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The Eleventh Season: From Bach Jul y 18–August 10, 2013
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The Eleventh Season: From Bach July 18–August 10, 2013 David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors
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AD-06-13-0821.indd 1 6/26/13 2:21 PM Tuesday, 11:45 a.m. Master Class with Jorja Fleezanis, violinist July 30 Martin Family Hall
Wednesday, 11:45 a.m. Master Class with Gilbert Kalish, pianist 8:00 p.m. Concert Program V: Trio Transformations July 31 Martin Family Hall Stent Family Hall ($77) 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance Martin Family Hall
Thursday, 11:45 a.m. Master Class with Ian Swensen, violinist 8:00 p.m. Concert Program V: Trio Transformations August 1 Martin Family Hall The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton ($65/$55) 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton
Friday, 11:45 a.m. Café Conversation: Pablo Casals, the Legendary Bach Interpreter, with Laurence 8:00 p.m. Concert Program VI: French Connections August 2 Lesser, cellist Stent Family Hall ($77) Martin Family Hall
Saturday, 1:00 p.m. Koret Young Performers Concert 8:00 p.m. Concert Program VI: French Connections August 3 The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton ($65/$55) 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance 10:30 p.m. Mingle with the Musicians The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton Stanford Park Hotel, Menlo Grill (Dutch treat)
Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Carte Blanche Concert V: Cello Evolutions II: Laurence Lesser, cello August 4 Stent Family Hall ($75) Picnic Lunch ($18) 6:00 p.m. Encounter III: The Art of Late Bach, led by Michael Parloff Martin Family Hall ($45)
Monday, 11:45 a.m. Café Conversation: Poetry Reading Workshop, with Jorja Fleezanis, violinist; Patrick August 5 Castillo, Artistic Administrator; and Andrew Goldstein, Artistic Associate Martin Family Hall 4:15 p.m. Listening Room with Patrick Castillo Martin Family Hall 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance Stent Family Hall
Tuesday, 11:45 a.m. Master Class with Timothy Eddy, cellist 8:00 p.m. Concert Program VII: Die Kunst der Fuge August 6 Martin Family Hall Stent Family Hall ($77) 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance Martin Family Hall
Wednesday, 11:45 a.m. Master Class with Arnaud Sussmann, violinist 8:00 p.m. Concert Program VII: Die Kunst der Fuge August 7 Martin Family Hall Stent Family Hall ($77) 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance Martin Family Hall
Thursday, 11:45 a.m. Master Class with Wu Han, pianist 7:30 p.m. Encounter IV: The Passion According to Sebastian Bach, August 8 Martin Family Hall led by Patrick Castillo 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance Martin Family Hall ($45) Stent Family Hall
Friday, 11:45 a.m. Master Class with David Finckel, cellist 8:00 p.m. Concert Program VIII: The Solo Voice August 9 Martin Family Hall Stent Family Hall ($77) 5:30 p.m. Prelude Performance Martin Family Hall
Saturday, 12:00 p.m. Koret Young Performers Concert 6:00 p.m. Concert Program VIII: The Solo Voice August 10 The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton ($65/$55) 3:30 p.m. Prelude Performance 8:30 p.m. Fête the Festival The Center for Performing Arts at Menlo-Atherton Palo Alto Art Center ($65)
www.musicatmenlo.org 113 Music@Menlo From Bach the eleventh season July 18–August 10, 2013 david finckel and wu han, artistic directors
Contents
2 Season Dedication 3 A Message from the Artistic Directors 4 Welcome from the Executive Director 4 Board, Administration, and Mission Statement 5 From Bach Program Overview 6 Essay: “On Bach’s Universality” by Robert L. Marshall 10 Encounters I–IV 13 Concert Programs I–VIII 43 Carte Blanche Concerts I–V 62 Chamber Music Institute 64 Prelude Performances 73 Koret Young Performers Concerts 76 Master Classes 77 Café Conversations 78 Listening Room 79 Open House 80 2013 Visual Artist: Sebastian Spreng 81 Music@Menlo LIVE 82 2013–2014 Winter Series 84 Artist and Faculty Biographies 99 Internship Program 101 Glossary 104 Join Music@Menlo 108 Acknowledgments 111 Ticket and Performance Information 112 Calendar
Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig, Germany. It is most famous as the place where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor.
