Overture Magazine - 2014-2015 January-February 2015 | Page 40

{ program notes
In 1764, the eight-year-old Mozart and
his father arrived in London to demonstrate
his prodigious keyboard talent and developed an instant friendship with J.C. Bach.
Mozart adored the amiable composer both
for his warm personality and for his charming music, and they remained in contact
for the rest of J.C.’s life. Upon hearing of
Bach’s death in 1782, Mozart exclaimed
that this was “a loss to the musical world”
and promptly memorialized J.C. in his
Twelfth Piano Concerto.
Mozart also honored J.C. Bach by composing two Sinfonia concertantes, inspired
by J.C.’s love of this genre, a mixture of
symphony and concerto that somewhat
resembles the Baroque concerto grosso
for groups of soloists (epitomized by J.S.
Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos). During
the 1770s, J.C. composed more than dozen
works in this style, designed to feature
many of the leading London soloists who
appeared at his Bach-Abel concerts.
J.C. Bach was a master of the midcentury galant style: music intended to
be pleasing, elegant, witty, and tuneful,
without too much complexity. And we hear
all these qualities in his Sinfonia concertante in C Major, which with its mixed
pairs of soloists — two woodwinds, two
strings — also demonstrates his fine ear for
instrumental colors. Its vivacious Allegro
first movement is launched by a bold flourish in unison proclaiming the chord of C
Major, which will be the movement’s most
prominent motive. Also listen for the beautifully colored second theme introduced by
clarinets and bassoons.
J.C. was famous in his day for the beauty
and sensitivity of his slow movements as the
Larghetto second movement in F Major
demonstrates. He chose the oboe with its
poignantly expressive tone to introduce the
lovely, gracious main theme. This movement, however, is particularly striking for
the many luscious dueting passages created
for each solo pair.
The soloists acting together as a quartet
present the finale’s cheerful refrain theme.
In between its many returns, they are given
finely crafted opportunities to show off
their individual brilliance.

About the concert:

Notes by Janet E. Bedell, Copyright ©2015

For bios, please see pg. 36.

38 O v ertur e |

www. bsomusic .org

Jo s e ph Meye rho ff Sym pho ny Hall

All-Bach

Sunday, February 15, 2015 — 3 p.m.
Nicholas Mcgegan, Conductor
Jonathan Carney, Violin
Madeline Adkins, Violin
Rui Du, Violin
Dariusz Skoraczewski, Cello
Emily Skala, Flute
Michael Lisicky, Oboe

Johann Sebastian Bach Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D Major, BWV 1069
Overture

Bourrée I & II

Gavotte
Minuet
Rejouissance

Johann Sebastian Bach Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043
Vivace
Largo ma non tanto
Allegro

JONATHAN CARNEY
MADELINE ADKINS

INTERMISSION

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Symphony in E-Flat Major, Wq 179 (H. 654)
Prestissimo
Larghetto
Presto

Johann Christian Bach Sinfonia Concertante for Flute,
Oboe, Violin and Cello in C Major, C. 43
Allegro
Larghetto
Allegretto
RUI DU

DARIUSZ SKORACZEWSKI
EMILY SKALA
MICHAEL LISICKY
The concert will end at approximately 4:50 p.m.

For program notes, please see pg. 36.