NZSO Engage: Bach Extended

Vesa-Matti Leppänen Director/Violin
Diedre Irons Fortepiano
Andrew Joyce Cello

WF Bach Duet for Two Flutes
CPE Bach Concerto No. 4 in C Minor, Wq 43/4
JS Bach The Art of Fugue, Contrapunctus XIV, Unfinished
JS Bach Selection from Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major
JS Bach Orchestral Suite No. 3
JS Bach Chorale Vor deinen Thron

While Johann Sebastian Bach is the undisputed master of baroque music, talent also ran in his family.

Bach Extended presents four of JS Bach’s most beloved works alongside two exceptional pieces by his sons Wilhelm and Carl. Both were heavily influenced by their father, but also pushed the boundaries of what baroque music could achieve.

WF Bach’s inventive Duet for Two Flutes features the unmistakable sweet sound of baroque flutes before CPE Bach’s Concerto No. 4, performed by Diedre Irons on Fortepiano.

JS Bach’s magnificent The Art of Fugue was the last major work before his death and one of the best of its 14 fugues is the Unfinished.

Suite No. 3 is one of the composer’s best-known works due to its beautiful second movement known as Air on the G String. His Cello Suite No. 6 is an exceptional work, light and festive in nature, while Chorale Vor deinen Thron, reputedly written on JS Bach’s deathbed, makes for a haunting and evocative finale.