Bach in the City - Bach's Musical World

Bach in the City, Chicago’s newest Baroque period-instrument organization, will present “Bach’s Musical World,” a chamber concert of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries.

Curated by harpsichordist Jason Moy, Bach in the City’s associate music director, the program places Bach’s music in the context of works by some of his most illustrious friends and acquaintances and one of his greatest influences.

Listeners will hear two of George Phillipp Telemann’s “Paris Quartets” for flute and strings, plus trios by Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, and George Frideric Handel.

The program opens and closes with Telemann’s “Paris Quartets,” written for and performed by his Parisian musician friends. The Concerto No. 1 in G Major, TWV 43:G1, and Quatuor No. 6 in E Minor, TWV 43:e4, are scored for the unusual combination of flute, violin, cello, and viola da gamba, with harpsichord.

Bach greatly admired the elder, esteemed Danish-German organist and composer Buxtehude. The latter’s Trio Sonata in C Minor, Op. 2, No. 4, BuxWV 262, offers a rich and varied experience as the work moves from intricate counterpoint to rhythmic, dance-inspired passages, with lively interplay between instruments.

Each movement of Handel’s Trio Sonata in B Minor, Op. 2, No. 1, HWV 386b, offers its own mood and character. Of special note are the witty, vibrant “conversations” between the flute and violin.

Bach’s Violin Sonata in E Minor, BWV 1023, scored for violin and continuo (harpsichord and viola da gamba), reflects Bach’s embrace of the trendsetting, virtuosic Italian violin style combined with his signature rich harmonies and buoyant counterpoint. (Note: This piece replaces the previously announced Bach Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1014.)

Concert artists are Taya König-Tarasevich, baroque flute; Amelia Sie, baroque violin; Anna Steinhoff, viola da gamba; Ana Kim, baroque cello; and harpsichordist Moy.

Tickets and information

Single tickets for “Bach’s Musical World” are $45 for VIP admission, which includes reserved seating; $30 adult general admission; $25 seniors 65 and older; and $10 students (with valid ID). Tickets are available online at events.depaul.edu/event/bach-in-the-city-bach-musical-world.

For information about Bach in the City’s programs and mission, visit bachinthecity.org or phone 312-273-9834.