Posted: Wednesday, April 21, 2010

BACH-SCHUMANN-BRAHMS

11-20 JUNE 2010
www.bach-leipzig.de


The Leipzig Bachfest has become an annual 'must attend' for Bach devotees from around the world. For ten days each June, we are treated to a rich offering of events promoted at appropriate settings in and around Bach's city of Leipzig. The picture above is of today's Leipzig - a harmonious mix of period and modern buildings that nestle among leafy avenues and spacious parks where, among others, philosophers, writers, poets, artists and composers once walked including Bach, Schumann and Brahms, given special profile this year.
It is Robert Schumann's 200th anniversary year (b.1810 at Zwickau, due south of Leipzig). The Schumann-Haus at Leipzig is now open and well worth visiting. The newly refurbished Bach Museum has re-opened after more than a year shrouded in builders' scaffolding and, situated in the Thomaskirchhof immediately opposite the famous Thomaskirche and Bach monument with congenial cafés beside, it could not be more accessible.
There are divers restaurants, cafés and bars amidst a wide variety of quality shops and around every corner is a new piece of cultural history to investigate and explore.
The full Bachfest programme is published on http://www.bach-leipzig.de/ We are advised that it is hoped to provide an english abstract to accompany the lectures.
For ticket purchases visit http://www.bachfestleipzig.de/
For hotel accommodation visit http://www.leipzig.de/
For the Schumann Haus visit http://www.schumann-verein.de
For cheap flights visit http://www.ryanair.com Flights are from Stansted to Altenburg and a connecting bus is available to transport passengers to and from Leipzig City Centre (the Station).
NB: Leipzig is a very busy city with lots going on at the same time as the Festival, so early booking is advised for both tickets and hotels.
Enjoy!
LBS regrets that we cannot arrange parties or book flights, tickets and hotels...but we hope the information set out above will assist when making personal arrangements for travel and stay.
 
[ Posted by M S at 2:52:00 PM GMT ] ¤ Permalink ¤ 0 comments
The Bach-Archiv and Bärenreiter announce the revised Bach edition
(http://www.bach-leipzig.de/)

From the Press Release issued by the Bach-Archiv...
" As a supplement to the New Bach edition (NBA) the Bach-Archiv Leipzig and Bärenreiter-Verlag announces the 'Johann Sebastian Bach: New Edition of the Complete Works, Revised Edition (NBA rev.). The NBA Rev. will be edited under the direction of Christoph Wolff, Uwe Wolf and Peter Wollny by the Bach-Archiv and published by Bärenreiter-Verlag. Over the next few years approximately 15 volumes will be published, making the latest musicological knowledge and evaluation available for scholarship and practical use. This will allow for an updating of the scholarly complete edition of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

The NBA rev. will begin in mid-2010 with the Mass in B minor. This problematic score will be examined, with the involvement of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) for the first time with regard to the authentic autograph form of the text of the Mass. Uwe Wolf's new edition of the Mass in B minor offers revealing insights based on these investigations. After the Mass in B minor, further volumes will include the Weimar Cantatas, St. John Passion (two versions), the motets, organ works, the violin sonatas and the suites for solo cello."
(The complete text of the Press Release is on http://www.bach-leipzig.de/ in the News section (right hand side of page - third item)

London Bach Society will profile this project in the September issue of 'Bach Notes', with regular display advertisements to keep everyone informed.

The NBA Rev. will be available on subscription and it will also be possible to buy volumes individually
.
 
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Posted: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Thursday 6 May 2010 at 11.00am
Corus Recital Room,
RWCMD, Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff
Tickets £2 (Season ticket entry to all competitions £5)

STEINITZ BACH STRING PRIZE
This prize, named after the distinguished Bach scholar and conductor Dr. Paul Steinitz, is the second in the series and open to undergraduate and postgraduate string students at the Royal Welsh College of Music Drama who play either the modern or period instrument.
The winner will be profiled on Weblogs and in the September issue of 'Bach Notes'

The 2009 winners were Jennifer MacCallum viola and Sabine Stofer Baroque violin

The prize is donated by the London Bach Society and a private donor.
 
[ Posted by M S at 4:07:00 PM GMT ] ¤ Permalink ¤ 0 comments
Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Bachfest 2010 is about 'Family Bach' and the programme will be published when all the arrangements and funding are in place. We are working on this at the moment.

Be a Bachfest donor
Would you like to be a Bachfest 2010 Donor, be part of the Bachfest Circle, those who help us to make things happen? Here is one of the ways you can donate to the London Bach Society and its Bachfest - through The Big Give

THE BIG GIVE
The Big Give encourages greater charitable giving and enables philanthropists to find and support charities. It is also very helpful to us because it enables us to post our projects on their website, increases the news-spread of our activities and enables you to donate to us via them. There is also a facility that enables you to Gift Aid your donation as well.

