NOSPR / David Fray / Bach - NOSPR

How come Bach had such a high quotient of musical genius? Perhaps it was hereditary – after all, Johann Sebastian belonged to a family whose fame had first arisen four generations earlier. Perhaps he owed it to the educational pathways he had taken as a youngster and to his professions as a chorister and orchestral musician. Perhaps, finally, it was the effect of having spied on virtuosos and sought to familiarise himself with different styles. His concertos draw on the tradition of the Italian concerto grosso, although the sources of their virtuosity can be sought in French music. Bach appears to combine all the elements, growing on their foundations and ultimately outgrowing the masters of his epoch. So what is the truest way to play Bach? The search for an ideal sound is no easy task, compounded by the presence today of excellent interpreters and also by the switch from harpsichord to piano. Perhaps that is why Bach’s music ages differently, at its very own tempo.

[Piotr Mika, translated by John Comber]

Duration of the concert: approx. 60 minutes