Bach-to-Bach: An Exploration of Bach’s Keyboard Partitas Arranged for Double Reeds

Bach-to-Bach: An Exploration of Bach’s Keyboard Partitas Arranged for Double Reeds

My presentation is an exploration and side-by-side comparisons of J.S. Bach’s Keyboard Partitas Nos. 1, 3, and 4 (BWV 825, 827, and 828) arranged for two oboes, English horn, and bassoon.

My arrangements allow the genius of Bach’s music to be appreciated in a new light. Phrases can be shaped and differentiated with dynamics that are not possible on the original harpsichord, creating beautiful new sonorities. Bach’s magnificent contrapuntal writing, which is sometimes buried in the singular timbre of the keyboard, can now be divided among four instruments, allowing the distinct voices Bach writes to be clearly heard and differentiated.

Performers