J.S. Bach

Bach On the Wild Side

It’s J.S. Bach, but with a difference. An entire additional voice grafted onto a simple two-part invention makes a fiendishly difficult trio, but that’s just for starters. This week, we take a step beyond our usual understanding of Bach and listen to some of his most challenging scores brought to the edge by provocative modern interpretors. We’ll hear a jazzy reworking of the Air on the G-String, a Dutch rock musician’s take on the famous Toccata, and Porter Heaps’ Swinging After Bach.

From youthful virtuosity to arrangements beyond-the-pale, performers, composers and transcribers visit with the great master from Leipzig and invite him out for a real trip. Be prepared for excitement and surprise as we take Bach on the Wild Side.

Listen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

• March 10, 2003

Featured Organs:

• Klais at Ingolstadt Cathedral
• Mayer at Saint Bonifatius, Weisbaden
• Schoenstein at First Plymouth
• Kleucker-Steinmeyer at Tonhalle, Zurich
• 1990 Visser-Rowland organ at Wooddale Church

Music played in the program

J.S. BACH: Toccata & Fugue in d, S. 565 –Franz Hauk (1977 Klais/Ingolstadt Münster, Germany) Guild CD-7217

PORTER HEAPS: Swinging Bach (after S. 565) –Gabriel Dessauer (1985 Seifert; Mayer/Saint Bonifatius Church, Wiesbaden, Germany) BoniChor CD-03

BACH (trans. Hohman): Arioso, from Orchestral Suite No. 3, S. 1068 –Fred Hohman (1997 Schoenstein/First Plymouth Congregational Church, Lincoln, NE) Pro Organo CD-7077

BACH: Vivace, from Trio Sonata No. 2 in c, S. 526; 2 Chorale-preludes on Ach Gott und Herr, S. 692/3 –Jean Guillou (1988 Kleuker-Steinmeyer/Tonehalle, Zürich, Switzerland) Dorian CD-90150

PERCY GRAINGER: Blithe Bells (after Bach’s aria Sheep may safely graze…) –Michael Ferguson (1990 Visser-Rowland/Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, MN) (American Public Media recording 11/19/00)

MAX REGER: 4 Inventions after Bach (trio versions of Bach Two-part Inventions) –Paul Jacobs (1971 Beckerath/Dwight Chapel, Yale University, New Haven, CT) (American Public Media recording 12/11/02)

BACH (arr. Jan Vayne): Toccata & Fugue (after S. 565) –Jan Vayne (unidentified instrument) Radio Nederland tape

BACH: Prelude in b, S. 544 –Ton Koopman (1732 Garrels/Grote Kerk, Maassluis, The Netherlands) Teldec CD-94458

BACH: Fugue in b, S. 544 –Anthony Newman (1979 Rieger/Concert Hall, SUNY-Purchase, NY) Kleos Classics CD-5107

BACH: Passacaglia & Fugue in c, S. 582 –Virgil Fox (1962 Aeolian-Skinner/Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY) Command LP-11018 (out-of-print)