Keeping It In The Family – A Special NZSO Night Of Bach In Wellington

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performs the glorious music of baroque genius Johann Sebastian Bach and two of his gifted sons in Wellington on 31 October.

Bach Extended features four beloved works by JS Bach and two exceptional pieces by his sons Carl Philipp Emanuel and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.

The brainchild of NZSO Concertmaster and violinist Vesa-Matti Leppänen, Bach Extended is the latest instalment of the NZSO’s hit Baroque Series.

Earlier this year, a tour of JS Bach’s masterpiece Goldberg Variations played to packed venues in the North Island, including Wellington. Critics loved the performances.

Had Bach been observing from on high, I’m sure he would have been delighted. The Dominion Post

The Orchestra provided a rare and immensely satisfying concert of this monumental

opus from the height of the Baroque period. Manawatu Standard

Leppänen says one of the highlights of Bach Extended for audiences will be hearing the similarities and differences between JS Bach and his offspring. “The combination is really interesting. For example, CPE Bach’s work is quite humorous at times and is clearly much more positive and earthlier than his father’s. But you can still hear the influence of his father.”

Bach Extended includes one of JS Bach’s and baroque music’s best-known works, his Orchestral Suite No. 3, featuring the beautiful second movement Air on the G String.

The concert also boasts two superb soloists: acclaimed pianist Diedre Irons and the NZSO’s renowned Section Principal Cello Andrew Joyce. Irons will perform on fortepiano for CPE Bach’s expressive Concerto No. 4. Joyce features on JS Bach’s eloquent Selections for Cello Suite No. 6.

While Wilhelm and Carl were heavily influenced by their father, they also pushed the boundaries of what baroque music could achieve. WF Bach’s inventive Duet for Two Flutes will soar with the unmistakable sweet sound of baroque flutes.

Bach Extended also features Contrapunctus XIV Unfinished, one of the best of JS Bach’s 14 fugues from The Art of Fugue, and the evocative Chorale Vor deinen Thron, reputedly written on JS Bach’s deathbed.

Bach Extended is also touring the South Island in November, with concerts in Invercargill, Dunedin, Oamaru, Christchurch, and Nelson.

Tickets for Bach Extended in Wellington are $35 or $15 (students and under 18) and available from nzso.co.nz/concerts-and-tickets/season-2020/bach-extended/

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