Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6, are “Bach lover” days at the 2019 Festival!
Three concerts over these two days will feature music by J.S. Bach and his sons: Magnificent Bach on June 5 at 7:30 PM, The Bach Influence on June 6 at noon, and All in the Family: Works by J.S. Bach & Sons on June 6 at 7:30 PM.
Want to learn more about the works and composers before the concert? George Stauffer, noted Bach historian and Dean of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, will present “Bach’s Favorite Piece” at 6:30 PM on June 5 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and “The Bach Boys” at 6:30 PM on June 6 at First Presbyterian Church.
Dr. Stauffer shared some thoughts with us on the upcoming Festival and the beauty of Bach’s music.
VBF: What piece are you most eager to hear at this year’s Festival?
George: This is easy: I am most eager to hear the Credo portion of Bach’s B-Minor Mass at the Wednesday evening concert, Magnificent Bach.
One always hears the Credo portion within the B-Minor Mass. But Bach’s son, Carl Philipp Emanuel, who was the strongest champion of his father’s music, presented it as a separate concert piece in a benefit program in 1784, 34 years after his father’s death. CPE prefaced it with a short instrumental introduction, which Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez will include in the June 5th concert.
The music is arguably the most unified and dramatic work that Sebastian Bach wrote. Composed in the last year of his life, it was his final word on choral writing. I’ve never heard it performed independently in modern times, so the Magnificent Bach concert should be magnificent, indeed!
VBF: The Magnificat is one of the most ancient hymns, and many composers have given this “Song of Mary” a musical setting. What is special about J.S. Bach’s treatment of the Magnificat?
George: Bach first performed the Magnificat during Christmas season 1723. It was his first Christmas as St. Thomas Cantor in Leipzig, and he apparently wanted to compose something especially grand.
The music is scored for a large Baroque orchestra with trumpets and drums, and it calls for four soloists and chorus. It is one of Bach’s most energetic, uplifting, and joyful creations. And it is unusually colorful, employing many different instruments as solos during the arias. Bach’s music doesn’t get any better than this.
VBF: Tell us about some upcoming projects.
George: In addition to our visit to the Victoria Bach Festival, my wife, Renée Anne Louprette, and I will be collaborating on a lecture-recital at the University of Michigan at the end of September, for the conference “Building Bach: His Foundations and Future.”
I’m also working on a book for Yale University Press titled “Why Bach Matters,” which will explore the use of Bach’s music in movies, in political movements, in intergalactic satellites, in musical recycling, and other unexpected places. Bach’s music continues to gain in popularity. In these tumultuous time, it seems to be more important than ever. This book will explain why.
VBF: What are you looking forward to as you prepare to return to Victoria?
George: Renée and I are totally hooked on the Victoria Bach Festival. We’re proud and honored to be a part of it, and we admire it especially for the passion of its performers and the commitment of its supporters.
The enthusiasm of the Board of Directors and members like Michael Hummel, Ron Walker, and other contributors is infectious, and over the years, they’ve been able to create a warm, welcoming community around the Festival. It’s unusual, and very special.
Get more insights from Dr. George Stauffer at 6:30 PM on June 5 at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church and 6:30 PM on June 6 at First Presbyterian Church. And don’t miss “The Bach Influence,” an organ recital by Renée Anne Louprette at noon on Thursday, June 6, at First United Methodist Church.