The first project we have posted on The Big Give is our 2010 Bachfest in the autumn. You can read about this by visiting www.theBigGive.org.uk Using the search engine to find us, click on Find a charity (at the top of the page) then type in London Bach Society where it says By Keyword (under the map) and you will come to our page. Once you have read about the project you can then donate by using the donate buttons.

About us
London Bach Society is a registered charity no. 1082788

 
[ Posted by M S at 4:12:00 PM GMT ] ¤ Permalink ¤ 0 comments
Posted: Thursday, March 18, 2010

BACH NOTES is the London Bach Society's Journal published twice a year and in March and September. The next issue will be published on 29 March 2010, mailed and emailed to its growing readership hopefully in time for Easter hols.
Readers hail from various perspectives, from curious newcomers to complete devotees and we respond to that in our Journal.


BACH NOTES is published in the spirit of the 19th century composer and journalist Robert Schumann (above) and places Bach’s life and work in context. JSB's relevance today is exemplified in the wide variety of articles and notelets that are published on its pages and, in the spirit and theme of our website, we hope to provide the key that unlocks the door to a greater understanding and knowledge of the whole of the Bach story – that means from 15th century Martin Luther to the present day.

Part of Robert Schumann’s lasting legacy lies in his example that the musician and the journalist working together achieve much and can have long-term significance, meaning and consequence. His own 200th anniversary being celebrated this year deserves to be properly celebrated for this aspect of his life alone.
Schumann was a leading player in the 19th century revival of Bach's music in Germany, aiding and abetting Felix Mendelssohn in particular and using his Journal to extol Bach's greatness as a composer. It disseminated information and opinion especially among his composer contemporaries, for whom the Journal "Neues Zeitschrift für Musik" was originally intended to serve. In the process, it publicised various musical events at Leipzig that raised subscriptions to build a lasting memorial to Bach in his city, unveiled in 1843.

Inspired by this example, the next issue of the London Bach Society's Journal BACH NOTES will contain articles about 'Family Bach', a tribute to Anna Magdalena for her 250th, a section about the new 18-30 Bach Club, Simon Williams on the new organ to be built at St. George's Hanover Square, a pen portrait of Peter Schreier and lots more...
Just e-mail us for your copy and we can supply a PDF.
Enjoy... and
Tweet with LBS via TWITTER www.twitter.com/bachlive


 
[ Posted by M S at 4:01:00 PM GMT ] ¤ Permalink ¤ 0 comments
Posted: Thursday, February 25, 2010

They say that behind every successful man there is a woman!
In Bach's case there were two - his wives Maria Barbara (d.1720) and Anna Magdalena (d.1760) who, between them, not only bore him 20 children, but were also during their respective lives the 'rocks' that kept this ever-growing family on an even keel. Little is known about Maria Barbara, mother of Wilhelm Friedemann (b.1710) and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (b.1714), except for the sad circumstances of her sudden illness and death in July 1720 aged just 36; Bach was away at the time and only learnt the news on his return home, by which date she had already been buried. He was stunned. This situation is in stark contrast to our expectations of receiving such news today, isn't it?

However just seventeen months later on 3 December 1721 Bach married twenty year-old Anna Magdalena Wilcke at Cöthen. Together for the next twenty eight years, most of which were spent at Leipzig*, they shared a deep devotion and affection that not only enabled Bach to fulfil his considerable and demanding duties, but also sustained a large household complete with students and other visiting friends and colleagues, all given warm hospitality and hosted at their lodgings in the Thomasschule, next to the Thomaskirche in Leipzig's Thomaskirchhof (Illustrated c.1735). The Anna Magdalena Notebooks (1722) and (1725) Bach provided undoubtedly testify to the respect in which she was held musically and her importance in his life.

Referred to in one letter as 'our honoured Mama', Anna Magdalena not only became step-mother to Bach's surviving children by Maria Barbara, but she also bore him a further thirteen, a number of whom either died within days or after a few months. Such occurrences were commonplace, as infant mortality was considered just another hardship to be borne alongside the poverty, medical and other social inadequacies of the day. The Bachs also had their fair share of parental worries too. Sons Johann Gottfried Bernhard (b. 1715 by Maria Barbara) and Gottfried Heinrich (b. 1724 by Anna Magdalena) both had personal and social difficulties to overcome. So any perception that such problems are a 21st century phenomenon can be quickly dispelled. Knowledge of life with the Bachs provides another bridge between the centuries, drawing the composer's life, times and his treasury of music perhaps ever closer to us today.

A matchless partner
Anna Magdalena was born into a musical family. A gifted musician herself, she became a successful professional singer and later appeared in concerts with her husband as circumstances allowed, for example with the Leipzig Collegium, within the family home and when accompanying Bach on his many trips away from the city. Bach's Cantata for solo soprano BWV 204 (dating 1726-27) might well have been composed with Anna Magdalena in mind, for scholars now believe that it may have been written for a family occasion. However, she would not have been able to take part in performances of the weekly church cantatas Bach provided for the Leipzig services. The solo soprano/treble part would have been sung by one of the boys of the Thomanerchor.

