J.S. Bach – Einmal anders
Baccano’s 20th anniversary season
J.S. Bach
Baccano:
Hanna Haapamäki, recorder
Susanne Helasvuo, violin
Anni Elonen, violin
Tiila Kangas, viola
Jussi Seppänen, cello
Anna Rinta-Rahko, double bass
Eero Palviainen, lute
Marianna Henriksson, harpsichord and organ
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) indicated each composition’s instrumentation very specifically. On the other hand, bach also loved arrangements. Arranging, reworking an existing composition, and transposing works into different keys were all common practices during the Baroque era. Bach was familiar with all of these practices, whether the original music was his own or that of one of his contemporaries. The majority of Bach’s chamber music can be found in several different versions and instrumentations, all arranged by the composer. The more than 200 surviving cantatas are especially a treasure trove in this respect.
As he grew older, Bach arranged his own compositions more and more. He arranged his concertos written in Köthen and his cantatas written in Weimar for the musicians in Leipzig, chamber music for orchestra and vice versa. There were no limits to the diversity of arrangements of Bach’s own compositions.
Many original versions of Bach’s works have been lost, and as a result, we are only familiar with the second or third versions of some works. The master composer was clearly looking for different ways to express the same idea using a wide variety of emphases and timbres. Bach used this “musical recycling” to ensure that his best music was heard more than once.
In this concert, which is part of Baccano’s year-long celebration of their 20th anniversary, both familiar and lesser-known music by Bach will be heard in a slightly new form.
Duration: 1 h 30 min (incl. intermission)