Bach and Before

Many music lovers regard J.S. Bach (1685-1750) as the one of the pinnacles of Western music. Repast Baroque Ensemble (Amelia Roosevelt, violin; John Mark Rozendaal, viola da gamba; and Avi Stein, harpsichord) puts Bach in context by exploring the generation of German composers which preceded and influenced him, but have since been largely neglected: Dietrich Buxtehude and his contemporaries have left us dances, fugues, arias, and fantasies that stir the emotions, stimulate the mind, and even occasionally tickle the funny bone. The young Bach admired his predecessors and built upon their work to develop his own style. Repast’s program concludes with two of Bach’s pieces that represent the crowning achievements of their genres: his Violin Sonata in E minor and his Trio Sonata in G Major.

Program:

Sonata in A-Minor, Opus 1, #3 – Dietrich Buxtehude (1637 – 1707) Adagio – Allegro – Lento – Vivace – Largo – Presto

from Scherzi Musicali: Overture – Johan Schenk (1660 – 1717?)

Sonata Terza – Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (1657 – 1714) Adagio [Allegro] Lento. Allemande. Courante. Sarabande. Ciaconne. Final.

INTERMISSION

Sonata in E-minor for Violin and Basso continuo, BWV 1023 – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
[Allegro} – Adagio ma non tanto. Allemanda. Gigue

Praeludium in G-Minor, BuxWV 163 – D. Buxtehude

Sonata a tre in G-Major, BWV 1039 – J. S. Bach
Adagio – Allegro ma non presto – Adagio – Presto

Described as "A graceful, energetic ensemble…" and acclaimed for its “vital performances” and "robust" playing by Allan Kozinn of The New York Times, Repast is a collaboration of three period-instrument virtuosi presenting vivid renditions of music of the baroque era. The group’s name, meaning a meal or a feast, is a double-entendre: out of the revival of past music comes a delectable, spiritually nourishing experience.