Episode 9: Joy of Bach

We’ve got your Bach in this episode! Intensive study and performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music has always occupied a central role in the lives of our Heifetz students, past, present, and future. Both as required audition pieces, and far more importantly, as touchstones for “getting in tune,” as it were, with both the technical challenges and emotional power of the German master’s music. In this program we’ll feature some of the most spirited works of by Bach, in boisterous concertos and intimate solos, in performance by Heifetz Institute students and faculty.

 

This Episode’s Playlist

Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1009 –  I. Prelude
Lillian Yim, cello
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.19.2021

J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in B-flat Major, BWV 1048 – I. Allegro
Borromeo Quartet with the Heifetz Band
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.06l2022

Bach: Two-Part Invention No. 11 in G minor, BWV 782 [excerpt]
Noémie Raymond-Friset, cello | Marlène Ngalissamy, bassoon
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Heifetz Institute Recording | 01.03.2021

Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007: I. Prelude
En-Chi Cheng, viola
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.05.2015

Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009: II. Allemande
Christine J. Lee, cello
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.20.2016

Bach: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: II. Fuga
Angela Sin Ying Chan, violin
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.12.2015

Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009: III. Courante
Alicia Yang, viola
Miller Chapel, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.11.2021

Bach: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: III. Andante
Licuong Pamela Feng, violin
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 08.01.2017

Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012: V. Gavottes 1 & 2 [excerpt]
Andrew Gonzalez, violoncello da spalla
Blackfriars Playhouse, American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.20.2018

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, BWV 1051
Paul Neubauer, Michael Klotz, violas | Antonio Lysy, Timothy Eddy, cellos | Thomas Mesa, cello continuo | James Peterson, bass | Andrew Rosenblum, harpsichord
Francis Auditorium, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA
Heifetz Institute Recording | 07.05.2019

 

Go Deeper

• “I am about to reveal my list, though as those who have been with me on this quest already know, I’ve dropped hints along the way. And the winner, the all-time great, is … Bach!”  Check out the article by New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini called “The Greatest” – the Top 10 composers of all time, and find out about his ensuing book The Indispensable Composers: A Personal Guide.
• During the Heifetz Institute’s “Hybrid Summer” of 2021, our students offered a daily Bach performance to the world via our series Chock Full O’Bach, featuring both virtual and in-concert recordings.  Take a look at the wealth of Bach offerings!
• Since 2018, the Heifetz Institute has joined forces with Christ Lutheran Church in Staunton, and performing-arts partners around Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to present Bach Around The Clock, a day-long free-of-charge concert celebration of Johann Sebastian’s timeless music.  The 6th annual edition will take place on Saturday, March 18, from 9 am to 9 pm.