Cover artwork: Imprint, from Salad Bar Series, and artwork on p. 80 by Sebastian Spreng. Carte Blanche Concerts: p. 43 (Ayano Kataoka) by Oliver Lopena and (Ian Rosenbaum) by Matt Fried; p. 46 (Soovin Kim) by Michael G. W. Stein; p. 50 (Colin Carr), p. 53 (Jorja Fleezanis), and p. 58 (Laurence Lesser) by Tristan Cook. Music@Menlo photographs: p. 4 (Edward Sweeney, the Escher String Quartet), p. 8 (festival supporters, left to right, photos 1–3), and pp. 50, 53, 58 (Colin Carr, Jorja Fleezanis, and Laurence Lesser) by Tristan Cook; p. 8 (photo 4) and p. 105 (right, 1–3) by Joel Simon; p. 12 and p. 61 by Lilian Finckel; pp. 4, 62–64, 66–71, 73–77, 79, 103–104, 111 (2012 festival images) by Tristan Cook with Lilian Finckel and Sarah Kaufman; p. 65, p. 72 (Prelude Performances), p. 78, and p. 96 (KYPC) by Ashley Pinnell; p. 72 (Institute faculty) by Marianne LaCrosse; p. 82 and p. 83 (Menlo-Atherton) by Scott Chernis; p. 99 (interns) by Annie Rohan; p. 105 (festival supporters, left) by Kimberly Hsu. Music@Menlo LIVE: p. 81 (CDs) by Nick Stone and (Da-Hong Seetoo) by Christian Steiner. Winter Series: p. 82 (Menlo-Atherton) by Joel Simon and (Emerson String Quartet) by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco; p. 83 (Menlo-Atherton) by Scott Chernis, (Jean-E!am Bavouzet) by Paul Mitchell, (Wu Han) by Christian Steiner, and (Alessio Bax) courtesy of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Artist portraits: Sean Lee (p. 90) by Ai Ajdukovic; Danish String Quartet (p. 86) by Caroline Bittencourt; Benedict Kloeckner (p. 95) by Marco Borggreve; Benjamin Beilman (p. 84) by Maia Cabeza; Soovin Kim (p. 89) by Woo-Ryong Chai; Ayano Kataoka (p. 89) and Michael Parlo" (p. 92) by Tristan Cook; Francesca Rose dePasquale (p. 94) by Alexandra DeFurio; Joseph Swensen (p. 93) by Jack Dine; Mark Holloway (p. 88) and James Austin Smith (p. 93) by Matt Dine; Ian Rosenbaum (p. 92) by Matt Fried; Kevin Rivard (p. 92) by Heather George; Orion String Quartet (p. 91) by Lois Greenfield; Jorja Fleezanis (p. 86) courtesy of Indiana State University; Sebastian Spreng (p. 80) courtesy of Kelley Roy Gallery; Dmitri Atapine (p. 84) by Do Hyung Kim; Carter Brey (p. 85) by Chris Lee; Stuart Isaco" (p. 88) by Michael Lionstar; Gloria Chien (p. 86), Je"rey Kahane (p. 88), Bridget Kibbey (p. 89), and Tara Helen O’Connor (p. 91) by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco; Paul Neubauer (p. 90) by Bernard Mindich; Kristin Lee (p. 90) by Arthur Moeller; Arnaud Sussmann (p. 93) by Nyght Falcon; Ara Guzelimian (p. 87) by Peter Schaaf; Sunmi Chang (p. 86) courtesy of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; Charles Chandler (p. 86), David Finckel and Wu Han (pp. 3, 84), and Elizabeth Futral (p. 87) by Christian Steiner; Kobi Malkin (p. 95) by Susan Wilson; Richard O’Neill (p. 91) by W Korea.
www.musicatmenlo.org 1 2013 Season Dedication Music@Menlo’s eleventh season is dedicated to the following individuals and organizations that share the festival’s vision and whose tremendous support continues to make the realization of Music@Menlo’s mission possible.