Anna Magdalena's work as one of her husband's copyists would surely have helped to compensate for any restrictions that were placed on her regarding public performances, and invaluably so. Examples of her musical handwriting include various cantatas, the Violin Sonatas and Partitas, the Six Cello Suites among others. Apart from this and her family and friends, her pleasures also included gardening and her delight at receiving a gift of carnations - perhaps plants for a window box? - is well documented.

Anna Magdalena's 250th anniversary in 2010
Life after Bach, however, was not so agreeable. Apart from the personal loss of her illustrious husband, family support was also limited and she knew great hardship, eventually dying in penury on 27 February 1760 aged 59. The 250th anniversary of her death enables us to reflect upon the central role she played in Bach's life on all fronts - as wife and mother, hostess, a copyist, fellow musician and Confidante - during arguably the most significant years of his compositional life; the years that brought us for example, five cycles of church cantatas, the great Passions and Oratorios and his assembly of material for publication during the 1740s. We remember Anna Magdalena with affection and thanks.
* The Bachs left Cöthen for Leipzig in 1723
Margaret Steinitz
 
[ Posted by M S at 1:09:00 PM GMT ] ¤ Permalink ¤ 0 comments
Posted: Thursday, August 27, 2009



"Ways to Bach"
For Paul's 100th
25 October- 20 November




The London Bach Society's 19th Bachfest "Ways to Bach" incorporates the centenary of the Society's founder, Bach scholar and conductor Paul Steinitz, born 25 August 1909.
(The photograph is of the interior of The Priory Church of St. Bartholomew-the-Great - 10 Nov concert - the Steinitz memorial is in the Cloister)

How we reflect the centenary is as important as the memory itself, for anyone who knew and worked with Paul will have been left in no doubt where he stood.

He was a man who looked ahead, promoted new ideas and had an instinct about the prevailing mood that influenced how best to promote the music he loved with every fibre of his being...and he was very, very determined.

Our forthcoming series will reflect the character of his achievements, reveal them as a 'living' memorial, performed by today's musicians and with an eye to tomorrow. The Royal Academy of Music will also be dedicating one of the Cantata concerts in the RAM/Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata Series to Paul Steinitz's memory (25 Oct) and in the September issue of Choir and Organ there is an article by Kenneth Shenton entitled 'Bach Benchers' that includes Paul's centenary and those of William Cole and Bach scholar Walter Emery, both close personal friends, fellow RAM students and colleagues whose centenaries also fall in 2009.

For historians there are also some further dimensions that add flavour and colour to Bachfest in a year of anniversaries and milestones of every imaginable kind. In addition to the composer anniversaries there are two more that are significant in Bach study...

475th anniversary of Luther's Bible (pictured, left)

200th anniversary of the first performance in Britain of a Bach choral work - the motet "Jesu, meine Freude" BWV 227, directed Samuel Wesley in the Hanover Square Rooms, London.

These will be enshrined in our concert on Luther's birthday 10 November at London's oldest church, The Priory Church of St. Bartholomew-the-Great, West Smithfield (Barbican tube) when we shall also perform Bach's cantatas BWV 125 and BWV 80, which are both based on two of Luther's hymns. A performance of Bach's A minor violin concerto by Rodolfo Richter will complete the programme and a reception will follow in the Cloister for guests, LBS Members and for our musicians.

THE BACH CLUB (for 18-30 year olds) - FREE MEMBERSHIP


The new 'BACH CLUB to be launched on Friday 13 November by Steinitz Bach Players at the Foundling Museum - with its Handel connections - is inspired by the Friday evening meetings of the Leipzig Collegium Musicum, the students' musical society founded by Telemann in 1702 and which Bach directed from 1729-1742 at Zimmermann's fashionable Coffee House in Catharinenstrasse. We shall be joined by the 2008 Leipzig competition prizewinner, cellist Philip Higham who will play Bach's Sixth Suite for unaccompanied cello. There will also be an opportunity for a student group to take part in what promises to be a new and exciting feature in our annual Bachfest and hopefully throughout the year.

The Bach Club has considerable scope for development and there are plans to provide a platform for some new music and perhaps even a commission or two in later meetings. Watch this space....

Full information is published in LBS Bachfest Brochure - email version - and now available.
The next issue of our Journal "Bach Notes" will be published on 10 September for posting, with the Festival Brochure, to our Members and those on our general mailing lists. The e-mail version is available now.

For your copies of either or both, please e-mail lbs@lonbachsoc.demon.co.uk

More updates will follow...

Margaret Steinitz


 
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