform
Violin Partita No. 2, BWV 1004: Ciaccona
Benjamin Bowman, violin
OSL’s Youth Orchestra Musicians Perform Bach
Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s (YOSL) String Players joined by YOSL faculty and OSL Musicians.