Darren H. Bechtel Ann S. Bowers Jim & Mical Brenzel Iris & Paul Brest Terri Bullock Michèle & Larry Corash The Jeffrey Dean & Heidi Hopper Family Karen & Rick DeGolia Chandler B. & Oliver A. Evans David Finckel & Wu Han Joan & Allan Fisch Anne & Mark Flegel Marty & Sarah Flug Paul & Marcia Ginsburg The David B. and Edward C. Goodstein Foundation Sue & Bill Gould Libby & Craig Heimark Kathleen G. Henschel The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Leslie Hsu & Rick Lenon Michael Jacobson & Trine Sorensen Jeehyun Kim Koret Foundation Funds Mary Lorey Hugh Martin The Martin Family Foundation William F. Meehan III Betsy Morgenthaler The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Bill & Lee Perry Dr. Condoleezza Rice Laurose & Burton Richter George & Camilla Smith Vivian Sweeney U.S. Trust Marcia & Hap Wagner Melanie & Ron Wilensky Marilyn & Boris Wolper
2 Music@Menlo 2013 A Message from the Artistic Directors
Dear Friends,
For us, the writing of Music@Menlo’s annual welcome letter is always an exciting task. This mes- sage comes at the culmination of our artistic planning, traversing from the season’s conception (several years back) to the downbeat of the summer’s first notes. Here and now, we have one final opportunity to offer some thoughts on the coming programs and to share our anticipation of the 2013 Music@Menlo experience. Although it is assumed that, as Artistic Directors, the two of us know exactly what to expect from these concerts, they are, in truth, discoveries for us, as well. For no matter how well we know the music and the performers, Music@Menlo’s unique ensembles reveal fresh productions of every work; the acoustics of our venues let us hear the music in new ways; and the synergy created between the audience and the musicians generates the spontaneous electricity felt only during live performances. We excitedly expect that this season’s concert programs, though structured similarly to one another, will yield a broad spectrum of different musical experiences: while it is true that we will begin every performance with the music of Bach, the roads that depart from his hallowed home lead in a wide variety of directions. Music@Menlo’s extraordinary musicians will follow those roads to locations all over the musical map, while opening each concert with music as universal and time- less as any ever composed. We wish you a rewarding and enriching experience, filled with discovery and renewal. Let the Bach begin!
David Finckel and Wu Han Artistic Directors The Martin Family Artistic Directorship
www.musicatmenlo.org 3 Welcome from the Music@Menlo Executive Director Dear Friends, Board Darren H. Bechtel It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Music@Menlo’s Ann S. Bowers 2013 festival. Oliver A. Evans This is an exhilarating time for Music@Menlo. Earl Fry Last summer, we celebrated the tenth anniversary Paul M. Ginsburg of this extraordinary festival. While anniversaries are Kathleen G. Henschel often occasions to look back, in typical Music@Menlo Eff W. Martin fashion we made sure that our focus was firmly on the Camilla Smith future. As part of our institutional strategic planning Trine Sorensen process, we came together to reinforce our core founding values and to articulate what David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors we wanted to accomplish in the coming years. William R. Silver, ex officio And, with the deep support of this community through special gifts to the Tenth- Edward P. Sweeney, Executive Director, ex o!cio Anniversary Campaign, this future is already on its way to becoming a reality. We are extremely grateful for your enthusiasm, your dedication to our shared mission, and Leonard Edwards, emeritus your generous support in helping secure the future of chamber music. Thank you! Michael J. Hunt, emeritus This summer, as we explore Bach’s enduring influence on those who followed, we Hugh Martin, emeritus are ensuring that Music@Menlo has a similar lasting influence. Whether it is through the careful and detailed manner in which a master performer passes on his or her craft Administration to young musicians in our Chamber Music Institute or through our young, entrepre- neurial alumni stepping out into the world to create their own musical opportunities, David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors we can see Music@Menlo’s many seeds taking root and flourishing. This is, for many of Edward P. Sweeney, Executive Director us, the most gratifying part of the festival’s work. Patrick Castillo, Artistic Administrator So, thank you again for joining us in this exploration and helping to sustain this Andrew Goldstein, House Manager and Artistic Associate important enterprise. I look forward to seeing you during the festival! Elizabeth Hansen, Development Associate Melissa Johnson, Patron Services Associate With warmest regards, Marianne R. LaCrosse, General Manager and Education Programs Director Shayne Olson, Marketing Director Annie Rohan, Development Director Daphne Wong, Artistic Operations Manager Edward P. Sweeney Mission Statement Executive Director Music@Menlo’s mission is to expand the chamber music com- munity and to enhance the enjoyment and understanding of the art form by championing the highest artistic quality in live per- formance, promoting in-depth audience engagement with the music and artists, and providing intensive training for aspiring professional musicians and industry leaders.
