SUMMARY

Researchers divide the life of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) into stages based on when and where the composer was employed. Weimar, Arnstadt, Mühlhausen, a return to Weimar, Köthen and Leipzig comprise the six stations of his artistic career. During his six-year sojourn in Köthen (1717–1723), when he was employed as Kapellmeister by Prince Leopold of AnhaltKöthen, he wrote many secular pieces: musicologists regard this period as the source of most of Bach’s notable instrumental masterpieces. The orchestral suites, the Brandenburg Concertos and the sonatas and partitas for solo violin all presumably date from around this time – and the cello suites most certainly do. We do not know the exact time these six works composed for solo cello (BWV 1007–1012) were created, as the original manuscript was lost, only remaining for posterity in the copy made by Bach’s second wife, Anna Magdalena. Predominantly consisting of stylised dances, the six pieces are characterised by a clean and clear structure. All of the suites are opened by a substantial prelude, which is followed by the four main movements: the allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue. Before the final movement, however, each suite also includes what is known as a ‘galanterie’, which in the case of the first two suites is a minuet, but a bourrée in the third and fourth, and a gavotte in the fifth and sixth. Major keys are the norm, applying to four of the suites, while the other two are in minor keys. The six cello suites never gained popularity during Bach’s lifetime, and were forgotten for a long time after his death. The series was rediscovered by the great Catalan cellist Pablo Casals at the end of the 19th century, and it is thanks to him that the suites became core works of the cello repertoire.

Born in 1985, István Várdai is a celebrated performer on the Hungarian and international music scenes. After training with László Mező at Budapest’s Liszt Academy and with Reinhard Latzko at the Viennese music academy, he continued his studies between 2010 and 2013 with Frans Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy in Germany. He achieved great success at international competitions. In 2015, he and Kristóf Baráti were named the artistic directors of the Kaposfest International Chamber Music Festival in Kaposvár, and in 2017 he took a position as a professor at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim. The following year saw him being appointed head of the cello department at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna. As a soloist and chamber musician, he performs concerts worldwide to great acclaim and has made many recordings. The instrument he plays is a Stradivarius. Together with Baráti and Dénes Várjon, he founded a trio. He has served as the artistic director of the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra since 2020.

2023. április 6. BARTÓK TAVASZ

E Tv S P Ter S A Klangforum Wien

Ligeti 100

Közreműködik: Kelemen Barnabás – hegedű, Fenyő László – cselló, Fejérvári Zoltán – zongora, Klangforum Wien

Vezényel: Eötvös Péter

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Bart K Tavasz Bar Ti Krist F S A Philharmonia Orchestra

Vezényel: Santtu-Matias Rouvali

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VERDI: A LOMBARDOK –KONCERTSZERŰ ELŐADÁS

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Vezényel: Ivan Repušić

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Martin Grubinger S A Luxemburgi Filharmonikus Zenekar

Vezényel: Gustavo Gimeno

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BOLDOCZKI GÁBOR, SZERGEJ NAKARJAKOV ÉS A PRÁGAI SZIMFONIKUS

Zenekar

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Ligeti 100

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Vezényel: Eötvös Péter