2010 marked the 300th anniversary of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710 – 1784), the eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. While rather unknown today, Wilhelm Friedemann was one of the most outstanding headstrong composers of his time. However, after World War Two, many of his works went missing and, amazingly, were found again by the renowned Bach researcher Christoph Wolff (Harvard) in Kiev (Ukraine) in 1999. For the musical world, the rediscovery of these musically and technically highly sophisticated compositions was a sensation. The international TV audience will have the unique opportunity to take part in the world premiere of these four beautiful cantatas, performed in the impressive Augustiner-Church in Mainz. Cantatas: ‘Ach, dass du den Himmel zerrissest’, ‘Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen’, ‘Wohl dem, der den Herren fürchtet’, ’O Wunder, wer kann dieses fassen’.
Daniil Trifonov – Bach: The Art of Life
Captivating the audience from the very first moment, Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov brings deep insight into the music-making of J.S. Bach at the Philharmonie in Berlin. Traversing the entirety of the keyboard with just his left hand, he performs a stunning rendition of Bach’s Chaconne in D Minor, before moving seamlessly into the monumental Art of Fugue. Trifonov navigates the 14 fugues and four canons with technical prowess, intimate understanding, careful detail, and exquisite touch and offers a self-composed conclusion of the final contrapunctus worthy of Bach’s genius, a performance of Dame Myra Hess’s moving transcription of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and three encores by three of Bach’s sons, performed between bursts of thunderous applause. PROGRAM Bach: Chaconne in D Minor, Art of Fugue and encores