4 Music@Menlo 2013 FROM BACH
Dear Friends,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Music@Menlo’s 2013 festival. This is an exhilarating time for Music@Menlo. Last summer, we celebrated the tenth anniversary of this extraordinary festival. While anniversaries are often occasions to look back, in typical Music@Menlo fashion we made sure that our focus was firmly on the future. As part of our institutional strategic planning process, we came together to reinforce our core founding values and to articulate what we wanted to accomplish in the coming years. And, with the deep support of this community through special gifts to the Tenth- Anniversary Campaign, this future is already on its way to becoming a reality. We are extremely grateful for your enthusiasm, your dedication to our shared mission, and Program Overview Artists your generous support in helping secure the future of chamber music. Thank you! This summer, as we explore Bach’s enduring influence on those who followed, we CONCERT PROGRAMS Piano Danish String Quartet* are ensuring that Music@Menlo has a similar lasting influence. Whether it is through Concert Program I: PIANO!PIANO (p. 13) Gloria Chien Frederik Øland, violin the careful and detailed manner in which a master performer passes on his or her craft Fri., July 19, 8:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Derek Han Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, violin to young musicians in our Chamber Music Institute or through our young, entrepre- Concert Program II:QUARTET DIMENSIONS (p. 17) Je"rey Kahane Asbjørn Nørgaard, viola neurial alumni stepping out into the world to create their own musical opportunities, Sun., July 21, 6:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Gilbert Kalish Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, cello we can see Music@Menlo’s many seeds taking root and flourishing. This is, for many of Concert Program III: STRING VARIATIONS (p. 21) Hyeyeon Park us, the most gratifying part of the festival’s work. Wed., July 24, 8:00 p.m., Stent Family Hall / Thu., July 25, 8:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Orion String Quartet Gilles Vonsattel* So, thank you again for joining us in this exploration and helping to sustain this Concert Program IV: PRELUDES AND FUGUES (p. 25) Daniel Phillips, violin Sat., July 27, 8:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Wu Han important enterprise. I look forward to seeing you during the festival! Todd Phillips, violin (p. 30) Concert Program V: TRIO TRANSFORMATIONS Steven Tenenbom, viola Wed., July 31, 8:00 p.m., Stent Family Hall / Thu., Aug. 1, 8:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Violin Benjamin Beilman Timothy Eddy, cello With warmest regards, Concert Program VI: FRENCH CONNECTIONS (p. 33) Sunmi Chang* Fri., Aug. 2, 8:00 p.m., Stent Family Hall / Sat., Aug. 3, 8:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Vocalist Jorja Fleezanis Concert Program VII: DIE KUNST DER FUGE (p. 37) Elizabeth Futral, soprano* Tu e . , A u g . 6 , 8:00 p.m., Stent Family Hall / Wed., Aug. 7, 8:00 p.m., Stent Family Hall Soovin Kim* Concert Program VIII: THE SOLO VOICE (p. 39) Kristin Lee Percussion Fri., Aug. 9, 8:00 p.m., Stent Family Hall / Sat., Aug. 10, 6:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Christopher Froh Edward P. Sweeney Sean Lee Ayano Kataoka Executive Director CARTE BLANCHE CONCERTS Arnaud Sussmann Carte Blanche Concert I: Percussion Complexities: Christopher Froh, Ian Swensen Ian Rosenbaum* Ayano Kataoka, and Ian Rosenbaum (p. 43) Joseph Swensen Woodwinds Sat., July 20, 8:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Tara Helen O’Connor, flute (p. 46) Viola Carte Blanche Concert II: The Solo Violin: Soovin Kim Alan Kay, clarinet* Sun., July 21, 10:30 a.m., Stent Family Hall Sunmi Chang* James Austin Smith, oboe Carte Blanche Concert III: Cello Evolutions I: Colin Carr (p. 50) Mark Holloway* Sun., July 28, 10:30 a.m., Stent Family Hall Paul Neubauer Marc Goldberg, bassoon Carte Blanche Concert IV: Into the Light: Jorja Fleezanis (p. 53) Richard O’Neill Brass Sun., July 28, 6:00 p.m., Menlo-Atherton Arnaud Sussmann Nicole Cash, horn* Carte Blanche Concert V: Cello Evolutions II: Laurence Lesser (p. 58) Sun., Aug. 4, 10:30 a.m., Stent Family Hall Cello Kevin Rivard, horn* Dmitri Atapine David Washburn, trumpet ENCOUNTERS Carter Brey Encounter I: In the Beginning…There Was Bach, led by Ara Guzelimian (p. 10) Encounter Leaders Thu., July 18, 7:30 p.m., Martin Family Hall Colin Carr Patrick Castillo Encounter II: Keyboard Evolution: How Bach’s Instruments Became David Finckel Ara Guzelimian the Modern Piano, led by Stuart Isacoff (p. 10) Laurence Lesser Stuart Isaco" Fri., July 26, 7:30 p.m., Martin Family Hall Bass Michael Parlo" Encounter III: The Art of Late Bach: Exploring Musical Offering and Charles Chandler The Art of Fugue, led by Michael Parloff (p. 11) Sun., Aug. 4, 6:00 p.m., Martin Family Hall Scott Pingel *Music@Menlo debut Encounter IV: The Passion According to Sebastian Bach, Harp led by Patrick Castillo (p. 11) Bridget Kibbey Thu., Aug. 8, 7:30 p.m., Martin Family Hall www.musicatmenlo.org 5 On Bach’s Universality
