Organization

Admin

La Cetra Barockorchester & Vokalensemble Basel

Conductor

Maurice Steger

Orchestra

La Cetra Barockorchester Basel

Instrumentalist

Harpsichordist

Sebastian Wienand

Harpsichord

Recorder Player

Recorder

Singer

Bach + Telemann

Bielefeld

Germany

Rudolf-Oetker-Halle

Coesfeld

Konzert Theater

Bach + Telemann: Ouverture-Suite, TWV 55:B13 Telemann (+4 More)

Public

Ouverture-Suite, TWV 55:B13

Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079

Harpsichord Concerto No. 6 in F major, BWV 1057

Concerto for recorder, strings and bc D major, BWV 1053R

Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon, TWV 52:F1

Ayyappa swamy y

Approved

For his Bach Project, Maurice Steger has selected six compositions that follow six different musical genres and has placed the recorder at the top of the solo instrumentation. In doing so, he places himself in the tradition of Bach himself, who has been proven to have repeatedly undertaken new instrumentations for his works in the course of his life. The tonal result is fascinating: Bach becomes a convincing recorder player through Maurice Steger’s interpretation.

First up is the Concerto in D major for recorder, strings & b.c., BWV 1053 R. He is accompanied here by the multi-award-winning La Cetra Barockorchester Basel. The orchestra fulfils all wishes that could be placed on a baroque orchestra and consists exclusively of specialists for early music. The following excerpt from the cycle “Das musicalische Opfer” (BWV 1079), the Sonata in G minor (BWV 1020), the Trio Sonata in D minor (BWV 527), as well as the Sonata in E major (BWV 1035) feature soloists from the La Cetra Barockorchester. Among others, violinist Katharina Heutjer, harpsichordist Sebastian Wienand, cellist Jonathan Pešek and recorder and bassoonist Claudius Kamp should be mentioned here.

At the end, the full richness of the fantastic orchestra is heard again in the Concerto in F major for harpsichord, two recorders, strings & b.c., (BWV 1057).

These works span several important stages in Johann Sebastian Bach’s life and were written between 1721 and 1747. Some of them were written in Köthen; one of the works, the Sonata in E major, was demonstrably composed on a trip to Berlin. Later, in Leipzig, Bach reworked or completed many of his works. In the case of the G minor Sonata, the authorship could also lie with his son C.P.E. Bach, but experts are not entirely sure. Bach wrote the works for special occasions and clients, or for friends and highly talented musicians of his time.

It is indeed known that Bach himself also played the recorder, especially in his youth. Even then, the recorder was the “beginner’s instrument” with which one could easily learn basic musical skills such as note reading, rhythm and intonation. It is true that Bach used the recorder with great refinement in many works, but unfortunately there are no records of his pure recorder works. We therefore cannot say with certainty how his music would sound for recorder, but as we know, his music leaves much room for interpretation and experimentation. Bach’s notations are often very detailed and contain specific instructions, but his music is so profound and complex that there are different ways to interpret and express it.

The music of this programme changes from mad instrumental virtuosity to very gentle forms of expression, as only a true master of the recorder can gallantly make them sound. A recorder player like Maurice Steger cannot bow more beautifully and gracefully to Johann Sebastian Bach.

English

Bach + Telemann by Telemann, Bach, J. S., From (2023/2023), Conductor Maurice Steger, Konzert Theater, Coesfeld, Germany

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