Bach Club
Rodolfo Richter was our star guest playing to a full Gallery some iconic Bach Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord with James Johnstone at the Bachfest meeting on Friday 4 November at 7.45pm in London’s famous Foundling Museum.
This is what Bach’s second son Carl Philipp Emanuel had to say about these wonderful pieces in 1774 “The Sonatas are among the best works of my dear departed Father. They still sound excellent and give me much joy, although they date back more than fifty years..”
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Our Inspiration…
“Little Paris” was how Leipzig in the economic boom of the early 18th century was known. Coffee houses sprung up forming new social arenas; new fashions and social conventions were formulated, and, with the shift in perspective, a new and exciting platform for the arts was made, meaning NEW MUSIC.
New to the town, in his first secular position as Director of Music of Leipzig University Students’ Musical Society, (1729 – 1742) J.S Bach was already at the forefront of artistic life. In Zimmermann’s coffee house on Leipzig’s fashionable Katharinenstrasse, he headed friday night meetings – exchanges of new ideas and music – which would eventually immortalize Leipzig’s musical aesthetic and push tonal harmony and form into areas the world had never seen before.
For Bach, the concerts provided a change from the formality of his service to the city as a church musician and his students created an opportunity for him to produce new works and adapt existing ones, performing them with Leipzig’s latest talent. At Zimmerman’s, music by Telemann and Handel was approached with energy, enthusiasm and an attitude of exploration. His famous ‘Coffee Cantata’ received its world première, and the concertos for one, two, three and four harpsichords were among other works played, with Bach, his sons and pupils probably as the soloists.
London Bach Society’s BACH CLUB aims to create a similar platform for young artists and musicians today. Reflecting the Leipzig students’ Friday gatherings, we aim to create a contemporary forum for 18-30s to come and share ideas, make contacts and appreciate Bach’s music in an informal atmosphere. FREE TICKETS are issued for each meeting, where a mix of special guests from the world of professional music and those at the beginning of their careers will appear on the Bill – a launch pad for some, as well as showcase for the best in Bach. We are aiming to commission works for a première in the 2012 meeting, and are always looking for new and exciting performers; get in touch!
The 2010 meeting… Friday 19 November 2010 at 7.45pm at the Foundling Museum. The special guest artist was the charismatic pianist James Rhodes who played Bach, Bach-Busoni and Chopin on a specially loaned Steinway to a packed audience including the artist Tracey Emin, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and the LBS President Sir David Tang who jetted in specially to be there and support this new venture. All the tickets were sold via Twitter in the space of a week! Our Trustees who help us to put on The Bach Club and look after our Society met many of the audience and were impressed by the whole evening.
The 2011 meeting… Friday 4 November, 7.45pm in the Picture Gallery at the Foundling Museum. Rodolfo and James presented three Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord from Bach’s set of six and we all enjoyed a glass or two afterwards. Thanks to everyone who came to make it another full house.
Now we look forward to the next gathering in Spring 2012!