By Robert L. Marshall
From The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach: The Sources, the Style, the Sig- I should emphasize that I am not primarily concerned here with the nificance. question of the universality of Bach’s appeal. But it might be good to begin by asking whether the appeal of Bach’s music is in fact really all that general. A number of years ago I was asked to revise the article on “Bach, Johann With a few notable exceptions, his music is certainly not as popular as that of, Sebastian” for the fifteenth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. One of say, Beethoven or Mozart, not to mention Tchaikovsky—although that situ- the guidelines was to begin not with the conventional “J. S. Bach was born at ation might have changed by the end of 1985. But if it did, I would expect it Eisenach in Thuringia on March 21, 1685” and so on but with a “Statement to be a temporary, and most easily explainable, phenomenon. For the fact is of Significance.” I decided to put it this way: that Bach’s music by and large is considerably less accessible to the typical music lover than is that of the other major composers of history; nor was Although he was admired by his contemporaries primarily as it ever intended or expected to appeal to a concert audience in the mod- an outstanding harpsichordist, organist, and expert on organ ern sense, that is, to a large and, musically considered, minimally educated building, Johann Sebastian Bach is now generally regarded as assembly of essentially passive listeners. It is important to remember that one of the greatest composers of all time and is celebrated as commercial concert life for the general public was only in its infancy by the the creator of the Brandenburg Concerti, The Well-Tempered end of Bach’s life and that Bach accordingly had little occasion—although Clavier, the Mass in b minor, and numerous other masterpieces there was some—to write what we may call “public music.” of church and instrumental music. Appearing at a propitious It is possible, in fact, and rather profitable in many ways to consider moment in the history of music, Bach was able to survey and Bach’s music in terms of its function or, what is to a great extent the same bring together the principal styles, forms, and national traditions thing, its intended audience. In fact, such a functional classification of music that had developed during preceding generations and, by virtue was common at Bach’s time—but I hasten to add that contemporary com- of his synthesis, enrich them all. mentators did not recognize such a category as “public” music but rather divided musical activity into three principal realms or institutions: the There is nothing particularly original about this assessment, nor—I’m church, the chamber, and the theater. In the eyes of his own contempo- relieved to say—is it in any way incorrect. But I do believe now that it does raries, accordingly, Bach could hardly have been regarded as a “universal” not really do full justice to the magnitude of Bach’s achievement. It subscribes, composer by any means, since, strictly speaking, he wrote no music at all for first of all, to the traditional view that Bach was “the culmination of an era”—to the theater, that is, operas or ballets—although the argument certainly could cite the subtitle of Karl Geiringer’s well-known study of the composer—or, be made that there is more genuine musical drama in many of his church in Albert Schweitzer’s famous comment: “Bach is a…terminal point. Nothing compositions than in any opera of his time. comes from him; everything merely leads up to him.” Now, about ten years ago, in an essay entitled “Bach the Progressive,” I tried to demonstrate that Bach’s “synthesis” was, if anything, even more The sense of actively participating in something extensive than was commonly appreciated—that his music constituted not transcendental, when we play or intensively only a “culmination” or a “terminal point” but often enough reflected the listen to Bach’s music, I maintain, is central to most advanced stylistic currents of his time. Two of Bach’s most monumental understanding his position in our culture. and serious works in particular—the Mass in b minor and the so-called Gold- berg Variations—both written relatively late in the composer’s career, could be shown to be indebted almost as much to the new, light “pre-Classical” or galant style associated with the generation of Bach’s sons—and normally I should like to pursue the notion of “public” music a little further, though, taken to be the very antithesis of Bach’s personal style—as they were to the and suggest that Bach’s most generally appealing, that is, his