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Event
J. S. Bach's Chamber Music
In this second concert of its all-Bach season, La Follia performs some of the greatest chamber music of the Master, including the Trio Sonata from The Musical Offering, the flute sonata in A major, and the viola da gamba sonata no. 2 in D major.
Featured are Stephen Redfield, violin; Marcus McGuff, flute; Eric Smith, cello and viola da gamba; and director Keith Womer, harpsichord.
Jeffrey Blair, radio celebrity at KMFA Classical Austin 89.5 FM, will present a free pre-concert lecture 20 minutes before curtain on J.S. Bach and this glorious music.
About the music:
Regarding the Trio Sonata from the Musical Offering: Three years before his death, Bach visited the court of Frederick II, where his son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was employed. The King, himself an excellent musician and composer, presented Bach with a theme upon which Bach immediately improvised a three-voice fugue on the fortepiano. Back at home in Leipzig, Bach composed a complete suite of pieces based on the same theme, so-called The Musical Offering, and sent them to Frederick. Of these, the Trio Sonata and the six voice Ricercar are the most significant, in fact they are some of Bachs greatest music. For the trio sonata, the crafty Bach specified flute (the Kings own instrument) for a prominent role, along with violin, cello and keyboard.
Regarding the flute sonata in A major: This is one of three certifiably authentic flute sonatas by Bach. However, it lacks a complete first movement. It was unfortunately written at the bottom of another composition, a concerto for two harpsichords. During subsequent editing for a performance of the concerto, the extra pages of the sonata were discarded and were never found.
Regarding the viola da gamba sonata no. 2: By the time of Bachs later years, the viola da gamba was an instrument going out of favor, while the cello was emerging in its stead. Nonetheless, it was still a favorite instrument of the royalty. Bach himself used it for special effect in his St. Matthew and St. John Passions. While we do not know exactly for whom these sonatas were written, we know from the difficulty of the music that the player was extremely accomplished.
About the venue:
Redeemer Presbyterian Church is located in the revitalized area of East Austin, not far from the Metrorail MLK station and not far from the Mueller development across Airport Boulevard. There is free, ample and safe parking adjacent to the church. The venue offers excellent acoustics and sight lines, and is ADA compliant.
About La Follia:
La Follia was founded in 1980, making it one of the oldest chamber ensembles of any kind in Austin. Among its numerous awards are three concerts cited as one of ten best classical music events of the year, as well as the 2016 Austin Critics Table award for overall Ensemble Performance.
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LocationRedeemer Presbyterian Church (View)
2111 Alexander Ave
Austin, TX 78722
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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