Welcome to a moment of something different for once! 

We take a momentary diversion from our regular programming to give you a "moment of Vivaldi."

In Shunske Sato and the Netherlands Bach Society's rendition of Vivaldi's "Winter" of the "Four Seasons," Sato stuns with innovative solo violin timbres which embody the icy cold themes of the season. We don't normally hear such sounds when we hear baroque music whatsoever!

Christian focuses on one Vivaldi moment - a simple low trill, but when rendered with an extreme "sul ponticello" bowing (near the bridge), cold and dry harmonic overtones are heard instead.

"Winter" from the Four Seasons, Netherlands Bach Society

In this gem of a sonata, played on an original instrument, Bach hides the simplest musical theme in plain sight: one note.  Alex looks at the end of movement 3, where Bach gives a pedal point E to the viola da gamba, asking for over 30 seconds of one sustained note on this instrument.  Simple, yes, but perfectly aligned with the notes around it.  It's just another gem in the sea of jewels that is Bach's oeuvre.

Performance of this sonata by Mieneke van der Velden and Emmanuel Frankenberg for the Netherlands Bach Society

At the beginning of our podcast seasons, we always look at a new part of BWV 61. This week Christian chooses an unusual bass trill from the sparkling tenor recitative. For this moment Bach opens up the narrating voice and enters a half-aria section so that the singer can repeat the words "You come and let your light shine with full blessing." The lilting cello and bright harpsichord offer repeated "shines" in this section, which concludes with our surprising trill in the basso continuo.

This episode's featured recitative as performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

BachCantataTexts.org annotated translation of BWV 61

Welcome to Season 4!  Thanks so much to all our listeners!  

Today we give thanks -- not just for all of you wonderful listeners, but for Bach's creativity in the opening chorus of this cantata, which he based on the classic Lutheran chorale "Now Thank We All Our God".  We explore the origin of the poetry by Martin Rinckart, a man who, like Job from the Old Testament, lost everything dear to him, but still remained faithful -- and grateful -- to his God.  Then, we dive into the music and the clever text painting, and, after hearing so many hundreds of Bach's works, we delight in the way he continues to surprise us. We can always find something new. And that, wonderful listeners, is something we can all be thankful for.

Video link: Shunske Sato conducts the Netherlands Bach Society in a performance of BWV 192

Even MORE thanks to Netherlands Bach Society for the permission to use audio examples from their high-quality recordings, and also to Syndey LaCom for our delightful artwork.

In this bonus episode, we have a chat with soprano Emily Wood, a featured soloist in the recent concert performance of BWV 147 at Alex's church.  We hear about Emily's personal experience singing this wonderfully challenging solo which is nestled in the very heart of this cantata; we also reflect on the whole 10-movement masterpiece.

Audio recordings of BWV 147 in this episode are from the recording of this concert, at St. John's Lutheran Church, Orange, CA, USA, featuring Cathedral Singers and Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Alex Guebert.

Keep an eye out for the second bonus episode soon -- the blooper reel from Season 3!

Listeners!  Thank you for 100,000 episode downloads!

It's Bachtoberfest, which means we talk about a silly piece by Bach -- this year's is a little parable about a tobacco pipe.  We also read some of your comments and suggestions, we drink some Hefeweizen, and we talk about our plans for season 4, coming in 2024.

TWO MORE BONUS EPISODES are on their way soon -- a blooper reel for season 3, and a post-concert interview with soprano and previous podcast guest Emily Wood.

LOCAL LISTENERS in Southern California: Info about the Christmas Carol Festival organized/directed by Christian at his church: 3:00pm, Sunday December 10, Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, 23262 El Toro Rd, Lake Forest, CA 92630, USA.

And check out the Bach: Coffee and Cantata online group organized by listener Thierry -- a place for like-minded Bach lovers to meet and discuss cantatas in the context of the Sunday on which they were written.  We mention this in the episode.

As always, thanks to Netherlands Bach Society for the use of our audio examples, and Sydney LaCom for our artwork.

Until next year... enjoy those moments...

Composer and guitarist Giovanni Piacentini joins us today with guitar in hand and an enthusiasm to share with us one of Bach's most surprising moments. 

Bach's "Prelude, Fugue and Allegro" is designated for lute or harpsichord. Classical guitarists have long enjoyed the work, which is successfully adapted to the guitar. Near the end of the prelude, Bach takes us down an unexpected path, then gives us a thoroughly strange chord -- Giovanni's moment of Bach today. 

We discuss two normal ways that this chord could have progressed. But as Giovanni says, "Bach isn't normal!" Instead he takes on a wild trip before returning to the peaceful home key. 

Today we take a suggestion from listener Dave, and dive into the wonderfully rich "Trauerode", which was written for the funeral of a princess. Bach put some extra effort into the instrumentation and orchestration.  Here we have an aria with not just one complex obligatto instrument line, but three separate obligatto instrument lines (flute, oboe, violas da gamba), all with different material and different timbres.

"Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl" (Trauerode) (BWV 198) -- tenor aria

Link to information about upcoming concert at Alex's church in Orange, CA: Sunday Oct 1 at 4pm, Bach cantata #147

Closing out this set of three chorale preludes on its Trinitarian hymn tune, this sparkly trio (of angels?) dances up and down the organ console. 

The Three-ness is evident in this piece meant to evoke the third part of the Trinity, the breath-giving Holy Spirit. Three bars by three bars make up the first nine, and three bass notes begin the prelude. Three sturdy eighth notes pin down the dancing texture on occasion, there are three sharps in the key, and there are three independent parts in the trio. 

In this episode we talk about our favorite pair of moments with a long chain of trilled suspensions against fast notes. Knowing that Bach always used the text, we discuss whether this music is meant to set the stanza about the Holy Spirit and whether it may be the fire of the Spirit upon faithful people rather than angels.

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr (organ chorale prelude, BWV 664) by Reitze Smits for the Netherlands Bach Society

Netherlands Bach Society: BWV 662

Netherlands Bach Society: BWV 663

When the King of Prussia requested Bach's presence for a visit, Bach probably expected to be asked to improvise some complex music on the king's prototype fortepiano.  But did he expect the king to give him such a twisty, chromatic theme?  And, after he played an extemporaneous 3-part fugue successfully, was it then even more unfair for the king to ask for a 6-part fugue immediately following that?  And, most intriguing to us, was it actually Bach's son who convinced the king to spring this "trap" on Bach, as theorized by Arnold Schoenberg?

Today we dive deeper into the Musical Offering, and take a suggestion from listener Darcy, looking at a fairly jazzy few seconds of Bach. 

Playlist of the entire Musical Offering, performed by the Netherlands Bach Society

Or, go straight to the Ricercar a 3.

Ricercar a 6, orchestrated by Anton Webern (as mentioned in this episode), with scrolling score, performed by the LA Philharmonic