most popular, venerable contrapuntal traditions of the preceding century. I was arguing, in music today falls into one or the other of two categories, both belonging effect, that Bach’s synthesis did not only extend historically into the past and to that sphere: on the one hand, the free toccata or fantasia for the organ geographically to embrace the great European national traditions of France, or some other keyboard instrument (which his contemporaries would quite Italy, and Germany but that it also sought to encompass the most recent sty- properly have considered a species of church music) and on the other hand, listic developments—to look forward as much as in any other artistic direction. the instrumental concerto, regarded at the time as music for the chamber. In other words, Bach’s music seemed at times to aspire to, and to achieve, a Common to both forms, however, is an emphasis not only on virtuosity and universality of style and idiom that was considerably more far-reaching—and exuberant technical display—that is, on a readily appreciated sort of artistic in fact more deliberate—than had hitherto been recognized. prowess—and individualism—but also, often enough, on an intensity and I wish at this time to pursue the notion of Bach’s “universality” more immediacy of expression that strikes a sympathetic listener as “personal” in fully and to explore its specific implications for our understanding of his art. tone and feeling. I am thinking of course of such works as the famous Toccata and Fugue in d minor for Organ and the Brandenburg Concerti. *Bolded terms are defined in the glossary, which begins on page 101. 6 Music@Menlo 2013 Needless to say I do not in any way wish to disparage these genu- inely grandiose works. They are not only supremely successful but in fact represent the epitome of compositions of their kind. And they are all quintessentially and unmistakably “Bachian” in the vigor and vitality of their rhythms, the boldness and originality of their harmonies, and the richness and complexity of their colors and textures. And nowhere is Bach’s music more searingly intense, more deeply “personal,” if you will, than in the slow movement, say, of the First Brandenburg Concerto or just about any other slow movement from a Bach concerto, for that matter. There is surely no need to remind you how the Toccata in d minor goes, and I am confident that you can call to mind the brilliance and excitement, and also the poignant expressivity, of a Bach concerto. Virtually any move- ment from any Bach concerto, indeed, is music eminently well designed to excite and exhilarate or to move and grip the attentive and responsive listener who would have heard it in Bach’s day, as today, as a member of an audi- ence—no matter whether as an invited and privileged guest in the aristocratic salon or “chamber” of, say, the Margrave of Brandenburg or in the less exclu- sive surroundings of Herr Zimmermann’s Coffeehouse in Leipzig, where the members of the local Collegium Musicum would have performed such music under the direction of the composer. That is, the music would have been per- formed then, as now, for an audience and as part of a concert. But barely two dozen concerti by Bach have survived, and—even if one adds the four orchestral suites (or overtures) which are in many ways similar and almost as popular—this would still obviously constitute a very Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig, Germany. It is most famous as the place where small fraction of the close to eleven hundred compositions from his pen Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor. that have come down to us. As for the Toccata in d minor, its immense dedicated to the ultimately exclusive audience; for almost every one of Bach’s popularity is not only quite unique among Bach’s organ works but, sorry cantata manuscripts closes with the inscription SDGl (Soli Deo Gloria), “to to say, probably owes more to the extravagant arrangements of Leopold God alone the glory.” Bach’s cantatas, in fact, were conceived and should be Stokowski and others and to Hollywood’s exploitation of it in such movies as regarded not as concert pieces at all but as musical sermons, and they were Walt Disney’s Fantasia and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea than it does to its incorporated as such in the regular Sunday church services. I am reminded at own considerable, inherent interest. And much the same is true for Bach’s this point of a remark by the Swiss theologian (and passionate Mozart enthu- other “greatest hits”: the so-called Air for the G-String, the aria Sheep May siast) Karl Barth, which goes as follows: “It may or may not be the case that Safely Graze, or the chorale Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. They are typically when the angels make music in praise of God they play Bach; but I am sure lifted from their original contexts and often enough outfitted for