BACH SOLO SUITE I

J.S. Bach
Suite n. 1 in sol magg. BWV 1007
Suite n. 2 in re min. BWV 1008
Suite n. 6 in re magg. BWV 1012

For the cello Bach creates from scratch a whole new expressive universe. He chooses the form of the suite of dances without altering the standard pattern: allemanda, corrente, sarabanda, giga, are preceded by a prelude and with a pair of Galanterien (minuets or bourrées or gavotte) interspersed between the third and fourth dance. The full performance of the Suites is split into two evenings and is a key feature of the concerts of the Festival: set in the suggestive Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso in Leggiuno, the tradition is renewed in offering Bach’s masterpiece through different interpreters each time. As a soloist, composer and teacher of international renown, Thomas Demenga is one of the most influential cellists of our time. He has performed in major festivals and prestigious concert halls around the world and his career is determined by an intense comparison with styles of interpretation and composition from different historical eras. His focus as a composer and interpreter of 20th and 21st century operas gives a new and complementary dimension to the historical performance practice of Baroque music.