Beginnings

Wednesday, 7 September 2016
Minorite Church at 7.30 pm
Maribor

 

Nicolas Altstaedt, cello

Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007
Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
Henri Dutilleux: Trois strophes sur le nom de Sacher
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Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BVW 1009
Johann Sebastian Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011

 

In 1720 J. S. Bach dedicated his six suites to the cello, which was at the time in its infancy as a solo instrument. Even though Bach's musical legacy was rebirthed in Mendelssohn's lifetime and the composer's popularity grew continuously throughout the 19th century, his cello suites were recognised as an exceptional masterpiece only with the recording of the cellist Pablo Casals in 1936 – before this year the suites were perceived merely as etudes, not meant for the stage.

Today these works are at the heart of every cello soloist's repertoire; this is true also for the Franco-German cellist Nicolas Altstaedt, who is increasingly acclaimed on world stages and desired not only as a cellist, but also as a conductor and a broad-minded concert and festival curator. Altstaedt, this year 's Festival musician in residence, will be revealing his versatility not only with the Arcangelo orchestra, but also in a solo recital of a selection of four suites by J. S. Bach and with his interpretation of the 3 Strophes Sur Le Nom De Sacher by French composer Henri Dutilleux, who died only a few years ago (in 2013).