an entirely that when they are by themselves they play Mozart—and then God, too, is different medium from the one prescribed by the composer. especially eager to listen in.” Of Bach’s close to two hundred church cantatas, on the other hand, In contrast to the regular Sunday cantatas, Bach’s most monumental, which represent the largest single body of compositions in his output, I doubt and inspired, church compositions (the St. John Passion and St. Matthew whether more than a handful have established themselves securely in today’s Passion, the Christmas Oratorio, the Mass in b minor) are not only recog- musical life. But this is, really, quite understandable. For these works, for all nized and appreciated as towering masterpieces but are performed regularly their superb technical craftsmanship and profound expressivity, are not at all and frequently. In the case of the passions and the oratorio, I suspect it is not “public” music as I have just defined that term. Moreover, they were clearly only the power of Bach’s settings but also the inherent—and genuinely uni- designed to have anything other than a “universal” appeal. Indeed, they are, if versal—drama of the biblical narratives at their core, in addition of course to you will, Bach’s most “parochial” works, written for a completely circumscribed their association with the major religious holidays, that have eased their way audience, not only, in the first instance, for an orthodox Lutheran congrega- into our musical life. But even here I can’t quite erase the suspicion that their tion but specifically for one thoroughly familiar with the particular repertory frequent performance during the holidays may in fact be as much an act of of hymns, local liturgical traditions, and theological outlook prevailing in early musical piety as a sign of popular audience appeal. With the b minor Mass, eighteenth-century Leipzig. It is inevitable, I should think, that the modern lis- however, I believe the explanation is not the same; for it is not only imme- tener has difficulty with this, quite frankly, rather alien repertoire—difficulty not diately accessible but positively thrilling with its brilliant and utterly majestic only with the theological content and, especially, the rather drastic imagery choruses, the grace and straightforward lyricism of its solos and duets, and its of the texts but also with some of the basic musical conventions of the genre, unusually colorful and varied orchestral palette. Above all, the mass is entirely which (as it happens) were largely imported from the even more alien world of free of those problematic Baroque conventions of text and form that I men- early eighteenth-century opera: the fairly regular succession and alternation tioned before. The Mass in b minor is indeed a Catholic work in every sense of recitatives and arias, for example, and the apparently relentless repetition of the word, and as such it occupies a unique place in Bach’s oeuvre, one that schemes associated with the all-pervasive da capo principle of aria construc- gives it special significance in any consideration of the composer’s universality. tion, a device which often renders the individual arias—for all their intrinsic I imagine that it is unnecessary for me to say that I have no doubt at beauty and effectiveness if heard separately—simply too long and, to our all that even the few works of Bach for which I have just conceded broad taste, too static in the context of a complete church cantata. In short, such popular “audience” appeal—the concerti, passions, the Christmas Oratorio, compositions were not intended primarily for the “delectation” of a concert and the b minor Mass—provide ample testimony of his genius and would public but rather for the “edification” of a church congregation. Indeed, from guarantee a prominent place for him in the pantheon even if no other com- the composer’s own point of view, they may have been conceived for and
www.musicatmenlo.org 7 Music@Menlo chamber music festival and institute
Your Contributions Make a Difference
Give a gift to the Annual Fund: Give a gift to the Music@Menlo Fund: Support this year’s festival season Be a part of Music@Menlo’s long-term vision Donations from individuals like you make each festival season—from Please consider furthering the future of chamber music performance the main-stage performances to the daily Institute activities—possible. and education by making a special gift to the Music@Menlo Fund, By becoming a Member with a gift to the Annual Fund, you will also Music@Menlo’s board-designated fund to support the long-term vision enjoy many benefits that give you additional ways to connect more of the organization. intimately with the festival’s music, artists, students, and community.
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RIDGEVINEYARDS “the choral singing was magni!cent—the sound beguiling”
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